Finding Nemo

14th-18th - The Great Barrier Reef, Cairns, Queensland, Australia

Before going away I had managed, after much persuasion, to get Mike to agree to do a scuba diving course with me on the Great Barrier Reef. I technically already had my Open Water qualification but it had been so long since I had been diving that I decided to repeat the course again and do the Open Water course with Mike. It was a 5 day course where you spent 2 days in the classroom, doing theory in the morning and pool skills in the afternoon, then 3 days on a boat out on the reef completing dives. Mike was actually quite excited when we started the course, but unfortunately had had an ear infection in the week preceding. Although it was getting better it wasn't quite right and when he saw the dive doctor he was told he wouldn't be able to do the course as it would be dangerous and he wouldn't be able to equalise properly. After much debate we decided that I would continue with the course and Mike would go out on a snorkelling trip to the reef once his ear was better.

There were about 20 of us in the group, a mix of travellers from all over and some Australians. Our first morning we started doing some theory and safety stuff in the classroom. After lunch we got changed and spent the afternoon in the pool. We were split into two groups and our teacher was a New Zealander called Sam. We also 'buddied up' with a partner and I was with a Japanese girl called Naho. We practiced assembling out kit, using the respirator, doing some mask skills and descending, making sure we could all equalise. The next day was a pretty similar set up, but we had to complete a written exam in the morning and we took a trip to the dive shop where people bought some better equipment. I bought a mask as I really struggled with some of the mask skills and clearing it and it actually made it sooo much easier once I had one that properly fitted my face. They explained to us what we needed to pack for the boat and what we could expect to see out on the reef - everyone was very excited about seeing Brian, an enormous turtle who was very old and whose shell was supposedly the size of 4 desks pushed together!!

The next morning I said goodbye to Mike (!) and was collected pretty early to head for the harbour. The boat was really big and had a main living area with tables and chairs and the kitchen, and then several cabins with 2 beds in each and some bathrooms. There must have been around 60 people living on the boat. Outside, there was a deck at the back with benches and all the dive equipment where you would prepare for a dive, and upstairs there was a deck to sit out on and enjoy the sunshine. Now, we had been forewarned about sea-sickness and I was stocked with plenty of tablets. Apparently, because of the design of the boat it was particularly rocky and we were about to discover just how bad the sea-sickness could be...

Once out of the bay the sea got really rough, it was actually like being on a rollercoaster and being sat at the back of the boat out on the top deck there were times when the boat was literally perpendicular to the sea and you were plunging straight into it. Needless to say, people were vomming left, right and centre. The journey seemed to last forever - actually about 4 hours - and I was so relieved when we came to a stop and moored up. Time for our first dive! We got our equipment together and into our wetsuits on the deck on the back of the boat and then did our checks with our buddies. They sign you in and out of the water to make sure nobody is left behind. You jump straight off the back and then use the rope that the boat is anchored with to help you descend to the sea bed. It was only about 10m deep. Once on the bottom we spent 30mins doing some skills and then swam off exploring as a group.

Afterwards we got dry as best we could and had some lunch. We did 2 dives that first day and one session snorkelling. The snorkelling was the first time we saw a turtle!! It was v exciting.

A lot of people stayed up chatting/drinking that night but I was plagued with sea sickness (despite popping the pills) and having thrown up a couple of times already that day and eaten v little, I went to bed at about 5pm!

Because of my early night, I was awake at about 4:30am and as soon as I became aware of the boat lolling I realised I was going to be sick. So I got up and sat out on the back of the boat hoping the fresh air would help. It didn't, but I soon felt better after throwing up and was able to take in the beautiful sunrise. That day we did 2 more dives as a group, this time covering navigation with our compass. I had struggled with one of the skills where you take off your mask and replace it underwater so did this again with the instructor but finally managed it! That meant we had all passed and we had a little celebration on the boat where we received our qualifications. The first dive after lunch we were on our own! Before each dive we had a brief whereby they talked us through a map of the underwater region where we were and gave us compass bearings to follow. Our first dive we managed quite well on our own (my buddy and me!) When we re-surfaced we weren't too far from the boat which I took to be a good thing. We also saw some sharks on the bottom of the sea which was cool. Although we still hadn't found Brian, the giant turtle...

