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The
Great Barrier Reef is a long way to go for a dive. Situated
along the north-east coast of Australia, is is in the region
of thirteen thousand miles from England. The Reef itself is
said to be the eighth wonder of the world and is the largest
living structure, covering an area of twelve hundred miles,
beginning way up north at Cape York and reaching as far south
as Brisbane. The Reef reaches out nearly to Papua New Guinea
in the South Pacific Ocean. It consists of countless lovely
reefs and cays with beautiful, peaceful lagoons where fifty
miles out at spa you can live in tranquility aboard a luxurious
motor boat, diving when and where you please. The Reef is
virtually untouched since Captain James Cook sailed the Endeavour
along the then unknown east coast of Australia. Almost totally
lacking commercialism, the reef can be difficult to reach
for the average visiting diver, but with a bit of determination
and a lot of good fortune your dreams can be realised, giving
you the diving holiday of a life-time in the true paradise
of the South Pacific Ocean and Coral Sea.
Our
journey to paradise started on February 10th, 1982, when the
British Caledonian DC1O took off from Gatwick airport en route
to Hong Kong. Nineteen hours later, after a stop in Dubai,
it touched down at Kai Tak airport, Three days and a lot of
jet-lag later, we set off to Sydney with Cathay Pacific Airways,
via Melbourne, which took another nine flying hours. For the
following six weeks we toured around Australia staying firstly
in Adelaide (where the diving in the Gulf of St. Vincent was
very similar to England), then Brisbane and finally further
north of Queensland on the Whitsunday coast. The airport of
Proserpine was one of the smallest I have ever seen! This
is where our Barrier Reef Encounter began.
WHITSUNDAY'S
We
were collected from the airport by a friend of a friend who
is a partner of a diving establishment called Fathom Divers.
Fathom had arranged our accomodation and also drawn up a flexible
dive programme for our twelve-day stay in the Whitsunday Islands.
We were taken to Canonvale, a small resort area about three
miles from the coast, to 6, camping site where we were booked
into a six berth caravan. After a quick change into a pair
of shorts (too hot and humid for anything else) we were taken
to the coast for a look round Airlie Beach and Shute Harbour,
which is the gateway to the Whitsunday Islands and Great Barrier
Reef. On the sheltered side of the outer reef, near the coast,
the sea is studded with islands, mostly uninhabited but with
a number developed for tourists, The Vhitsunday's include
seventy-four of these tropical islands and it is from Shute
Harbour on the mainland that. pleasure boats and dive boats
leave each day for cruises in the Vhitsunday Passage, offering
you life of leisure - swimming, sunbathing and diving.
We
did some of our diving around the Whitsunday's, all of the
islands being fringed with reef's and coral bommies, so there
is no problem in finding a dive site. Our first dive was off
one of the nearest islands called South Molle. Here we found
five coral bommies in about 25 feet of water. Afterwards we
took the cylinders for refill and waited at the resort of
South Molle, taking in the beautiful sunshine, The next dive
was a half-hour sea cruise away to Hayman Island, one of the
largest in the group. By the time we reached it the tide was
turning and part of the reef war. exposed, again giving no
problems in finding it. In Australia, coral growths can be
seen and admired but some species can be deadly, so it was
lucky for us that we had wet suits with us (although you don't
need them for warmth). The anemonies were extremely lovely,
amazing purples, whites, blues and greens wafting their tentacles,
almost luring us nearer. Cameras clicked constantly and on
reflection it was difficult to tell which was better - above
or below the surface. We returned that evening to Shute Harbour
on the mainland and finished a wonderful day in the local
pub at Airlie Beach. That night happened to be highlight of
the week - the toad races! Unfortunately our toad camp lost
in its heat.
