My specification to the nice lady at the YHA desk who helps you book up your tours was "A trip to the reef without getting into the water". She showed me a brochure from a company called Reef Magic and I handed over the money. The trip was to a platform on the outer reef (at Moore Reef to be precise) where you could go snorkelling or diving, or see fishy things through glass in a variety of ways. Good. I'm the person who did a sprint triathlon with heads-up breast stroke because I can't put my face in the water.
So, on Monday morning I walked up to the Reef Marina. It was like checking in at an airport with desks for the different companies all taking people out into the sea to look at fish and coral. I was nice and early which meant I was among the first few people onto the boat (catamaran) and could pick my seat at the front and settle in for the 90 minute journey. We were warned that it might be a bit bumpy for some... I took the opportunity to practise relaxation as the sensation in my stomach was very similar to the plummeting feeling experienced in turbulence on a plane; and I'm not fond of that. I decided that although I think the sensation is in my stomach it's possible that I'm tensing it in response to a reaction elsewhere (which would be my ears I suppose). So focussing on not letting anything happen in the mid-region was quite interesting and something I managed to master. Being able to see out when in a boat also helps. I don't know that I've ever suffered with seasickness but it gave me something to do!
Sitting at the front, I got full benefit of the snorkelling demonstration as well as the diving briefing. There were various folk wandering about to get you to sign up for guided snorkelling or the diving activities ie take more money from you and I opted for a massage. They're very popular here, you can usually find them at street markets! This was a nice Australian lady rather than a small oriental person so I felt more sure of what I might get.
We arrived at the platform and I had a good look around. The snorkelling area was roped and marked off by buoys to stop you straying too close to the reef, or too far away I suppose. There was a little platform where you could put on your flippers and get in the water. The ocean. I had my massage which was lovely, although the first one ever where the masseuse has said nothing during the whole thing, and went to go on the glass bottomed boat trip. That was fun with commentary about the reef history and so on, as well as seeing lots of pretty fish. It wasn't good for taking photos but never mind.
Back at the platform, I changed into my swimsuit, collected a lifejacket and did it up tight, then picked a snorkel mask and some flippers. I was in that inspired by others place again, thinking you get some chances only once and this was one of them. Tentatively, I tiptoed down the steps to the jumping in platform. Put on my flippers, then my mask, then inserted the snorkel mouthpiece. Yes, I was sitting down, ankle deep in water, breathing through a snorkel in the open air. Ok, it worked. Now for the water. I moved forward to the edge where I could sit, legs in the water and gentle lapping of waves around my backside. I sat there for a while and finally made my move. I got in, holding very tightly to the platform with both hands. I looked down and saw a pretty yellow and black striped fish. Good, I've done it. Perhaps I could my face a bit lower so that it got wet? Ooohhhh. Still alive, I did that again and let my body and legs float upwards so that I was at full stretch on top of the water facing downwards! Still holding on, don't be silly. So I practised that for a bit, then the idea of movement hit me. This would involve moving a hand to the next bit of metal but I could probably do it, so that was the next step or paddle or something - it wasn't swimming. This was really quite something, I could see fish and I could breathe all at the same time. There was a snorkelling supervisor lady and she asked if I was ok and I replied that I was doing very well, thank you! I got out while the going was good and had lunch. I should point out here, that although I was fairly pathetic at the whole snorkelling thing, I got in without the need to put on a wetsuit because the water temperature was 'only' 25C. Seemed positively balmy to me. There were only about three people not wearing wetties :-)
Lunch was a buffet affair and not restricted as to how much you could have. There had already been 'morning tea' when we arrived at the platform so we were being well looked after. My next activity was the semi-submersible outing where you sit in the hull with glass windows down both sides of a fairly small boat. A slightly better view than from the glass bottomed vessel. Both these boats went around the local reef slowly, taking in different types of reef, with explanations and descriptions of all sorts of things. Amusingly, our guide's first language was not English and she called one creature a 'sea cumber' so every time after when a small child or older person spotted one it was "Oh look a sea cumber"..... I didn't want to upset anyone so kept quiet ;-) They're not too exciting to look at but were a big export item at one point as some people, the Japanese I think, eat them.
There was a fish feeding session back on the platform. That was amazing, all these fish showing a great interest and coming right up close, including Wally the Great Maori Wrasse. She's a very friendly, very large fish who likes to hang around the platform and actively invites stroking. All good fun.
Then I retrieved my kit and returned to the enclosure! It seems I hadn't had enough excitement! I repeated much of what went before and this time moved along the rail with slightly more confidence. Said hi to a couple who were resting up and laughed that I hadn't let go yet. The man was really kind and asked if he could help at all, hold my hand. I thanked him but declined - no need to drown two people on such a nice day. I practised lying there holding on with just one hand and then, finally, I let go! I was snorkelling! One of the big problems I have is a fear of swimming where I can't see the bottom. Here on the reef, I could see the coral and it wasn't too far down so I was ok (of sorts!). I grabbed back hold of the platform and laughed at what I was doing. And emptied the water out of my snorkel. I had another go and slowly, slowly I even started to manoeuvre myself around a teeny bit, starting to explore The Great Barrier Reef, or at least a very small corner of it.
There were so many different fish of a multitude of shapes and sizes. And the colours! Ask a small child to paint you some fish and this is what you get! The corals were pretty and I saw a huge clam in a really whacky colour combination so it wasn't just fish and cumbers. Absolutely incredible. I was grinning insanely, perhaps that's why water kept sneaking in.
Then I had tea and cake and yet again, the world was wonderful chez moi.
Back on dry land, I went and sought out the Night Markets about which I'd heard so much but, to be frank, seen one market, you've seen most of them.... On the other hand, as I walked back to the hostel at dusk I saw the bats doing their evening commute to the fruit growing area. What an amazing spectacle! Thousands of bats, flying, swarming, flocking whatever it is that bats do, filling a tract of sky. And when I say thousands, I mean thousands. Meanwhile, all the rainbow lorikeets in Queensland seemed to be having their AGM in one, large tree. What a racket!
What a perfect day.
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