Get up to a grey and windy morning, not what the weather man had forecast!
We get down to the harbour for 8a.m. and join the queue to book on to our boat, the Silverswift.
We are warned it may be a bit 'choppy' at times, but what can we do but get on, have our complimentry breakfast and hope we don't see it again!
It isn't too bad to start with, we have about an hour and a half before our first snorkel stop, on the way out to it, the boat slows down, the captain has spotted some humpback whales. They are massive and put on a good show for us, leaping high up out of the water and splashing down sideways, there is the odd dolphin too.
We continue on our dumpy ride to the first stop, it has to be said, I don't feel great!
I have never snorkelled before and Matt has, but a long time ago. The promised sun is still not showing and it is quite cold, so we hire some wetsuits at $8 each, well worth it to keep some of the cold out. (We also wear lifejackets, that way you can float and enjoy what's underneath, rather than having to swim.) The snorkel gear is good quality and we soon get into it!
I don't honestly think I can put into words how I feel, floating around in what truely is a 'wonder of the world'. The first fish that really takes my eye is quite small, black with bright blue spots. We have 1 hour in the water here, then get called back on board, to move on to te 2nd reef.
Second reef we see a giant turtle. The corals are quite pale but there are the odd blue and the pink one's. (We speak to someone later and she says that years ago they were mostly coloured, apparently the sun bleaches them!)
Back on the boat for lunch and move to our final dive. Matt manages to eat the lovely buffet, unfortunately, I still feel sick and extremely cold, so I sit shivering with a bread roll!
Here we have the chance to have a guided tour with one of the staff. He dives to the bottom and picks up a sea cucumber, it's black and 'cucumber' shape, and quite slimmy!
He points out out various things that we would have missed, the giant calms being just one! The photographer too, has a' Moari Rasp' following him, (something to do with the food he was feeding him), it was massive and friendly enough to stroke!
To sum up our day on the reef.....BLOODY BRILLIANT. It is definatley the highlight of the holiday so far, without a doubt. If you have EVER thought of coming out to Australia it is 'must do'!!!! I would do it again and again and again if I could. There is no way to describe floating and looking to see something different every time you move your head even a fraction!
I can not explain
