The Great Barrier Reef

Sunday, May 20^th

Scuba Diving day!  We walked to the pier and checked in.  It was all well organized and painless.  We boarded our large boat, SilverSonic, for free breakfast.  There were around 20 snorkelers (Michelle included) 10 beginner divers, and 4 certified divers (that’s me). As one of four experienced divers, our dives were intimate, more like a personal tour of the Great Barrier Reef.  Our dive master was very jovial and informed.  The entire trip was educational and enjoyable.  (Except for the slight seasickness on the way out.  It was an hour boat ride to the reef and the winds were pretty high even here, so there were several people throwing up on the back of the boat.  I held it together, but I’m sure it’d be nice to go out again with calmer conditions.) 

I found Nemo!

I signed up for 3 tank dives at Flynn Reef on the Great Barrier Reef.  I have an under water camera that should go only about 3 m (~10 ft) so I decided I wouldn’t take it on the deepest dive but may try it out on our more shallow dives.  Our first dive was at the Coral Gardens: maximum depth: 20m; length of dive: 45 minutes.  We saw Clown Trigger fish, a White Tip Reef Shark, flat worms, Giant clams, a Maori Wrasse, and a Feather Star.

I loved the giant clams.  They were half the size of me and extremely vibrant.  

Hawk Bill Sea Turtle

Nigel (above) was a Maori Wrasse, a big blue fish that came right up to me.  I could pet his soft, smooth scales.  Maori Wrasse, also known as Humphead Wrasse, are mainly found in coral reefs in Indo Pacific regions.  The males can grow to be about 2 meters (6 feet).  They are the largest living member of their family. 

Flat Worm (yellow and white)

I also loved the flat worms.  They glide through the water like stingrays, moving with elegance.  They are decorated with bright primary colors in shapes and patterns that outline their body.

  

Then we came back aboard and layed out on the front part of the boat while we were brought to the next dive site: Gordon’s Reef.  Our maximum depth was 12 meters, so I decided to take my camera down, and just see if it worked.  Sure enough it did! I saw two Hawk Bill Turtles, a Green Turtle, Boxer shrimp, Ghost shrimp and Baracuda.  I would have never spotted the Ghost Shrimp, but Sean, our dive master, pointed them out to me on a sea anemone swaying in the salty blue.  They were microscopic and hardly visible, and yet, adorable (see below)

Pineapple Sea Cucumber

The last dive was at Tracy’s Reef.  We went down about 12 meters for 45 minutes.  This was my favorite dive because Sean made it interactive.  He picked up a Pineapple Sea Cucumber and just plopped it in my hands.  On their underside, Pineapple Sea Cucumbers have hundreds of feet, or suction cup appendages used for movement and food collection and consumption, similar to a starfish. They latched onto my hand- it felt so funny!

 Dive Master, Sean (Check out his cool hair!)

 Whale Poop (Not really.  Actually another Sea Cucumber)

 Leopard Sea Cucumber
When threatened, this specific type of sea cucumber ejects its intestines hoping the predator will attack the gut and not the cucumber.  The Sea Cucumber can regenerate its gut after the event.  Sean showed us this, and touched the white intestines and then pulled, unable to remove it.  It was as strong as a rope.  Well, I thought I'd try the same, so I touched it and sure enough, couldn't get it off.  I had a moment of panic 20 m (60 ft) below, but managed to get some of it off.  It wasn't until I surfaced that it all came off. What an effective protective mechanism.

 Brown Starfish

Kuhl Sting Ray

The different levels of coral formed a city of natural skyscrapers under the sea.  We swam in caves and under archways made by coral.  Tiny neon-blue fish socialized by their local hangout, the Hard Coral Hotel.  When I touched the sea anemone, a soft coral, the clown fish played tag with my fingers.  Small black and white striped fish huddled together in schools for safety.  When you came up, the school would swim into the coral to hide.

Other soft coral that looked like a small flower made of fans in the shape of a pyramid would suck in when you swam by.  It was fun to swish the water towards them and watch them contract into the hard coral for cover. 

I’ve been fortunate enough to have the opportunity to scuba dive in the Bahamas, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and now the Great Barrier Reef in Australia.  Each dive is different.  One was a wreck dive.  I loved swimming through the old rusted doors and looking onto an old ship that is now a home to so many creatures under the sea.  I was originally going to scuba dive the Yongala Wreck in Townsville.  However, due to the weather conditions I wasn’t able to.  But if there is a next time in Australia, I’ll have to make that a priority.  The Yongala Wreck was voted one of the top 10 wreck dives in the world.  The Yongala sank during a cyclone in 1911 with the loss of all 122 people onboard.  They say you can still see hand brushes, silverware and chairs from the day it sunk.

In years to come, I want to plan trips specifically around dives.  There is something about being under water, exploring something so untouched and alive.  Each inch of coral, sand and rock is a home to another aquatic life.  The millions of moving parts in this under water world make up a magnificent whole.  Each part is important and so specifically designed for a purpose.  It truly is a whole new world under there.  I always dreamt I would someday be a mermaid.  This is my way of making that dream come true. I may not have a tail, but I do have fins and I can breathe under water, with assistance of my scuba gear.

