Mother Nature Strikes....

Hey Everybody!

Well, at last I made it to the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) for a snorkel. Yesterday the weather on the reef was nearly perfect. Woke up this morning and all looked well. Arrived at the reef and the wind was a force to be reckoned with.

My disclaimer: It is a beautiful island and I'm glad I went, but it was a bit disappointing, albeit out of our control. I spent the longest amount of time in the water (alone mostly, which staff do not support, but it's not forbidden) & it was under 2hrs. The water was somewhat tolerable at about 72-73*. It was warmer in the water than on shore but eventually I had to accept the poor conditions. The currents were a workout and the cold got to be too much. And, yes, Labadee is STILL the best place to snorkel!

I think the GBR is the third World Heritage Site I've explored since getting to Australia. The place I went is called Lady Elliot Island. It is the southernmost point of the GBR & documents indicate it is one of the most pristine places for snorkeling & diving. It takes a bit of effort to get there, but look how cool it is (even blurry; sorry). The flight takes about 40 minutes.

This is the plane and runway....I am happy to report that today's small plane trips were much more comfortable than the Baja flights. The best thing about the small plane was John, our driver. He said "'pilot' is for the ones with egos." John was cool & he was a driver - one arm draped on the passenger seat several times. How could I not trust a driver as cool as I am?! :-)

Because the weather was so unfriendly our schedule got all messed up. We spent the first 3.5hrs just wandering and waiting. The less windy side of the island was very nice, but it was the fastest part of the walk. There is a lighthouse....you know I have to post it. It was closed today too.

Some of the shells and coral I had to leave on the beach....

This is the windy side where I actually snorkelled:

Normally, there are lots of turtles - none today. Yesterday a couple people saw a huge Reef Shark (best kind to see since they don't eat humans) - none today. There a number of fish. There is live coral and dead coral. But overall it is said to be quite healthy here with something like 500 different corals. Here are some pics:

Given the conditions, my best finds were Sea Cucumbers (2 pics just for size comparison), Sea Stars, and Giant Clams.

 

This is a Leopard Sea Cucumber

This one is some other kind...

Giant Clam - lots of these. I'd never seen them so big and alive before. It's cool to watch it breathe.

I start heading south again tomorrow. I have only a few more days in Australia. One funny thing before I wrap this up....I gave a young couple a ride from the airport to their campground & said, "No worries" in response to their thanks. I've said it occasionally before ever coming to Australia, but it was the first time it just fell right out of my mouth so naturally since getting here. It's such an Australian phrase that the couple immediately said, "You even talk like an Aussie now." Maybe that means I can stay longer!

Better get to packing; plus I'm very tired tonight.....thanks for stopping by!

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