Exploring Australia&NZ Day 5

Day 05 - Wednesday, April 20, 2011 - Day-long Excursion Great Barrier Reef; Visit Michaelmas Cay

Our alarm went off at 5:45 and we were ready for our Great Barrier Reef Adventure at 7:35. Leigh had towels for us and then we walked to the wharf where we boarded our catamaran, The Ocean Spirit.

After our 110 fellow sailors were all checked in we left the peer at almost 9:00 for our 2 hour journey to Michaelmas Cay. We left the overcast skies of Cairns and found a beautiful sunny day waiting for us at the reef.

Our crew on the boat reminded us that these reefs are a Natural World Heritage Area that runs along the coast of Queensland for more than 1,250 miles - making it the longest living reef in the world.

The first scheduled activity of the morning was a 20 minute ride on a semi-submersible vessel to get an overview of the life surrounding Michaelmas Cay. Because of the intensity of the extreme high and low tides due to the full moon, the water was a bit murky.

The guide told us The Cay was a protected seabird sanctuary. The island is one of the most important nesting sites in the Southern Hemisphere.

We returned in time for lunch, a buffet of fish, chicken, and many salads along with fresh fruit for dessert. As soon as we had our lunch we took the first launch to the island.

Just as our guide had said, the island was covered with over 20,000 nesting migratory seabirds. This made Gennie a little nervous.

We put on our snorkel gear and headed right for the water. We had a fantastic afternoon swimming among the various sizes and shapes of corals and the brightly colored fish.

Several of our Odyssey companions saw sea turtles and Mitch even saw a spotted ray. Gennie’s goal was to see a clown fish but they were all in school today.

The water surrounding the reef was surprisingly clear and we had a chance to see giant clams over four feet wide as well as many fish. The parrot fish were especially curious and swam very close to us.

I was able to take several videos and many photos with my underwater camera. But nothing will compare with actually being able to swim in the Great Barrier Reef.

We stayed on the reef for the remainder of the afternoon and took the shuttle back just in time for afternoon tea and poppy seed cake. At 3:00 the captain blew the horn and we pulled away from the reef.

The seas were high and the ride was rough but the huge sails helped to stabilize the catamaran on our way back to Cairns. We arrived at 5:00 and walked back to the hotel to look at photos, post the journal, and to pack for our flight to Alice Springs in the morning.

Accommodations: Pullman Reef Hotel Casino - - - Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

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