Monday 26 December 2016

FESTIVE SEASON IN CAIRNS




LIFE IN THE TROPICS THIS TIME OF YEAR

Ever wonder what we get up to in the tropics of Queensland in the great land Down Under during festive season?

If you are from the Northern Hemisphere... this is probz you right now...
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Winter.... is here.

Not for us in Cairns!!! We couldn't be feeling more different right now!
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So how do we celebrate? What do we do in such heat?!?

At Christmas, everything is closed and we spend time with family and friends. We usually have a Christmas lunch. In Cairns there are FREE BBQ's by the lagoon and beaches for a Xmas Aussie barbie. 

You can cool off in the large swimming lagoon.

How about a picnic in the rainforest by a fresh water swimming hole?

We try and buy all our food locally for the festive season from local growers, the nearby Tablelands and Rusty's Markets.


You can find some interesting produce here in the tropics!


WOW! Giant mango!

We stuff ourselves silly with loads of seafood....

Hey!!! Where did all the oysters go?!

...And liters of alcohol is consumed when it's this hot!
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We love a good pool party christmas!


We dress our trees in the sun amongst palm trees...

All the families get together in their cars one night before Christmas and play follow the leader looking at everyone's house Christmas lights displays...



And when the aftermath of Christmas hits... we sit in the air-con to stay cool, vegetate and watch cricket on TV.
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In a week's time we all come together for New Years Eve. We have fireworks by Trinity Bay at 9pm (for all of the families.. grab your camp chairs!) and midnight (for the revelers). It's so warm we don't need a jacket, hat or scarf to watch them!

Afterwards...we either party in an air-conditioned bar until the early morning hours as we are trapped inside due to lock out laws!

OR... we have a house party.

Most of us work in Tourism or Hospitality so being the hard core Aussie's that we are, we usually have to work after partying all night long!
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Made you jealous yet??? (Maybe not about being hung over on New Years Day!). Yearning to come visit??? Why don't you book at trip down under for next festive season and see what it's all about for yourself!!! Come see us in Cairns! 


If you want to know more details about NYE 2016/2017 in Cairns.. you can visit here:






Sunday 18 December 2016

EVERYBODY'S FREE WITH OCEAN FREE!

LET'S GO TO GREEN ISLAND!


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Lucky me was about to embark on another boat journey out from Cairns to the Great Barrier Reef. This time, on a vessel that stands out from the rest, something.... a little different. I was heading out for a snorkel and visit to Green Island on the ONLY sail boat departing Cairns for a reef trip. That boat is OCEAN FREE.

Images of Ocean Free on my iPhone.

Ocean Free was purchased by a local couple in 1995. Later on in years they purchased another boat, Ocean Freedom. They really pride themselves on the quality and professionalism of their staff and are well known for that in Cairns. On either boat you are greeted with smiles from the get-go and are well looked after. Ocean Freedom is a bigger, busier boat with plenty of introductory divers in contrast to Ocean Free which is a much smaller boat (maximum 25 guests). You get great service like Freedom but it is oh-so-much-more personalized on Ocean Free. By the end of the day, you feel like a little family!

Checking in takes place in the Reef Fleet Terminal, just inside the main doors to the right. From there, you collect your boarding passes and make your way to A finger wharf.  

We were small numbers on this day and the weather, once again was epic (would I go out to the reef in anything less?!?!?) BUT... being such still calm conditions meant... no sailing. *sigh*. This was the trade off for a day I knew was going to be glassy with great visibility in the water.

Along the way a safety briefing was held for all followed by a intimate scuba dive briefing (this is for first time divers). The sun was out in full force on this day so thankfully the main sail was up providing us with a little shade as well as the under cover area at the stern. The journey would take close to 2 hours... plenty of time to burn! Lately I have been getting burnt in weird places on my reef trips (The sun can attack you from  all directions due to reflection from the water) so make sure you bring a hat, long sleeve shirt and wear loads of sunscreen when you head out.

On arrival to Green Island we motored our way slowly in-between the coral bommies to our mooring at Pinnacle Reef. A bommie is an cluster of reef shelf derived from the Aboriginal word "bombora". A bombora is the large waves crashing over a shallow reef or rock site located away from the Australian coast line. At Pinnicle reef there was at least 3 large "bommies" to explore snorkeling or diving.
The Beautiful scene that greeted us at Pinnacle Reef.