After dinner that night we did a night dive. We were all quite nervous and had a special briefing beforehand as we had extra equipment to deal with such as torches. We had coloured glow sticks to put on our oxygen tanks so we could easily identify our group as for this dive we were back in our big groups. Jumping into the pitch black sea in the middle of nowhere was pretty terrifying but you completely forgot about it as soon as you were in because it was soooo cool! Circling the boat were loads of sharks and we descended to the bottom through them all. It was surprisingly disorientating in the dark - we had done this dive site earlier but I was completely lost in the dark so tried very hard to stick with my group. We went to Brian's lair and couldn't find him, and just as we were swimming away we saw him - this enormous turtle swimming effortlessly and serenely in front of us and up over our heads. It was just incredible. We were on such a high after that!

The last day was spent doing a couple more dives. The last one I took a camera on and realised that underwater photography is much more difficult than I first thought. Saw some Nemo fish and some more sharks. If I was honest I was v glad to be heading back to dry land, having eaten v little and vommed quite lot over the last few days and I felt quite guilty at having left Mike behind!

While I had been away at sea, Mike had done a one day snorkel trip once his ear was better. The company he went with neglected to tell him about the strong possibility of sea-sickness and the scenes Mike described of the boat he was one painted a picture of carnage - people vomiting everywhere, falling down stairs, one man sobbing because he was so ill and nobody being able to take advantage of the BBQ buffet onboard. He saw some fish but I think sadly the overriding memories were of people being unwell... 

Learning to dive on the Great Barrier Reef was an incredible experience. The Pro Dive Cairns course was fantastic, v professional, and my instructor Sam was particularly great, taking time out to help me on some of the skills I struggled with. We saw some amazing sights, the highlight being the turtles, and it is something I will never forget. I also feel incredibly lucky to have gone diving there as it is a site becoming more and more endangered. I wish Mike could have done it as well as I think he would have loved it - I will make sure he gets his diving qualification in the future! The only thing that ruined it a little was how baad the sea-sickness was. Despite popping loads of pills it wasn't enough, so just beware if you ever go! I'll leave you with some of my pics (although they aren't great!)... If I manage to get any of the turtles from some of the people in my group I'll add them at a later date. 

A Fond Farewell to Colin

April 10th - 14th - Cairns, Queensland, Australia

So, we had made it to Cairns and were nearly done in Australia! We finally had some sense of just how enormous Australia was, and so how varied the climate. Cairns was proper tropical - hot, sticky, and rainy. As a town, it isn't that exciting, and it was pretty small. But it is what it allows you access to that makes it so great - namely the Daintree Rainforest and The Great Barrier Reef.

We had a few days left with our trusty little campervan. Unfortunately the campsite we decided to spend our precious last few days together in was not one of the best. We were given our plot number and as we drove towards it we got the sense that there were some long-term residents again in the site, and that their crap had overflowed onto our plot. So back we went and were thankfully given an alternative site further away from them! 

We spent a couple of days relaxing and exploring the town. One of the jobs I had to do was to post all my shopping home! But one day we got up really early and headed for the Daintree Rainforest. This had not been something on our list of things to do, but several people had recommended it along the way. Also, another bonus of having your own transport - we didn't need to book a tour or anything, we just packed up our van and set off. It was a couple of hours drive north, alongside a beautiful coastline. When we got to the start of the forest we had to get a tiny, rickety ferry across a river which I can only imagine was heaving with crocs - it felt like we were going to Jurassic Park! Especially as one of the creatures we were hoping to see was pretty prehistoric. We had been lucky enough to see crocs, koalas, kangaroos, emus, wombats and wallabies in the wild, and the last one we wanted to see was the bizarre-looking and ancient Cassowary bird. I posted some pics earlier from when we saw them in the zoo, but Mike and I were discovering that there is nothing quite like seeing animals in the wild!