In
the days that followed we carried out further dives in the
Whitsunday's at various different sites including Hook and
Daydream Islands and confirmed the myth that this is truly
paradise. However, better was yet to come and later that week
we found ourselves booking a trip with Air Whitsunday on their
amphibious aircraft to the outer Barrier Reef, where we stayed
for three days in the company of our English friend from Adelaide,
Richard Hutchins, and a diver from New Zealand. This proved
to be an experience I can recommmend to anyone who ever has
the chance to fly on a sea plane. We boarded the Lake Buchaneer,
a small craft which takes three passengers and the pilot and
very little luggage, at the Vhitsunday airstrip. As we bounced
along the grassy runway I hoped and prayed that we'd reach
the final take-off speed without aborting due to the weight
of our diving/camera Sear. We made it O.K. and flaw into the
sky over Shute Harbour. We had thrty minutes to enjoy the
panoramic view of the Whitsunday Passage and outer Barrier
Reef from about two thousand feet. I lost count of how many
shots I took with my camera as I viewed with amazement the
eighth wonder of the world.
HARDY
LAGOON
We
passed the dreamy Whitsunday Islands and outward to Hardy
Lagoon where we were to meet the beautiful vessel Reef Encounter
our home for three nights. It was low tide as we looked down
on a magnificent sea with its aquamarine lagoons and deep
sapphire depths beyond the reef. Encrusted with living coral,
the reefs looked like giant stepping stones sticking out of
the water, appearing to get larger as we descended. In a few
seconds there was a bump, we had landed on the water like
a speed boat making a record attempt. We came to a halt in
Hardy Lagoon and the pilot got out an oar and paddled the
plane towards the waiting tender. A few minutes later another
sea-plane landed followed by another until five in the fleet
were on the water, carrying mostly reef-walkers.
Once
aboard the Reef Encounter, we were allocated our cabins, which
were just as plush as the rest of the boat. She is a 75' schooner
with a sleeping capacity of 15, including 3 or 4 crew. The
four of us were lucky in being the only guests on board for
the three days, so it was entirely up to us how much diving
we did. Beef Encounter is permanently moored out on the reef,
except during a refit or if cyclones threaten, and is serviced
by a similar schooner called Torres Herald, which makes weekly
trips to the reef.
Soon
we were itching to get wet and persuaded Geoff, the skipper,
to arrange a dive for us. Kitting up was easy and we were
soon on our way. We went out into the channel between Hook
and Hardy's Lagoon and had a magnificent dive, although the
visibility was not as good as the Red Sea. We put it down
to the fact that the rainy season was just starting and we'd
had a few N.E. winds. Nothing, however, could detract from
the beauty of the reef with its plant and coral life, Among
more than 300 species of coral, linger great shoals of fish
bejewelling the magnificence of their own setting. Angels,
clowns, groupers, sharks and many more watch as divers pass
- a photographer's dream! The dives that followed took us
to other sites including the Pinnacle, the outer Reef wall
of both Hook and Hardy Lagoons , which were sheer drop-offs
to the bottom of the Coral Sea, and several dives and snorkels
within the lagoon, We also went reef walking, an experience
in itself, where we were able to walk along the reef at low
tide gazing at the beautiful purples, mauves, greens and blues
of the coral life, fifty miles out to sea with no land in
sight!
FAREWELL
The
worse part of our Reef Encounter was leaving it behind as
we clambered aboard the amphibian once again for our return
flight through the Whitsunday Passage, still as beautiful
and tranquil as on our outward flight. Tomorrow was the start
of our long Journey back to England. After a quick shower
and change (so far we'd only worn swim suits throughout our
stay in the Whitsundays), we were ready to celebrate our last
night in true diver-style in one of Airlie Beach's few restaurants.
We each had a superb steak, baked potato and salad plus several
litres of wine, which didn't cost a fortune. All too soon
it was time to catch the flight back to Sydney. We said our
goodbyes and boarded the Ansett jet for our three hour flight
to Adelaide. As the wheels lifted off the runway, we wondered
If we'd ever return again to the tropical wonderland of north
Queensland and the Great Barrier Reef.
Editor's
Note
Since
Denise wrote this article four years ago, she and her husband
Bob have become the proud parents of two, Gemina now nearly
two years old her baby brother Ian, who arrived just three
days before Christmas. Our congratulations to you both. |
