Mar 07

Based on the recommendation from some new friends I met on the dive boat we decided to fly to Brisbane and drive to Port Macquarie. This was a test of the committed. The place we reserved a car from didn't have any cars so we wandered over to Avis and in no time we were headed out in no time. The overall drive that took about 10 hours but we made some interesting stops. Getting used to driving on the left side of the road wasn't hard once you got used to the many round-abouts here. There are very few stop lights or signs we've seen so far.

One of the stops was Byron Bay lighthouse. It was also the easternmost point of Australia. The lighthouse, set against the clear blue sky was beautiful to photograph and the seas below made for great scenic vistas with endless sky and seas beyond.

We also found a town called Mooball which had a gas station/cafe all done in cow theme. I am not sure where the name comes from but it was too good a name to pass up.

The rest of the drive to Port Macquararie was not eventful until we got about 30 minutes from the resort. Another big rainstorm came over us and the stars and moon that lit the journey earlier were gone. All we had to guide us were the taillights of the truck in front of us. We could catch fleeting glimpses of the road signs. We finally made it to the resort and got in with no problem.

One thing we immediately noticed is the resorts that are wholly owned by WorldMark are much friendlier then those that share properties.

Our time in Cairns is coming to a close. We have our last adventure planned for the Daintree rain forest and a river boat cruise. Unfortunately, the weather isn't on our side. It was raining at 6:45 (yes AM) when the coach came to pick us up.

The drive out the the rain forest included several stops to pick up other guests so it took about 2:30 before we finally got to our first stop. The tour guide was very knowledgeable and gave us details the whole way up.

We finally stopped at a river bend down river from where we were heading. Lucky for us the rain had a break in it so we could explore. As it turns out this part of the rain forest is regrowth so wasn't natural but had grown back quick densely.

The next stop after seeing many sugar cane and other crops that did well in this part of the state we had a very nice lunch and a visit to another beach. While it was pouring (with a capital P) when we arrived after a delicious lunch the rain again gave us a break to explore the beach which looked like the Swiss Family Robinson could have lived there.

Next stop the Daintree River Cruise. This stop started dry but after the normal break for tea and cookies we headed down to the river boat. This is open boat with a cover but no cover on the sides or front. This was all well and good until another heavy shower approached the river. This were no where to go so we drove right through the front. We all ended up quite wet but the effort was rewarded. We saw a few crocodiles and a king fisher the was quite brightly colored.

The bus driver/tour guide met us at the ferry crossing on the other side of the river and off we went to the Daintree rain forest. This was slightly different from the rain forest at Kuranda in that much of it had been logged earlier in the 19th and 20th centuries so much of this was regrowth. It was lush and thick and green but not as tall as Kuranda.

The drive home was long since we were the last drop almost 13 hours after we started but it was a good end to very exciting adventures in Cairns.

Tomorrow we head for Brisbane then drive to our next stop Port MacQuararie.

The weather wasn't looking to good but I was determined to get some real dives in on the GBR. I found out that there are no night dives on the reef unless you spend the night on a live aboard. So, since I had planned to dive on both Saturday and Sunday it was decided to stretch the trip into an overnight visit. A live-aboard is a great way to dive. This was my first live aboard dive trip but certainly won't be my last. I met a guy from Boston on the shuttle to the boat and we ended up diving and rooming together.

The ride out the the reef is done on a day boat. We did two dives on Norman reef and had time for a snorkel as well before we were transferred to the overnight boat. The overnight boat names the Ocean Quest stands on station in the ocean for up to three months at a time! They rotate passengers and crew with the day boat but otherwise they stay out until they need to refuel and get more fresh water.

Diving on a boat isn't much different from normal diving but on a live-aboard its a very condensed. I did seven dives on the reef at four different sites including a night dive. The dives were very similar due the rain and rough weather except for the night dives and the last dive.

While the surface was choppy once you hit about 10 feet or so it smoothed out but the visibility wasn't great. Still the water was warm and I saw many types of coral, lots and lots of fish and some other wild life as well.

The topper was probably the night dive. They turn on the lights and the night starts around 7:30. While this might not seem too late it was the 4th dive of the night. But the was the possibility of sharks! And Grand Trevallier's sp? The latter are huge fish that we were warned would 'fish' using our lights. ;-)

We were not disappointed on either score. There were black tipped reef sharks right off the boat and more down below. I met many folks on the boat but one in particular was an Israeli, going to school in Australia named Alon. He did the night dive with me and had not seen sharks before while diving. While he was an experienced diver it was fun to see his expression when the sharks arrived.

The Grand Trevallier's, true to form followed our lights and tried to eat anything we highlighted with our lights. We moved the lights around so as not to make it too easy for them to get their fill.

At the bottom of an opening in the reef we ran into another group the had descended just before Alon and I. They were led by on of the boat crew and she motioned us all to the bottom. We all knelled on the bottom and covered our lights. The darkness was total and immense but very liberating at the same time.

As Alon and I headed back to the boat he saw another shark and disappeared from sight. Not good to loose a buddy in sight of the boat! But I followed procedure and sure enough he came up right below me. As I waited two sharks swam within arms reach of me. Very cool.

The first dive of the morning (6:30am) wasn't too spectacular due to the weather. It had rained all night and the viz was not good. But we did get to see a lion fish and the was good.

The next dive was number 50 for me and helped me qualify for my Master's Dive certificate but was, again, not great.

The last dive however, did turn out to be very good. With the tide changing the water cleared and the surge settled so it was a very good dive allowing my buddy and I to 'camp' in different places and just watch the action on the reef unfold.

After the last dive we hooked up with the Reef Quest, the day boat the brought many of us out the day before for the ride home. There was talk about a front coming in with a possible cyclone headed towards Cairns in a day or so. The right home was at a steady 18 knots and was kind of exciting.

I hope return to the reef again when the weather is nicer. When I do, I will be doing it on a live-aboard. There is just no other way to do it!

Tomorrow, we head down into the Daintree Rainforest.