So today was our Great Barrier Reef trip and we set off at a reasonable time after breakfast. The boat was a big ish catamaran and erm, we all thought it was going to be smooth and calm. Wrong. I didn't feel that bad but some of our lot were ill. They missed the dolphins that were swimming a bit further out from the boat that I spotted. Took about an hour and a half to get out to the pontoon where everything was. Some went off diving, some snorkled, but I stuck to the glass bottomed boat to start with. I did this again later on in the day an did the semi submersible in between. They were wicked, we saw sharks, barracudas, turtles, big tuna fish and a massive clam open and close. It was so hard to take decent pictures though but I managed to get a few. Lunch was included and was a big buffet so naturally we all piled our plates up! After this the time had come to go snorkelling - I was a bit worried due to the jellyfish and sharks but I got on with it. I did use a noodle floaty thing though as dying in the GBR after panicking and choking on your snorkel doesn't sound quite as cool as being eaten by a shark. It was far less effort too and despite all the 'floater' jokes I had to endure, I'm so glad I used it! Before we got in they did a feeing demonstration right by the platform I was sat on in the water. I can't remember what the fish were but they were fricking huge, all jumping and flipping round me trying to feed. Was pretty cool though. After they'd gone I went snorkelling a couple of times, with my noodle. Some of the fish were really pretty but I think the better fish were further out and round the wall of the reef. No way I was going out there! I managed to get to where the reef dropped off and then I couldn't see what was underneath me, sod that. I swam back to the shallower coral and mooched about there for a while. The photographer made me hold a shell and took a picture but they came out s***. They have a fish called Nori who lives in that bit, I can't remember what type he is but he's massive! He appeared next to me, closely followed by the photographer again. After shouting f@*k quite loudly through my snorkel (which is far far harder than it looks by the way, it just kinda happened), she gestured to me to touch him. So I did, several times. He was probably the size of my upper body and lovely colours. I bought these pictures after, a) because I'm a sucker for things like that b) I might never come back and c) even with my spastic noodle they still looked quite cool. I didn't see nemo all day though which was disappointing. I will of course just have to see if he's waiting for me in the Whitsundays instead ;-)
The boat trip back was much smoother thankfully and we had an hour or so to get ready for dinner. Tonight we ate at Red Ochre, apparently one of Australia's nicest restaurants. That was kinda cool as it was included and also Jades birthday. We ordered a bottle of wine between 3 of us, and whilst working out splitting the money, an Australian guy called Matt just helped himself and poured himself a glass! Fiona pointed out that it was our wine and he gave us 5 dollars for the glass. He's so rude, where would you even learn to do that?! He said that's just what Ozzies do - maybe when you're with you're mates, but not when you're at a table with people you don't know!! Anyway, we threw a few 'cock' looks across the table and carried on with dinner. I had kangaroo steak which was gorgeous.
After dinner was our pub crawl - or Frog and Toad bar hop as they liked to call it. We started off at Gilligans, then to Vibe, then back to the Woolshed and we never made it to PJ O'Brians the Irish bar. As it was Jades birthday I said I'd be her wingman and stay out until she was done and she was ready to go home after the Woolshed which was handy as I was knackered and was trying to avoid the awkward games that were being played along the way! I feel a bit bad that I effectively passed out while talking to Jade but it was slightly out of my control!!....