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Yet another early morning today as our greyhound arrived at 6.20 or 40am I can't remember which but it was very early! We then asked directions of how to get to our hostel, starting with going the wrong way! It was a fair walk away from town roughly about 3km which is pretty tough with a big backpack on your back and a small one on your front so it did take us about 1hr 30mins to get there including mini pit stops to get some energy back.
We finally got to the hostel about 8.15 but weren't able to fully check in untill 1pm. Thankfully though we were allowed to have a free breakfast that we took full advantage off and then crashed out on these bed type sofas that were in the common area before finally making it to 1pm, checking in, having lunch and then finally being able to freshen up! We made it out of the hostel about 3pm, thinking that the free shuttle bus ran on the hour but then found out that in fact it was on the half hour. We took a more scenic route into town walking by the beach. We also arranged to meet up with Neil with whom we'd met on the Whitsundays.
Like most places on the east coast there isn't actually a hell of alot to do in the town itself, so after wandering down the highstreet for a little while we went to the pub where I enjoyed a really nice glass or two of white wine : D it was such a nice atmosphere and it just felt like we were having a chilled out afternoon in a Beer garden in England. We also grabbed some food here as they were doing a $10 meal deal that included a dinner and drink. After sitting there for the best part of the late afternoon / evening we went for a little stroll down the Marina before heading back to our hostels. Yet again we had missed the shuttle bus so we walked back to the hostel.
Another early morning! This time to go and see the Great Barrier Reef! We made it down for breakfast and then were actually there on time to get our first shuttle bus down to the reef marina to check into our boat for the day. When we got there however it was a good job that we had a receipt that said the exact boat we were on and also the date that we were booked on it for as there was no record of us being on there! Luckily though it was quickly sorted out and we boarded the boat and helped ourselves to a nice cup of tea. We were also given safety numbers and some decent equipment this time so no gammy fins for me : D We were all given a pre departure safety briefing and then made our way to the sundeck. We were then called off into two groups, one for snorkalling (me) and one for the intro scuba (Candy) unfortunately due to stupid Australian laws I couldn't scuba! Grr!
Anywho we met back up together on the sundeck and luckily Candy was in one of the last groups so we would be able to snorkal together : ) I have to say the snorkalling was absoloutely amazing and was a million times better than the Whitsundays! It was really easy to see why this was a wonder of the world! The variety of coral and fish were amazing! So beautifull! I stayed in the water a little bit after Candy leaving but soon returned to the boat as I was getting cold and lunch was being served. I have to say I didn't wait for Candy to return. It was a feast, we were yet again being well fed : D
By the time Candy returned I was on the sundeck sorting myself out. I couldn't stay there long though as it was just too hot! And I quickly went to the back of the boat for some shade. It was also not long before Candy joined me although she was determined to get some rays. We were soon on the move to our second snorkal sight. I think that I found this sight even more amazing than the first! We went out snorkalling to begin with and then came back to go on a glass boat / semi submerine thing and learnt about the different coral and fish that make up the Barrier Reef. When we returned to the boat we only had 20mins left to snorkal that we made sure we took adavantage of using as it's not every day that you get to see one of the wonders of the world. We then made our way back being treated to fruit, cheese and crackers and also wine on the return journey back : D
Our evening was spent catching up with two guys we travelled with in Thailand, Craig and Jeffrey. We made sure that we went to the bar that we could get good deals at and as for just being on the boat we got discount at the Rhino Bar we headed there and also managed to pick up a few more deals along the way! It was a really good night and was good to catch up with them. All in all it was the best day that we could've wanted to finish off our East Coast adventure : )
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