Monday, May 21^st

We woke up early to drive back to Townsville before my flight at 2.  The countryside was gloomier on the way back, with heavy rainfall.  No wonder it’s so green here. 

The kindle is a traveler’s best friend.  My flight was delayed but I didn’t mind at all because I was happily in another world with my kindle and ipod.  When we did board the plane, I quickly nestled into my seat, unfortunately not a window seat this time. Sad day.  I continued to read until we made it to Sydney.  It was tragic to watch the sun flicker on the seats but not really be able to see what was just outside the window.  I can only imagine what the sunset must have looked like over Sydney.  It was very painful for me not to be in a window seat. I made it, just barely, and exited the plane, ready for my long trek back home via train, bus and then car.  Tired but home, I walked in only to find…. The harp!!! Jerry picked up the rented harp while I was away and it’s now here!! I was so excited.  I started screaming and found nail clippers right away.  I can’t bare the sounds of long nails on a harp.  Then I tuned the harp.  Once all tuned, I sat down and started to play.  This 36-string lever harp has surprisingly full sound.  I was so impressed and delighted.  My fingers instantly remembered what to do and danced on the strings, making music to my heart.  I was one with the harp. I was whole.  What a perfect ending to a wonderful weekend of adventure and exploration.  I could express those feelings through my music.  I let out a big sigh through my notes and released the songs in my head that had been trapped momentarily.  The wheels in my head started turning.  I will play this harp on the cliffs at Curl Curl.      

Cairns

Saturday, May 19th

Sugar Cane Fields

We woke up and started the venture to Cairns.  The countryside was primarily mountains and sugar cane fields.  We made it to Cairns after the 4-hour drive and checked in our hotel, then grabbed a bite to eat.  Nothing like a good old fashioned burger and hot chips (French fries).  Then we went on the Sky Rail that started at the foot of the mountains and carried us over the Barron Gorge National Park and rainforest to Kuranda, a small town nestled in the lush mountain tops.

Basket Ferns

Barron Falls is a famous scenic spot and tumbling gorge. The Sky Rail has several stops throughout the ride to and from the town to observe and learn more about the plant life.  We spotted Birds Nest Ferns, Cycad, Basket Ferns, Kauri Pine, Banyon Trees, Alexandra Palms, Red Pendas, and Elk and Staghorn Ferns. 

After enjoying the scenery, we hopped back on the SkyRail and went to dinner in town.  I licked my lips throughout the entirety of each bite of my chicken Parmagian on a bed of hot chips.  Amazing.

Townsville & Magnetic Island

Thursday, May 17^th-

I rode the bus into town and then the train to the airport.  This weekend, I have off Thursday through Monday to visit a family friend, Michelle, in Townsville. I’m going to scuba dive the Great Barrier Reef!

I made it to the airport and then went straight through security without having to show my id or weigh my bag.  It took 10 minutes max to get to the terminal.  I thought that was rather painless and even enjoyable. I could get used to this.

Then I read in my kindle and waited. The plane was running late, but when it arrived, I nuzzled into my window seat and watched the clouds.  I love flying.  I saw a controlled fire below when we reached Townsville.  The smoke was mingling with the clouds above.  Quite interesting.

I took a cab to Michelle’s work and the dive shop next door.  I talked with the dive master and he said they were not doing any dives this weekend due to strong winds.  It’s a 3-hour boat ride each way from Townsville to the reef, so the ride would be dangerous and seasickness would probably ensue. Woe is me. What to do? Is my dream going to die due to high winds?  I don’t know if I’ll get another chance to come up here… I told Michelle about the cancellation but she was quite the problem solver.  She said we could just drive up to Cairns if the weather is better and dive and stay the night there.  Cairns (pronounced “cans”) is about 4 hours north of Townsville.  It is known for the Great Barrier Reef and its rainforests. 

So, the plan was to spend Thursday and Friday in Townsville and Saturday and Sunday in Cairns.  Bullet dodged. 

Friday, May 18^th- Townsville

We took the ferry out to Magnetic Island, a lush paradise surrounded by splashing topaz.  As we hiked up the mount, two other hikers went out of their way to show us two wild Koalas in the treetops just a few meters up the path.  (Yet further proof of how nice Australians are, as well as how incredible the wildlife is here!)  So we climbed up and in the woods to find a couple of tree huggers, literally.  They were adorable.  And sleeping.  They tend to do that a lot.  It was fun to see not one, but two Koalas in their natural habitat.  Michelle said in her whole life here in Australia, this was only the second time she had seen a Koala in the wild.  How fun! 

The views from the rocks on the top of the island were breathtaking.  After absorbing the pictorial views, we began our descent.

Once to the road, we hitch hiked a ride back into the town.  People are so nice here! First hitch hiking experience- success!  At the local pub, we downed delicious burgers, lavished with beetroot and caramelized onions  (surprisingly amazing) and the usual toppings.  We enjoyed a few beers with the sun setting on the beach as our backdrop.  Because I’ve only been to the East coast of Australia, I haven’t seen the sun set actually on the water until now, because we were on the west side of the island.   I walked along the sandy shore, snapping shots of the illuminated clouds smiling down on their glistening mirrored image on a rolling blanket of blue.