We started by heading as far north as the road would allow, as after that point it is for 4x4s only. The point where the road ends is called Cape Tribulation and is famous as it is one of the few places on earth where 2 greatly different ecosystems meet - that of the rainforest and the ocean/Great Barrier Reef. We walked up to a lookout point and could more easily see the rainforest coming right up to the beach, then a few metres of sand before meeting the sea. It was pretty cool.

Mike pulling a face

Cape Tribulation

Cape Tribulation

Rainforest reflections

We then headed back down the long road, stopping at certain points to do some of the walks through the mangroves and forest, always on the lookout for Cassowaries! We could actually hear them in the forest and their calls but they are notoriously shy and difficult to spot. However, there was plenty of cool plants and creatures to keep us entertained, including crabs and spiders.

So they were obviously hiding somewhere...

At one point we were driving along, and there I saw it, a Cassowary standing amongst some thick foliage, its head peeking through the leaves. We tried to turn round as quickly as we could and go back, but unfortunately by the time we got back to the spot it had gone! I felt so bad that Mike hadn't managed to see it! There were also signs everywhere about what to do if one of them approaches you - apparently their signature move is a double kick, kung-fu style! Perhaps it was for the best we never tracked one down...

Finally got a Kangaroo sign pic!

A couple of days later we gave back the campervan - it was quite emotional. We weren't overwhelmed by it when we first got it but it hadn't let us down and we had gone so far in it. It was a Toyota Hiace and had something like 300,000 kms on the clock! We ended up calling him Colin the Camel because he had a hump and the ability to just keep on going! It was a fantastic way to see Australia. The driving was pretty simple most of the way and it gave us the freedom do go off and do our own thing without having to rely on tours the whole time. It also gave us the chance to see animals in the wild and to camp in some extraordinary places. The only problem was where to stay in the cities - hostels were expensive and only v few had any parking to leave it, but luckily AirBnB was the perfect solution. It was cheaper than getting a dorm bed in a hostel, could provide parking and was much nice than a hostel - often we had our own bathroom and nice, clean cooking facilities which meant we were more inclined to cook our own food instead of eating out which saved money. We were also able to meet local people and talk to them about the area and the country, and so it was nice not having to make small talk with gap yah students! If you have a bit more money, the Maui campervans looked pretty swish and spacious and seemed a popular choice with other campers. 

Before giving it back we moved our stuff into a hostel in the middle of Cairns, ready for our first day at diving school....

The Whitsundays

April 4th - 9th - Airlie Beach, Queensland, Australia

We spent a day in Noosa recovering from Fraser Island. Noosa is a seaside town with a lovely beachfront and a posh area full of holiday homes. Because it was a bank holiday everywhere was packed. We drove into town to have some breakfast and then headed on to the beach. We parked the car and went on a walk through the forest, looking for more koala bears. Then we sat down on the beach and watched people surfing. It was a beautiful day and very relaxing.

The next day we headed off up the coast. We had a really long drive to Airlie Beach which was our next destination and it took 2 days, so we stopped overnight in a place called Rockhampton.

Airlie Beach is the gateway to the Whitsunday Islands - a beautiful archipelago which are famed for their white sands and crystal clear waters. Again, we stayed in a great campsite that had lovely facilities and a swimming pool, and was a short walk into town. A lot of people go on 2-3 day cruises around the islands but this was incredibly expensive so we decided to just go on a day trip.

We spent 3 nights in Airlie Beach in total. Our first day we walked into the town and enjoyed another of Australia's man-made lagoons. We sunbathed on the grass and swam in the chlorinated pool, all right next to the sea so there were lovely views.

