Day 19 - Great Barrier Reef Trip
Great Barrier ReefWednesday, 10 August 2011
Another early start, up at 5:45. Got ready quickly and headed off for Cairns Marina. Perfect weather - bright blue, cloudless sky with no wind, 28 degrees. Checked in at the Silverswift terminal and then went to board the boat which was moored at number 11. We were welcomed on board with a cup of tea and a selection of cakes. Went out to the reef. The girls and I were booked onto an introductory dive and so at the first stop we got kitted up with our wetsuits and diving gear and the four of us went for a 30 minute dive with Ryo our instructor.
It was a fantastic experience and we saw loads of different things such as Barracudas, Clown Fish, Giant Clams and loads of colourful fish and coral. We even saw a shark, thankfully sitting quietly at the bottom.
After the dive we moved on to the second reef location and after a smorgasbord seafood lunch we all went snorkelling and saw more of the reef and fish and this time we even saw a turtle. I had brought a waterproof case with me for my camera and so I could try it out for the first time.
We moved on to the third reef location with more snorkelling and after afternoon-tea, headed back to Cairns. It was still hot and sunny and we dried off on the for deck. We arrived back in Cairns at about 4:30 feeling weathered and tired. We went back to our apartment and then after getting showered and changed, we went up to Port Douglas for dinner.
We had a table booked at the Salsa restaurant, but when we got there we didn't fancy the menu and so we went to a Thai restaurant instead and had a very nice meal sitting out on the terrace. Good move.
The girls fell asleep in the car, the minute we set off form Port Douglas as it really had been a full on day.
Tomorrow we will be setting off on the next part of our journey driving south towards Mission Beach.
 | Silverswift [Map] |  | Getting ready for dive [Map] |
 | Snorkelling [Map] |  | Whale [Map] |
 | Underwater dude [Map] |  | Blue fish [Map] |
 | Nemo [Map] |  | Parrot fish [Map] |
 | After dive [Map] |
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Brave girls! - and Chris too of course. The colours in your underwater photos are great - far better than any I've ever taken. Lucky to see a turtle. Your pool will not be the same now after that experience - perhaps you could throw in a few goldfish when you get home. Sue x
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