Cairns Part Three: The Great Barrier Reef

We have just one word for the Great Barrier Reef: Amazing!

But, if we had to use two, they would be "incredible" and "visibility" because we could see over 30 meters clear as day whilst our heads were underwater at the surface, and not much less than that when we were 15 meters below on our dive.  From our full-day GBR tour on the super-fast Quicksilver, which took off out of Port Douglas, we saw turtles, giant wrasse, sharks, and a gazillion different types of coral (oh, the colors!) and fish.  We snorkeled twice with Mama Osborn and did one fantastic dive.  The dive was really cool, as we had dove in some spots with good visibility before, but nothing like this.  Our dive guide mentioned that the water was about as clear and calm as it gets in Winter, which is the best time of year for visibility and calm water around the GBR.  We liked taking the one dive and sandwiching it between two snorkels.  The snorkeling was superb all on its own, and the dive added another dimension.  We were really lucky with the weather, and couldn't have been happier with our GBR tour!



Apparently the reef at the area we visited (the Agincourt outer reef) had been even more alive and beautiful before the cyclone last year that destroyed some coral.  Some kind folks we met later, from Gettysburg, PA, told us that their daughter lives near Cairns and saw the reef before the hurricane, a few months after, and again around the same time we did.  They noted that she was impressed at how quickly the reef had grown back, as it looked pretty bad just after the cyc;one, but still was nowhere near as full and alive as it was before the wind and waves took their toll.  (Jeff decided that if we ever meet anyone from Gettysburg again he would tell them that he likes their address.)


Papa Osborn skipped the GBR tour and snorkeling.  He isn't a big water guy and refuses to snorkel.  He enjoyed lounging at the Love Shack, visiting an opal store nearby called the Opal Mine, and shuttled us to and from PD for the boat.  The following day, all four of us took a trip to the coral cay of Green Island.  The small island is a short boat trip from Cairns and an excellent way for folks to get a day on the reef without getting wet.  We took a glass-bottom boat ride that turned out to be awesome and not cheesy.  It was a really great way for Papa Osborn to see fish, coral, and turtles without strapping on a mask or submerging his face.  We also had some nice beach time.  There is almost nothing Papa Osborn likes more than beach combing ("There is so much stuff!"), and he really liked the visit to the island and a glimpse of the GBR. We also saw whales from the boat on the way out to Green Island.  It was cool for Papa Osborn to get to see those, and we really liked watching him get excited about the island, whales, and underwater amusements!