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No trip Down Under would be complete without a visit to The Great Barrier Reef and I cannot wait to get up close and personal with Nemo & Co and explore this underwater wonder! The only snag is that I cannot swim and I have an irrational fear of open water. However, I refuse to travel halfway around the globe and miss out on one of the seven natural wonders of the world just because I am afraid; and since part of this trip is all about overcoming my fears and living life to the full, I simply snorkel and 'swim' whilst wearing a life jacket.
Numerous boat crews take tourists out to different parts of the Reef for the whole day and the fee includes snorkeling and equipment (although stinger suits are an additional charge), glass bottom boat and semi-submarine experiences and lunch. You can also scuba dive and view the Reef from a helicopter for an additional charge. The crew are experienced divers who also run snorkeling safaris for those who cannot swim or are uneasy in deep water; so regardless of whether you are akin to Ian Thorpe and Flipper, or simply a fish out of water like myself, everyone has the opportunity to explore the Reef.
Fully kitted out in a stinger suit which covers you from head to toe, flippers and a snorkeling mask, a life jacket barely makes much difference as to how daft you look. Yet despite knowing that I could not possibly drown and if I got into trouble a lifeguard would rescue me, I still could not let go of my fear as I entered the water. It took me a few minutes to compose myself and let go of the boat rail and I did experience a moment of sheer panic, but I finally let go and 'swam' out into the Reef. Hooray!!
My best description of the Reef is that it is breathtakingly beautiful and photos cannot fully portray its beauty. I literally gasped in astonishment at the perfectly formed, living organism, home to thousands of species of fish, which was spread out as far as I could see in varying colours, shapes and sizes, set in an almost eerie silence. Numerous schools of fish swam by, including Nemo and Dory and some delectable ‘chocolate dipped tail’ fish, but my favourite was a fish that encompassed all the colours of the rainbow. Everything below the water is magnified 25% which makes for a more stunning sight and is handy if you forget your glasses.
The Reef sits surprisingly high in the water and it is very easy to catch an arm or leg on it whilst gazing at fish, yet not only is this harmful to the Reef, but harmful to humans. Fascinating fact of the day - if your skin is cut on the Reef, the cut can become infected and the Reef can start growing in your body part! Luckily this is rare and as long as any scratches are cleaned up by the crew, all is well.
The colour of the water was a stunningly clear azure blue, the Reef below incredibly inviting and the fish and other inhabitants of the sea (including interesting looking sea cucumbers) were very friendly and accommodating!
The semi-submersible boat and glass bottom boat tours were very informative and enjoyable, with marine biologists describing life in the region and honing in on particularly interesting life forms.
I am proud of myself for overcoming my fear, but wish I could have swam properly and so I have been inspired to learn to swim so that when I come back to the Reef I can swim and even dive with confidence.
This Wonder really will widen your eyes and mouth in wonder.
Next stop: Whitsunday Islands
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