On arrival we were greeted by large fish such as Red Sea Bass and Giant Trevally. This boat has a licence to feed the fish which makes for a fun spectacle for guests. These fish are used to having their daily snacks at this time of day. Other regular visitors are Black Tip Reef Sharks looking for a feed. The skipper was saying they are not sure where they sleep or which area they hand around... they only have them visit in late morning before lunch. If your scared of sharks, don't be! These guys are more like big fish and are not interested in eating human!!!

First up was a guided snorkel tour which you could join if you wish or snorkel off on your own. If a guided snorkel is included in your reef trip, take advantage of it! The guide usually knows where all the cool stuff is like Nemo (clown fish) giant clams and sea cucumbers for example. We saw all 3 on this tour. I even held a Pineapple Sea Cucumber for the first time... a really odd texture and feel in your hands! You cannot touch anything on your own on the Great Barrier Reef as it is protected but Marine Biologist's can so it's worth while to go on a guided snorkel to see stuff up close.
Me holding the sea cucumber. What a strange texture!
A Pineapple Sea Cucumber under the sea. Photo from Google images.

I stayed in the water exploring after the tour while the Introductory  Scuba Dives got underway. What a great way to do your Intro Dive! 2 divers to your instructor. No crowds, no waiting your turn in groups like on the bigger boats and I noticed how patient the Instructors were with first time divers. If you want to get over any dive "fears" and this is your first time to scuba dive this is the perfect way to do it.
Some snorkel images on the Lumix Camera hired by Calypso Cameras.

After our water activities (after a couple of hours) there was a chance to go on an optional glass bottom boat tour. They have a smaller boat they use for transfers to Green Island and it also has glass panels in the floor so you can see the reef and stay dry. The skipper took us on our little tour, giving us information on the Great Barrier Reef and all the animals and fish.

Next up.... lunch time....YEEESSSSS! Cue excited face πŸ˜†πŸ˜†πŸ˜† Smoked salmon here I come! I'll let the pictures do the talking. 

We had options for the remainder of the day. We could visit Green Island for 1 or 2 hours. I have been there before so decided 1 hour was enough time to take a walk around the Island and a quick dip in the sea. I wanted to head back and have one last snorkel and have the site to myself.

Green Island is a sandy cay that is 6000 years old and one of it's kind, named by Captain James Cook after his astronomer Charles Green. There is rainforest on the island (by birds over time depositing seeds in their droppings) for shade and lovely walks. There is a resort on the island and some shops, restaurant & bar and even a small zoo. This main area can be very hectic with tourists so it was nice to walk around the island away from the crowds.
Images of Green Island from my iPhone.

On the return journey it was time to chill with my fellow passengers with lovely conditions perfect for cruising, sipping a free glass of wine and eating fresh fruit, cheese & bikkies. We spotted 2 large sea snakes on the journey home, something I hadn't seen on a reef trip before... they were too hard to capture on film! doh!

Overall, this is my top pick for a visit to Green Island including a decent snorkel. By going to just the island there isn't good reef to see swimming off the sand... perhaps good turtle spotting, but not good reef. Joining Ocean Free gives you the best of both worlds and if Green Island isn't really your thing, you don't have to stay long.

Massive thanks to the staff who looked after us that day. You guys were professional, chilled and relaxed and made time to speak with all of the guests. I felt very "at home" on FREE and had a lovely relaxing day. Many people come in to my work asking for a small  intimate boat experience, this is the definitely that! 😊


THANKS AGAIN TO CALYPSO CAMERAS (LOCATED AT THE REEF FLEET TERMINAL) FOR THE HIRE OF MY LUMIX CAMERA.


CHECK OUT MY 6 MINUTE FUN MUSIC VIDEO FROM MY DAY WITH OCEAN FREEDOM BELOW!


WANT TO BOOK THIS DAY TRIP? VIST THIS WEBSITE & LET REEF INFO CAIRNS SHOW YOU HOW!
http://www.reefinfo.com.au



HARD FACTS…

Visit time:
Whole day trip

Times:
08:00am  to 5:00pm-5:15pm (Check in from 7:30am Reef Fleet Terminal)

Suitable for: 
  • Not so good swimmers to good swimmers
  • Nervous first time divers
  • Those wanting a relaxing sail day
Fitness level (out of 5):
  •  πŸ’ͺ πŸ’ͺ  
Time of year:
  • All year round (Stinger season is from October through to April)
  • Lycra suits provided  
Price:

  • $185 + $10/Adult levy SNORKEL
  • $100 + $10/Child SNORKEL
  • $105/Adult for first Introductory Scuba dive on top of snorkel price
  • $513 + $40/Family snorkel


Saturday 10 December 2016

SLEEPING OUT ON THE REEF

AN OVERNIGHT 2 DAY ADVENTURE 

WITH DEEP SEA DIVERS DEN

 

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Got to πŸ’™πŸ’šπŸ’›πŸ’œ that feeling that I was about to embark on another adventure and spend a night out on the Great Barrier Reef. It's a total fist pump moment (once you get over getting up early in the morning of course).
  
