The last day in Australia, what a way to finish the exhilarating and inspirational travels! Tired shattered, and to add to that; it decided to pour with rain.
Cairns was our last stop on our 6-week trip to Thailand and Australia; having booked the reef tour in Sydney 4 weeks ago, we hadn’t established how tired we would be when we reached our final destination before flying back to Sydney.
A must-have for any bucket list. We had to go and see the Great Barrier Reef, a bumpy boat ride 80 minutes later, we arrived. Many of our travelling companions were sitting on the deck as the bumps and sea currents hadn’t agreed with them.
Claire and I made ourselves comfortable on the bottom deck sleeping off the effects of our previous heavy night of festivities.
Finally, the reef’s major attraction. Though the weather was still threatening, I took advantage and dived right in—bluer, more explicit, and warmer than I expected.
After ten minutes, I got out and waited for the next stop on the opposite side of the reef, where our tour group had exclusive access and the water was shallower. Of course, I brought my Tesco swimsuit, which I like but is not reef-friendly.
All you can eat after a big lunch! The boat made its way towards the other side of the reef. I grabbed my blow-up ring tube and paddled around the reef.
I, of course, was the only one with a line in the water, but I had brought it from Bangkok and had hardly used it! The different colours of the reef take your breath away.
Colourful fish and odd-looking animals swim together without a care. The sun came out, and the water calmed; divers were 10 meters underwater, and snorkelers paddled the coral tops.
I was lying around the reef, enjoying the waves and playing on my blow-up tube.
After capturing such beautiful images and meeting such a fantastic team, I am overjoyed with how the day turned out and the memories that will last a lifetime. I could swim for hours. Your warmth and freedom were so private! Some claim I was a fish in my previous life… Is it a compliment or not?
We chatted with a tablemate on the way home. Cheese, wine, and entertainment were free (the best entertainment I experienced).
Australians are generous and open. I’ll do the driving course next time because it was so much fun, and the reef sights must be unique.
Sydney, Dubai, and Heathrow followed. Back in Edinburgh, I smile at my land, sea, and colour adventures—not everything is photo-shopped!
I realized I needed heat and comfort again. I need to swim and surf whenever! If you can, do it. It taught me that material goods don’t matter when you’re in nature. Free. (Obviously, the boat!).
I’ll make sure to keep you updated on my upcoming blogs as I continue to explore destinations around the globe!
