We arrived in Cairns after a longer day and checked into our hostel. We met Ruvini and people from our bus at the Woolshed for dinner and some drinks. We didn't stay long because we were tired and bored. Cairns was very different from the last time I had been there, but I had to tell myself that that was about 15 years ago and so it must have changed a lot...plus I was little! :-)
After dinner, Phil and I made our way back to the hostel. I noticed that in a pub/bar that there was a soccer match on TV. So I decided to watch it since I am trying to learn more about one particular team, Arsenal. I was watching by myself and in front of me at another table were a group of guys. After a while they invited me over to watch the game with them. They were all cheering for the other team, Liverpool,...so it became a fun rivalry. They in fact were a soccer team and had just finished winning a game and were out celebrating. They were quite amusing and needless to say at the end of the night my team lost, but it was fun arguing with these guys about which team was still better.
The next day Phil was off to Cape Tribulation for a few nights. I went and met up with Ruvini and we wandered around and booked a tour together. Ruvini also booked an intro dive with me on Calypso so I was happy to have someone I knew and liked to come with me. The day flew by and before I knew it I was back in my hostel cooking dinner, showering and going to bed to get up early for my dive.
We were picked up by the bus and made our way to Port Douglas (about 45 min north of Cairns) where we would go out to the outer reef. The sky was cloudy, it was windy and it was raining off and on. As we waited on the boat Ruvini looked at me and stated that she could have sworn that she heard our captain say something about a Tsunami warning. I looked at her and said "NO..you are hearing things!" Less than five minutes later our captain turned to us and said "There is a Tsunami warning, there has been an earthquake in New Guinea and we probably have to cancel the dive. It is up to you what you want to do. We can give you a refund right now or you can wait to learn more and we can decide from there...it is suppose to hit at 9:30am" Nervously I giggled and joked my way through the situation and we made our way up to the phone to make some calls to tell people what was going on and that we loved them in case we were to die. We joked about it but didn't know what to think. We went back to the boat to listen to the update. It hadn't hit a place near us which it was suppose to and that was an hour ago. Our captain decided it was ok to go out so we made our way out. As we did, Ruvini began to really question whether we did the right thing or whether we should've gotten to high ground. Guess we did the right thing because nothing happened at all to Australia. THANK GOD!
As we made our way out it was really choppy and rainy. I went to the back of the boat to ease my queasy stomach. We were briefed on our dive and then we went out. At first I think I was a little nervous because I was concentrating on being out in the middle of the ocean, near animals, in choppy water. I had a little trouble maintaining neutral buoyancy but it was due to my weights. I also was concentrating on the camera and figuring that out underwater as well. I still was able to concentrate on what I was experiencing but each dive after was even more amazing. We saw a few reef sharks, some lion fish, an eel, some beautiful coral, huge sea cucumbers, fish galore, sea slugs...you name it. I was disappointed that I didn't see a turtle but I was loving every minute anyway. At one point I lost my buddy who was our instructor...but was able to find her and the group again. :-) Our second dive was great as well and then on our third I went with Ruvini and an instructor...just the 3 of us so me and Ru could dive together. It was a lot of fun and I lost them at one point due to again, getting lost in what I was seeing. The visibility was a little less clear than it would have been due to the weather and winds, but you could still see a long ways down! It was truly amazing and each dive felt as though it was 5 min long when in reality it was 45 min long. I didn't ever get tired of what I was experiencing!
As we made our way out it was really choppy and rainy. I went to the back of the boat to ease my queasy stomach. We were briefed on our dive and then we went out. At first I think I was a little nervous because I was concentrating on being out in the middle of the ocean, near animals, in choppy water. I had a little trouble maintaining neutral buoyancy but it was due to my weights. I also was concentrating on the camera and figuring that out underwater as well. I still was able to concentrate on what I was experiencing but each dive after was even more amazing. We saw a few reef sharks, some lion fish, an eel, some beautiful coral, huge sea cucumbers, fish galore, sea slugs...you name it. I was disappointed that I didn't see a turtle but I was loving every minute anyway. At one point I lost my buddy who was our instructor...but was able to find her and the group again. :-) Our second dive was great as well and then on our third I went with Ruvini and an instructor...just the 3 of us so me and Ru could dive together. It was a lot of fun and I lost them at one point due to again, getting lost in what I was seeing. The visibility was a little less clear than it would have been due to the weather and winds, but you could still see a long ways down! It was truly amazing and each dive felt as though it was 5 min long when in reality it was 45 min long. I didn't ever get tired of what I was experiencing!
We returned from our dive, me feeling sea sick and then car sick, and walked home in the rain. I showered, ate and did laundry and crashed.
The next day Ru and I went on a tour where we saw a large fig tree in the rain forests, an old volcanic crater that was now a lake due to rainwater, (a python as well near the lake) a bunch of waterfalls that were really lovely, and then went to Paronella Park to view this place a man built that was crazy but really cool. The day was fun but a little rushed and we were tired. Ru and I met up for dinner that night and then I went back and met Phil, heard about his time in Cape Tribulation and learned that he didn't get to dive and felt better that I had made different plans so I could dive. I crashed that night due to exhaustion!
The next day we checked out, met up with Ru for lunch, wandered around and left Ru in Cairns and came to Adelaide. On our way we had some difficulties before we left Brisbane. Our plane seemed to have something wrong with it so we switched plans quickly and tried to take off so that we could get into Adelaide before the fly-in curfew of 11pm. We just made it and after all the ordeal we had to wait for a lady to take almost 7 min to bring the walkway to the airplane door. We all watched her come close, thinking she had it, then reverse and come in again. It was painful to watch and as Phil put it...it was like watching someone parallel park for the first time."
So here we are in Adelaide...it is definitely cooler here...but so nice to be settling in for a bit and to spend time with family! Now to find a job! :-)
more photos of the reef when I get home
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