After a delayed flight from Sydney so they could change the tyre on the aircraft (I kid you not) we got up to Cairns. I have to say I’ve been really really impressed with Trailfinders- all the airport transfer arrangements have worked like clockwork and it just makes travelling sooooo easy. And the apartments and hotels have all been great too. So we arrived here in Port Douglas later than planned and basically just dumped our stuff and ate in house. But it all felt good. The next day was quite an early start to head out to the Great Barrier Reef. I was feeling quite nervous about this, given my earlier experiences of snorkelling, but I just determined that I was going to do just as much as I felt comfortable with even if that wasn’t the same as others. The boat out took about an hour and a bit and we had an interesting presentation en route from a marine biologist who was surprisingly upbeat about the state of the Reef. I’m sceptical though. She talked about the bleaching of the coral caused by warm oceans but argued that scientists were learning how to regenerate coral with some success and also reminding us of nature’s incredible resilience. Whilst I want to believe that, the trip also reminded me of the importance of respecting nature and the world. I want Ivy and any other future grandchildren and their children’s children to be able to see the reefs.
Once we got to the platform I had intended to break myself in gently but I couldn’t resist just going for it. The lessons from Perth were really valuable and the staff on the platform were so kind and encouraging that it felt easy- yes, easy, to get into the gear and get into the water. I loved it! The abundance of fish (never thought I could swim with fish!) and the beautiful colours of the coral were spectacular. I wanted to stay in the water all day. I can’t wait to do it again... so all in all this was a truly memorable day. We finished the day with a lovely meal of tapas in the centre of Port Douglas and a ride in the local shuttle taxis which seem just so efficient. And I felt such a sense of achievement for actually swimming in the ocean, way out of my comfort zone. And loving it! But the enduring memory is the sheer wonder of nature in all its infinite variety, resilience and splendour. We must work to preserve it, help it and learn it. But if this was spectacular the next day was equally as awe inspiring...