I am joining Deep Sea Divers Den on their overnight live-aboard vessel Ocean Quest... but to get there you spend your first day with their day boat, usually Sea Quest but on my day it was their newer vessel Reef Quest. Confused yet?! There definitely is a lot of "Quest" boats... 3 to be exact and all shall be revealed as I continue.
 
 
If you are a keen diver and want to get the most dives for the best price then this overnight option is the best for you. You can get at least 4 dives in each day and can stay out there from 1 night to 100 (well, perhaps not 100 but a few). 

Transfers within the Cairns CBD are included. You are taken to the Deep Sea Divers Den shop for check in before being transported directly to the boat. After a final check in on board of Reef Quest we take our fave seats out on the back top deck as we head out of Cairns Inlet.
 
Starting the day aboard Reef Quest. Beautiful day!
 
It was another amazing day out on the reef with stunning conditions. I won't bore you with the details of the day trip (you'll have to read my older blog on it!)... let's just say we visited two wonderful sites (including "Troppos" at Norman reef, a fave of mine) and capped off our day nicely when we had the chance to hang out with a very old turtle and a large White Tip Reef Shark. I was loosing my πŸ’©πŸ’©πŸ’© ....Just WOW! 
This photo captured on a Canon G16 from Snaphot Camera hire. Tara Reynolds
Jamie gives our shark the thumbs up! πŸ‘πŸ‘πŸ‘

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91s6uGTAYf4 
Check out the link to see the very old turtle we saw

It was time to begin my overnight experience and say goodbye to Reef Quest and board the overnight vessel, Ocean Quest. The boats pull up side by side and we were gracefully lifted up by the staff, luggage handed over, hat & camera handed over. Before I knew it, I was seated in the boats dining room.
Images of Ocean Quest. Photo's by Tara Reynolds.

We were introduced to the staff who would look after us for our stay, explained the timetable and boat lay out. Ocean Quest has 3 main floors. The floor the dining room was on also had the dive deck at the back. The next floor up was sleeping quarters with a large sundeck at the back (with access to the dive deck). Up a further floor was more rooms for sleeping, the bar & lounge and an undercover outdoor deck.
The Timetable for Ocean Quest.

After the initial welcome briefing we were off to our allocated rooms. Most of these rooms are twin share with a spacious ensuite. They are roomy enough and all with adequate air con for a good nights sleep. I was bunked in with a man, you need to be prepared to bunk with either sex. It didn't really matter to me, it's only for sleeping.

The new passengers (most whom were divers) were then shown the dive deck and where all the equipment is and got allocated a tank spot for the duration of their stay. The first dive for us was at 4pm and a dive briefing was held half an hour prior. We were at Wild Side West, located at beautiful Norman Reef. Every certified diver must go with a buddy (if you are advanced) and those only with new certification could choose to go in a group with a guide ($15 each dive extra). Passengers were also on board to just do a couple Introductory Dives and a small group was going for their certification. Some were also snorkelers...like me!!!
Information on the site, Wild Side West.

Away the divers go 2 by 2 off the large dive platform followed by the guided divers. It's hot, there's very little wind so it's time to take a dip myself for a guided snorkel tour. This tour wasn't very "guided" per say... we weren't given any information about what we were seeing and just followed along. I was the one who found Nemo and showed everyone and in the latter half of the tour I found a really cool toad-fish lingering in a cave. I had that moment all to myself as the others had taken off back to the boat. I enjoyed my swim none the less. It was very puuuurteeee.
Some snorkel snaps on my G16 Camera, hired from Snapshot. Photo's by Tara Reynolds.

Dinner was scheduled for 6pm. It was a plated "Asian Style" dish of chicken and noodles. It was nice to be waited on and have a chance to chat with your fellow passengers. Unfortunately this dish didn't really do it for me... a little bland with limp soggy noodles. I had to smother it in chili & soy sauce. It was a disappointment but I wasn't there for the food!

