We flew into Cairne, Australia yesterday but the hotel we are staying at is over an hour by bus north in the town of Port Douglas. It is mostly a resort town and is a place from which a lot of tours of the Reef originate. The hotel is very spacious. The rooms are like apartments with a kitchen, two bedrooms and, most important, a washer and dryer in each unit. Since we are at about the 1/2 way point, we were able to wash everything and reload our luggage.
Today was a highlight day, the Great Barrier Reef. We took the buses to the marina and boarded a large enclosed catamaran for a hour and a half ride out to the reef. Since I am prone to seasickness I had feared that we would be taking small boats out to the reef. Not the case. It was a nice smooth ride over calm seas. Out in the middle of somewhere we docked. There were a couple of semi-submersible boats. What that means is that there was an area for passengers that is below the water level. People sit two abreast and there are windows on both sides. The boat then goes out and rides around the reef and you can see the coral and the fish. Before long a school of dolphins started following our boat. They swam under and around the boat for most of the trip. The guide claimed that he had only seen dolphins twice in 6 months and the first time they swam by and were gone in 10 second. This school hung around with us.
The dolphins from the window of the semi-submersible boat.
We left the dock and anchored out in an area on top of the reef. This is where the serious fun, snorkeling and scuba began. Most of the people went snorkeling but there were three of us with diving experience who went for a real dive. I probably have not done a dive in about 10 years. Yes, I was a bit nervous. After such a layoff it took about 10-15 minutes to start to feel comfortable underwater. The dive ranged from about 30-50 ft. and was for 50 minutes. When I was diving frequently the dream was to dive the Great Barrier Reef. For awhile I thought I might never dive again. When this opportunity came about I had to take it. Cross one off the bucket list. After getting back on the boat we had lunch. Everybody was very energized from the experience whether is was diving or snorkeling A great time was had by all!
It was a nice boat ride back to the Port Douglas. For dinner there was no organized event. We were given the option of eating at the resort, ordering room service or going into town to eat at one of two restaurants. Each person (not couple) was given a $100 voucher. We went into town and had a fine dinner.