Christmas at sea ……Well like I said we were spending Xmas on the boat (Taka, a dive live aboard). We booked this last minute due to the fact that after 8 dives we wanted more and as we only had a few days left up here near the Great Barrier Reef we decided to get ourselves on a boat to get in as many dives as possible. So here we are, however unfortunately it wasn't a smooth departure! The boat we chose was recommended by several people, as this boat goes to the Cod reef which is the very far north of the reef. (the best diving) So using the internet and Lonely Planet we gave the number a call and booked ourselves on what we thought was TAKA. Un be known to us Taka has been bought out by another company (tip for anyone using the Lonely Planet remember it may have been published a good year before you use it so anything can change!) and they had booked us on a different boat. (call centres hey!!) So after spending a day in Cairns we decided to visit the shop to ask questions about the trip. When we arrived at what used to be Taka's office we were told the story of the take over and we started to worry. So after another half an hour walk we found the new office only to find out the mistake and be told that Taka had already set sail!! To cut a very long story short we managed to convince them to turn the boat around and after frantically packing our bags we were rushed down to the quayside where the boat was just docking again and we were helped aboard, much to the amusement of the other guests who cheered us as we got on !! The boat itself is very well equipped with a large galley, saloon and dive deck. The cabin we are in is smaller than the last boat and there are shared facilities but at least we are going to some of the best dive sites in the Barrier Reef. There's a large mix of people as we've come to expect. Mexican, Spanish, American, German to name a few. The diving is amazing up here. The reef is teaming with fish and the dive guides are very professional. We got 4 dives in the first day including a night dive. With this being a live aboard for diving specifically there was no need for guidance in the water, (all the passengers were qualified to dive), which meant this was our very first diving on our own , with no help from others to make sure we knew where we were going, you'd be pleased to know that there will be no sequel to open water as we managed to find the boat after each dive!! One of the dives was at a site called the Cod hole (don't have to tell you what that is famous for!) Well we have never seen Cod this big before, aprox 3-4 feet long! As the fisherman are now banned from this area, the Cod are not being fed as much (apparently fisherman used to gut the fish and then throw over the waste, which the cod used to love eating) so now TAKA have a permit to feed the cod with pilchards. Ed (the dive instructor) went down with a bucket and we would all sit on the bottom of the ocean as he came round individually to feed the fish, this was amazing to watch and the cod would come very close, bumping you to get to the pilchards! Christmas day.Well what can I say, Christmas day doesn't come any different to this. We were woken at 6.50 for breakfast, just a little earlier than I'd like on Christmas morning. Used to having a bit of a lay in, cup of tea in bed, glass of bubbly and smoked salmon for breakfast. Not a chance !! It was up and ready to dive for 8.00. Can't complain though as the diving has been awesome. Diving with black tip and white tip reef sharks, blue spotted rays, trigger fish, turtles, nemo's, the list is endless. The outer reef is so untouched it's like god's own aquarium. Any one who knows us will know we were in our element ! After 2 dives it was time for lunch. A lovely big bowl of soup and French bread. I must say the food has been really good on the boat and everyone has got on really well. After a couple of dives we were finished for the day. As we're diving we are not allowed any alcohol so we've both been tea total all day ( not easy as you can imagine ) so now we can relax and crack open the bubbly ! Christmas night. Well Julia, the chef, has pulled it out of the bag again. Turkey! Yes turkey, not what we thought we would be having on Christmas day, ( not that Australians don't have turkey, we just thought we would be on a beach with a nice bit of fish!!) however for once we had a turkey dinner without the feeling of being bloated and feeling the need for a afternoon kip! So we were having a brilliant night, comparing dives and discussing what fish we've seen and after dinner the sun set is a picture book image, all the colours of the rainbow, with Australia as it's backing! I have to say very different to playing board games and watching the sound of music! Every day Kelly the resident videographer has been capturing all the dives and moments on the boat and after dinner we get to watch what he has pulled together and tonight was no different while sitting eating dessert (however not Christmas pudding!)Boxing day morning and we get 2 more dives in before we start on our way back to Cairns. As we moor up there's time for group photos and we all say our goodbyes. Some of the divers are going straight on to other dive boats and the rest are dropped off at their relevant sites. Some of us decided to meet up for a drink in the evening so we get together at Rattle & Hum, a big bar in Cairns central. It was really good to have a "night out" as most of the time during this trip we have been so exhausted dinner has been an early bird special followed by an early night, so it was great to actually see some night life! So after a few jugs of blonde and we make it back to the camp site (however it was still way before midnight, diving is tiring!!!) It's now 27th Dec and we are giving the van back tomorrow ……. Boo….hoo… !! It's been such a brilliant companion these last 5 weeks but we must clear all our stuff out and say goodbye. We've booked back into the Crystal Cascades park but this time we're treating ourselves to a cabin so we can clear the van out. The cabin's really well equipped with shower, tv, kitchen, sofa, a big double bed and …….air conditioning ! Luxury !! They also have free internet which means we have been able to load all the blogs we have wrote in the last week but unable to add (surprising they had internet on the boat, but limited bites so unable to add the blogs!!) and also up-date all the photos we have taken. So our next stop is Sydney, it has been very bizarre leaving any kind of organised trip like the diving as it feels like it's the end of the whole holiday. However the luxury of being here for so long is that a minute later you realise that actually you have only just finished a chapter and you still have the rest of the book to read! So we are now currently doing just that and reading up about Sydney and what delights may have in store for us there. (cheap ones I hope as the budget is starting to wear thin!!!). We hope that everyone had a great Christmas, apologises we didn't get to actually speak to anyone on the day, however with us leaving land earlier than we thought it very hard! See you all very soon (only a week left!!) Again thanks for the messages and cards Lots of Love Louise and Peter