The next day we went on our trip to the Whitsunday Islands. The boat trip was around 1 hour and generally quite smooth and we went to Whitehaven Beach on Whitsunday Island. We were allowed a few hours on the island to explore and relax. We started off by doing a walk through the jungle up to the peak of the island which gave some great views, then returned to the beach for some lunch. There were several pretty huge monitor lizards roaming around looking for food scraps and despite assurances from some Australians that they wouldn't hurt us, it was still quite nerve-wracking!

The beach itself was stunning. The sand was so white it was blinding. This sand was apparently even more pure than the stuff on Fraser Island. We didn't go swimming too much as there were some stingers around but we paddled and just soaked up the beautiful scenery.

Airlie Beach town

Airlie Beach Harbour

The view from the top of Whitsunday Island

The incredibly white sand

The blue blue sea

The forest

A sea-plane delivered some wealthy visitors to the beach!

Beach-bums

The famous viewing platform is a couple of hours walk down to the other end of the island. There you can wait for the tide to go out and see the swirling sand-dunes that I believe look something like this:

http://www.placestoseeinyourlifetime.com/exciting-air-tours-around-whitsunday-island-australia-11614/
However, I think to get the full effect you really need to see it from the air. Perhaps we shall return one day to do this!

The beach itself was stunning and we had a really relaxing day. I'm not sure what more you would get out of doing a cruise apart from luxury boating (hot tubs, booze, etc) in a lovely place; you can go snorkelling and paddle boarding but we were going to the Great Barrier Reef anyway to see fish, etc which surely has superior marine life! I think to see it properly it is more of a luxury item on the 'to do' list and although it was a beautiful beach, it wasn't unlike places we had seen before (or were going to see...)

So instead we went back to the mainland to sleep in Colin the Campervan....

But we had a pretty sunset that night!

It's not always sunny in Australia

March 31st - April 3rd - Noosa and Fraser Island, Queensland, Australia

From the Glasshouse Mountains we continued north to Noosa where we stayed in a pretty decent campsite for the night. This was just an overnight stop as early next morning we packed up and headed into Noosa itself where we left the campervan and met with our group at the Dropbear Adventures office. We were going with a tour group to Fraser Island, a beautiful secluded island a couple of hours drive north; there are no roads on the island so you can only go by 4x4 and access is restricted so you pretty much have to go in a group.
After an introductory video to driving the 4x4s and the island, we got into smaller groups and got into a 4x4. A young german guy drove ours and after a beer/breakfast stop we arrived at 'the port' - literally just a sandy stretch of beach that juts out and you just wait for a rickety old ferry to appear...
We were desperate for some good weather but sadly it was very overcast, grey and wet. It was only to get worse...

Once on the island itself, we swapped round drivers and got the chance to zip along the beach unheeded - it was very fun...

At one point we stopped and all got out and our leader (some surfer dude called Simon) showed us some mussel-like things that live in the sand - we collected up as many as we could and put them in a bag for dinner. Then we headed on to camp. Thankfully (because of the rubbish weather) a few weeks before the trip we had been told that because of work being done on the campsite we were being 'upgraded' to the lodge which meant that we had an actual bed indoors - hurrah!! There was a dining/games room and then out the back there were 5 rooms with 4 sets of bunkbeds in and a bathroom. We had some lunch and grabbed a bed before heading out for the afternoon's activities. At this point it was just drizzling...

Fraser Island is all about the beautiful natural places such as pools and waterfalls. Our first stop was Lake Wabby - we started by walking though some rainforest, and then came out at the top of some enormous sand dunes which was quite weird. Down at the bottom of the sand dunes was a freshwater lake which we ran down to and jumped in. By this point it was very overcast and pretty chilly in the water. We swam around for a bit before heading up to the highest point and were forced to stand in a circle and 'share an interesting fact about ourselves' (not impressed as it was torrential rain at this point) before hiking back through the downpour. We were drenched and freezing cold by the time we got back, and pretty miserable. We showered and had some dinner and some drinks before heading to bed.

