Agincourt Pontoon

Saturday was the conference excursion out to the Barrier reef. It was the same company I went with the previous Saturday, but this time to the pontoon. There was a very good reason I didn't do this the first time. You are stuck in one place with a large number of people. Plus there are often that many people here so the reef is damaged in parts. Still it was interesting to see the 2 different ways.
I decided to do a dive anyway (my instructor from last time was there but I couldn't get to dive with him). I regret spending the money. It was a LOT more expensive than the last time and frankly rubbish. We had to hold hands for most of it. I hate that! We stopped to see a Nemo and giant clam but that was it. Every time I slowed to look at fish I was pulled forward. The others decided to go for the second dive. I was very glad I did not!

In fact everything was more expensive. You had to pay this time to hire the stinger suits. People thought I was a little strange but one girl hurt her foot on the coral and I think I was a lot warmer than those who didn't. Plus I avoided sunburn so that part was worth the money.

So I was in less than a happy mood. But everyone else seemed to enjoy their dives so maybe I was just spoilt last time.

I took a quick snorkel but couldn't see anything so went for lunch. After, I found the semi-sub and went for the trip around the reef, chatting to a nice woman from New Zealand.

Plate coral

Valley between coral

The best fish were right under the pontoon

 I was in a bit of a better mood after this so decided to give snorkeling another go. (I was there after all.) And I was glad I did. I went out as far as I was allowed and I was completely on my own so there were lots of fish. I was a lot happier! :-)

They change color (blue and green) to communicate

Sargent major fish 

Male parrot fish 

Plate and stag coral

2 blue legs of a starfish (we think)

Free diving - and apparently I am a red head! 

Sturgeon

Sixbar Wrass

 But then something made my day. I was swimming along and turned to look to my left.

Hawksbill turtle

He just sort of looked at me as if to say "coming?" So I spent the next 1/2 hr just following and watching. I had him all to myself - there was no one else even closely nearby. He was beautiful!

Found something tasty

Coming up for air

and back for more food

I did spot someone else (a student form the conference it turned out) and showed him. He was quite happy, though I think I did scare him when I grabbed him as he swam past. :-)

We stayed until the ship blew the horn, which means get back to the ship or we leave without you.

I spent the trip back looking through my photos and talking to a lovely group of grey nomads (retirees who travel the country) from Melbourne. They also showed us the video they had made of our dive. It was ok, but they were expecting people to buy it for $106 for 1 DVD! They were destined for disappointment. I didn't even buy any of the photos they took. One because I couldn't tell which one was me. Put on a mask, regulator and wet suit and everyone pretty much looks the same. And secondly they cost $22 each. I like mine better and I got a lot more of them!

Back at the marina, I said goodbye to people (and organized a dinner meet-up - without phones it's trickier). They all got the coach back to shower and change but I didn't want to miss the sunset. It was the shortest day in the southern hemisphere and the skies were clear. I wondered down to the park near the estuary.

Over the estuary

I also spotted this girl lying on near the water. Right in front of the crocodile warning sign. And they really do mean it here!

Crocodile food!

I ended up at the end park. There were these amazing trees around the far edge.

One tree or multiple?

I found a spot to watch the sun go down behind the mountains. A lot of people had brought blankets and bottles of wine. I wish I had thought of that.

Enjoying wine and the sunset

After the sunset (and I was being eaten alive once again), I headed back to the marina for a quick drink (and to borrow some more bug stray at a restaurant) before meeting some people for a final sea food dinner. (Got to get it in while I can!)

Quiet final drink at the marina

Fitzroy Island

Today I took the ferry over to Fitzroy Island, about 50 mins from Cairns. It's a much less commercialized island than the more popular Green Island and so the reefs are a lot less damaged and the island is quieter. There were only about 30 people on our boat.
It looked good to start with but then the clouds closed in and about 15 mins from the Island, the rain started, at which point I headed downstairs. The crew came around every 10 mins with sick bags and a lot of people used them! The pilot said it was certainly one of the more interesting crossing he had done. I personally loved it, though I could have done without the rain.

Cairns as we started the boat ride

Fitzroy Island as we approached

I had booked to go sea kayaking but when I got there, the guide said the route we normally takes is a bit rough and if we went out, we would die. (Got to love Aussie bluntness and humor!) So he was going to give it a miss. Which was a shame. But we could use some of the little kayaks in the bay and have access to anything else we wanted and get a refund. There was another girl, Kiely, also traveling on her own and we started chatting and decided we wanted to do the same things so did them together.

We really wanted to snorkel as Fitzroy is part of the barrier reef. So we walked to the north part of the beach where apparently we could see turtles. (It didn't seem worth kayaking for that little distance.) But the weather had stirred up that much sand, we didn't really see anything.

Some of the only reef we saw on the first snorkel

 We were really disappointed. Though when we got out, the sun was shining. The island is beautiful.

Fitzroy Island main beach

We both wanted to give it another go so headed towards the jetty where the guide said there was no coral but lots of fish. I haven idea what he was talking about.

Clam

Blue and red soft coral

Big fish

More fish

Stripey fish

Giant brain coral

Snorkeling selfie

Pretty

 The coral was amazing. I can't want to go diving and hope the sea is smoother and less cloudy! I still want to see Nemo and swim with one of the turtles.
We ended up getting out as we were being stung! At first I was worried it was jellyfish. But apparently it is just sea lice. The mosquitoes of the sea. When I got out, I had lots of red welts and bites over my arms and shoulders. No one mentioned that part! Thankfully they disappeared after not too long and don't have the same long term effects of mosquitoes (though I have some of those bites too!).
After a quick lunch, we headed to the turtles refuge tour. They rehabilitate sick turtles (which are often sick due to eating rubbish). They have mostly green turtles (which make up 80% of the turtles on the barrier reef) and hawksbill turtles.

Berty, the green turtle 

Betty, of a green turtle.

Quick spinach snack

We had also booked a trip on the glass bottom boat. We didn't see much, though we did glimpse a turtle and saw a few corals, but the tour guide was very funny and knew a lot about the corals. And the views of the island were pretty.

On the glass bottom boat

Fitzroy Island

On the beach

After the boat, we figured we had done enough (and there wasn't enough time to go over to the lighthouse and still catch the boat back), so we ended up in the bar chatting until time to catch the ferry. On the way back, we sat inside next to a couple with a little 11 month old little boy called Cody, who was very friendly and sat on my lap playing for most of the trip back. He was gorgeous, not at all shy and going to be a terror when he can walk on his own! He's already a climber!

On the evening I treated myself to one of the few meals out I am going to have here (mostly due to money but also eating out on your own isn't a lot of fun). I had been looking at this restaurant, Ochre, since before I started traveling. And it lived up to the hype. The meal was amazing. I only had the starter of crocodile, prawns and vietnamese pickles which was really tasty so I could have a desert. And I was so glad I did. The lemon myrtle pannacotta was to die for.

Delicious

It is currently throwing it down (I got back just in time). I am hoping it clears up for the weekend but it doesn't look like it. :-(