Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
Australia's Open Water
Sleeping under the stars, with the magic of the underwater world beneath you is about as cleansing of an experience as you can get. Far from civilization, the stars are amazingly bright and--but for the waves breaking over the boat--it would be almost unbearably quiet.
The best way to enjoy the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) is definitely a live-on-board scuba diving trip. Because in most places, the GBR is some 2-3 hours from shore, it is really not worth it to just do a day trip. In Cairns, a gateway town to the GBR, there are numerous establishments offering just that. We went with Scuba Pro and would recommend them to anybody. A three-day trip is about $400/pp, all-inclusive: boat trip, two nights on the boat (there are private rooms, but some people choose the sleep-on-the-deck option to enjoy the stars), food and drinks, equipment rental and 11 dives, including 2 night dives. All in, it's a pretty good deal. This is also a good way to get certified, although after diving the GBR, you'll be spoiled and other places will seem like a cold pool of muddy water.
Needless to say, the diving is incredible. Turtles, sharks, lobsters, dolphins...all in water so warm you don't actually need a wetsuits, if it weren't for the damn jellyfish.
Filed under: Learning, Scuba Diving, Business, Gear, Oceania, Australia, Camping
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Phil Sep 30th 2006 10:08AM
I really like Iva´s posts, especially those with some poetical or sociological „added value“, (I´am sorry for my english, but hope, it´s understandable). There is also specific humour, probably not visible at first glance – compare for instance this post with the Locals only. Whatever. And you can see, that diving in open australian watter is really close to the idea of being at places where only locals are hanging out – turtles, dolphins, sharks… But back to poetry: Iva´s way how to feel and wright about travelling reminds me of some lines by William Blake:
„To see a world in a grain of sand/ And a heaven in a wild flower/ Hold infinity in a palm of your hand/ And eternity in an hour.“ Thank you! And:good luck,(and good night). !
sally the best snorkeling spots expert Oct 10th 2006 6:20AM
i haven't had the good fortune to go snorkeling here yet, but having recently moved to cairns i would have to recommend even the beaches as some of the best in the world, not to mention the closeness of the GBR. best see it while it's still there!