The Great Barrier Reef! (Nov 2018)

The Great Barrier Reef was a part of Australia that was on my bucket list, and I was super excited about it! I had been told that if the weather was bad the trips could be cancelled, so I was relieved to wake up to a clear and calm morning – the weather had certainly been on my side since arriving in Australia. I was lucky that my hotel was extremely close to the marina, so I didn’t have far to go at all.

Once everyone had boarded the vessel, we were off on our Reef adventure and coffee and cakes were brought round shortly after departure. The sea was nice and calm for the first twenty minutes or so but then it suddenly got decidedly choppy, and it was like being on a rollercoaster. Many people started to feel unwell and ended up out on the deck. Luckily, I felt ok, but it did put me off my cake and coffee a bit. Fortunately, it wasn’t long before we reached the first stop, which was Green Island. Green Island is about 45 minutes away from Cairns and is a small island surrounded by coral reef and part of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area. It is a great place for snorkelling and has an array of plants and colourful birds. There is also a crocodile attraction here, and a luxury resort if you fancy spending more time on the island. I enjoyed stopping off here and made the most of what was on offer, finishing off with a nice refreshing drink, as it was extremely hot!

The next stretch on the boat to the Barrier Reef was much calmer and I think everyone arrived feeling more refreshed. Once we arrived at the Reef, we moored up at the activity platform. The activity platform is a great idea, as it like a covered, floating island and has everything from snorkel equipment to a licensed bar! I had something to eat on here and went on the submarine. But first, I had to go snorkelling in the Reef as you can’t go to the Great Barrier Reef and not have this experience.

I have never seen so many wet suits and so much snorkelling equipment in one place as there was here. Everything was nicely organised into size order, right down to the masks. So, once I was kitted up, Off I went to experience the Reef. It was an amazing experience with so many colourful fish to see, and I even saw a sand shark! It was quite tiring after being out there for a while, but there were resting stations dotted around. There was also plenty of staff around from the activity platform to keep an eye on everything and make sure everyone was staying safe. After getting back onto the platform, I got changed and went for some well-needed lunch.

The return journey was nice and relaxing with no strong currents and therefore no one rushing to get above deck! More drinks and some cheese and crackers were brought round during the trip to keep everyone refreshed.