The sand dunes

Lake Wabby

Mike in the lake

The view from the top (Lake Wabby on the right, the sand dunes and then the sea beyond)

The next morning the weather was slightly better!!! We went to Eli Creek which was beautiful - you walk along this boardwalk a few hundred metres into the forest, then go down some steps into the water (which was freezing by the way) and just float on down the creek to the sea. All the sunlight was coming through the tree tops and it was lovely. For the few short hours that the sun was up we stayed there and set up a volleyball pitch between the cars and had some fun!

Mike floating down the creek

Eli Creek

The boardwalk next to the creek

The mouth of the creek with the beach and sea beyond

Volleyball!

At lunch we discovered the joys of Kookaburras - you really need to watch your food!! They are pretty big birds and have large beaks and sit there watching you from a tree. As soon as you even turn away from your food they swoop down and grab it - we all ended up eating hunched over our plates!

As it clouded over again we headed inland which meant some v cool driving up narrow 'roads' through the jungle. We walked up to the top of some rocks to a point called Indian Head which gave a great viewpoint of the island and out to sea. Our leader told us the Aborigine legend of how the island came to be, and explained that 'K'gari' is the Aboriginal name for the island and means 'paradise'. The white folk called it Fraser Island after Eliza Fraser who was Captain James Fraser's wife. When their ship which was travelling from Singapore to Sydney ran into some coral and sank, she was the only survivor. She was taken in by local people and taken care of; however when she was rescued some 6 weeks later she told how she was mistreated by them and how they lived like savages. She spread more and more lurid and untrue tales about the local people who helped her and so damaged their reputation and exacerbated the tensions between Aborigines and the white men.

Jungle driving

Walking up to Indian Head

The view form the top

Watching the storm head in from the sea as we sat at Indian Head was incredible. Afterwards we checked out the ship wreck and went to the 'Champagne Pools'. These were some rock pools by the sea which I'm sure are pretty lovely usually but again it started to chuck it down and a couple of people got stung by jellyfish so the visit was cut short. I was v glad to get back, showered and warm again that night...

Driving through the storm to the shipwreck

Dingo

The final day was upon us and I was quite relieved. I'm sure Fraser Island is amazing in good weather but I was so fed up of being cold and wet I couldn't wait to get back to our little campervan!

We first went to a freshwater lake that had loads of natural oils in it and so was meant to be good for your skin. It also had lots of turtles swimming around in it which was cool, however it was raining again...
We then headed Lake McKenzie. I was really hoping to just stay dry and wanting to back to the mainland, but as we emerged from the trees at the lake the clouds parted and the brilliant sunshine came out and Lake McKenzie was beau-ti-ful!

The water was crystal clear and the sand was so fine and white. Now it really was like paradise! Also, we got there pretty early in the morning so we had about 30mins without anyone else there. We played and swam and sunbathed. The sand is so pure and fine that apparently NASA used to come and take it to use for their telescope lenses! We spent a fair amount of time here to enjoy the sunshine and make up for all the bad weather and rain. 

After this we did some more inland driving where we checked out the jungle a bit more. After some lunch we headed back to get the ferry.

Jungle

Driving back along the beach

Enjoying the ride!

Our final stop was checking out 'Rainbow Beach' on the mainland - so-called because of the different coloured cliffs. There was another legend about this, some doomed love story but I can't quite remember it all! 

The coloured cliffs

We got back to Noosa tired but thankfully and miraculously dry! We picked up our campervan, grabbed a KFC and headed to our AirBnB place to stay. So unbelievably glad of a hot shower and comfy bed that night!

As I said previously, Fraser Island is an amazing place and very beautiful, but because all the activities are outside it is weather-dependent! If it was hot and sunny it would be awesome to camp out on the beach, but if it looks like it is going to be bad weather I would highly recommend paying a bit more and sleeping inside!