After Dinner there was still time to catch the amazing sunset with a glass of wine. Thank you mother nature! These moments make me grateful for what I have.
Sunset photo's on my iPhone.

As night descended it was time to hit the water again! The divers were going on a night dive and some opted for Ocean Quest's unique draw card which is FLURO DIVING! Instead of regular torches divers had a UV black light torch which enhanced the colours of the corals and fish below. Brilliant! I was a little jelly watching them.
The divers are ready! A pic on my iPhone.
Photo's from Deep Sea Divers Den Website.

Another night time activity was their SHARKS IN THE DARK option. We all put on our wet suits (included), grabbed our snorkel, mask and cameras and made our way to the hydraulic platform. Once lying on our stomachs they lowered the platform so we were half in the water. From this vantage point we could see all the giant fish and divers below. Unfortunately no sharks on this night, they must have been having a party elsewhere. Boooooo! Still, it was pretty fun and unique experience no one else offers. πŸ˜Š

 CHECK OUT THE LINK BELOW TO SEE IT ALL IN ACTION IN MY LITTLE MOVIE
A nice hot shower in the spacious ensuite was just the ticket at the end of a day of water activities. Salt be gone! A couple of wines in the licenced bar and Crème Brulee for dessert pretty much nailed me to the wall... I crashed out hard that night to a gentle rock of the boat.

The next day we were greeted by another stunning glassy day. While I was still tucked up in bed the divers had all ready smashed out their first dive for the day. Hats off to them, it's a lot of dives in one day!
The beautiful morning as seen through my iPhone.

As we moved location a hot buffet breakfast was served. All the usual brekkie items, eggs, bacon, beans along with cereal, yoghurt and fruit. It was a decent mix and gave us fuel for the day ahead.

The second site was Twin Peaks at Hastings. I had been here a week earlier with not the best conditions so was keen to get in for more snorkel time and see what there is to see.
Some reef shots taken through my polarised sun glasses! Photo's by Tara Reynolds. 

For a diver, you get your usual briefing and x2 dives at this site. You can choose to snorkel instead like me 2 times but unfortunately have to come back out of the water when the divers are done with the first dive and then get back in for the second... which was a little clunky really. I had a good hour swim and felt complete enough that I didn't feel the need to go back and re-explore the site. I opted to top up the tan and chill in the sun for the remainder of the time at that site.

Around lunch is when we moved to another site. Lunch was another buffet with salads, some greens, corn & peas and chicken drumsticks in a mild curry sauce. It wasn't overly exciting... I was grateful for anything green however! I am bit of a health nut in regards to food so was pleased it was reasonably healthy.

By lunch we had also checked out of our rooms and put our bags in the hall so housekeeping can make them up. There seemed to be an army of staff helping with the service of meals and housekeeping. They were all very friendly and made you feel at home, which is what you want. It is so important to have professional, informative friendly staff on an experience like this. I believe these guys have training programs in place for staff and dive instructors which is great for those who need to get a foot in the door.

I was looking forward to another snorkel when we pulled up along side the transfer boat, Sea Quest but alas... this was not meant to be. For those staying on board for another night this was their down time. I guess it was also a time for staff to take a break or prepare for the next load of arrivals. For a snorkeler I was a little annoyed that I had nothing to do until we leave at 2.30pm. Hopefully in the future they could amend this by getting a staff member on watch so we could explore this new site or perhaps have a marine talk on all the fish and corals we saw. I was left to have an afternoon wine while I chatted with other passengers. The views were stunning, the conversation pleasant and it was a much needed break for the divers.

Come 2.30pm we said goodbye to Ocean Quest and left the same way we came, in the arms of the staff on both boats. A 90 minute transfer back to Cairns was enough time to rest and check out all my photos and reflect on my fun time out to the GBR. If you are a diver, this is the best value overnighter in town! Hopefully... with a few adjustments made in the future with the program this will be the BEST snorkelling overnight out on the reef as well 😜
Thanks DSDD!!!!!!! 😘😘😘

Also much thanks to Dave at Snapshot Camera hire. They deliver the camera to your hotel in the Cairns CBD so you have it ready for the morning!!! What a great service! You can find them here...
 The Link to find your underwater camera to hire.


CHECK OUT MY VIDEO WITH FUNKY TUNES OF MY TIME OUT WITH DSDD ON MY YOUTUBE BELOW!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wn7J5O3Rl8A&t=1s
My little Youtube funky fun clip of my adventure.