The Great Barrier Reef

Port Douglas

Possibly David's last ice cream in Oz?

On the Great Barrier Reef:

Jellyfish!!!!

A white tipped reef shark - like the one Nic saw!

After one night in Cairns we caught the bus to Port Douglas. A relaxed, chilled out tropical town. The hostel was so cool, we extended our stay here almost immediatley! It would be a great base to go and explore the Great Barrier Reef.

Before we knew it the day dawned for our Great Barrier Reef snorkelling adventure! It took just over an hour to get to the outer reef and although the boat we went on guaranteed a smooth ride, we both nearly chucked our guts up. It was worth it though. We had three snorkelling spots throught the day. The first was brilliant, so many fish and coral we'd never seen before. All different colours, shapes and sizes! It began raining whilst we were in the sea and although the water was a little choppy, underneath it was perfectly calm. The second spot was a little wavy but the fish and coral were still in abundance. Out last spot though was unreal! We saw large Barracudas and Stingrays. David found Nemo and Nic got her wish and swam close to a shark - A White Tipped Reef Shark to be precise! This spot was right on the edge of the continental shelf - as the floor fell away to darkness the feeling of being out in the open ocean made it even more exciting! Seeing all the life going on beneath the surface was a wonderful experience and one we'll never forget.