Lightening Online

We’ve had lots of awesome experiences so far on our trip but the Great Barrier Reef would have to be top of the list so far as a favourite with everyone.

There are so many options up here for visiting the reef that it makes your head spin.  We were considering going on a sailing boat for a different experience but in the end it’s probably a good thing we didn’t as weather conditions are not their best at the moment.

Instead, we took the recommendation of the Visitor Information Centre staff who suggested Sunlover.  They were having a special on kids travelling with a paying adult going free so we only had to pay for 1 child.

It was an interesting start to the trip when the ship’s captain (? is that what they’re called) told us the conditions were rough and people could choose to hop off and transfer their tickets to another day if they wanted to.  He then went on to mention that the conditions were going to get worse throughout the week.  We decided to take our chances and brave it.

It was fairly rocky on the trip out there.  So many passengers were seasick.  Lleyton was the first of ours to feel crook, following by Singstar Princess.  I don’t think I’ve ever seen my kids take on a green tinge.  Farmboy and Trailer Boy were fine and I was borderline.

The staff were fabulous and very supportive.  They were quick to help the kids move around the boat when they needed to and one even gave Singstar Princess a piggy back when we were trying to get her out in the fresh air.  Now that’s service given she could have thrown up all over her!!!!

As soon as we arrived, everyone was fine.  In fact, the worst of it was only about half an hour so it wasn’t too bad.  None of us lost our breakfast so that was good!!!!

Riding on the semi-submersible was one of the first activities we did and it was AMAZING!!!  The Great Barrier Reef was passing right before our eyes as the boat slowly moved through the water.

At that point I felt completely satisfied with the day.  We’d come and we’d seen and we’d been there.  Whatever the rest of the day brought, I felt I could go home happy.

After a buffet lunch, we headed out on the glass bottom boat.  This time we were looking down on the reef and you saw different things from that angle.

Then it was time to snorkel.  We left this until last as we didn’t want to be changing in and out of wet bathers.  We figured the kids would last maybe half an hour in the water.

I’ve never snorkelled before and I’m not a strong swimmer so I wasn’t sure how I would go.  Most people were wearing life jackets which made it a lot easier to just float along the top of the water.

It was the most AMAZING experience I have ever had in my life.

We’d seen it all in the Reef HQ Aquarium and through the glass but to actually be swimming with the fish was an experience that words just cannot do justice to describing.  I evern swam over the top of a big clam.

The younger two wanted to go in the kids pool so I took them in there and we had a heap of fish come swimming around in there with us.  Feeling a fish’s tail brush against you in the water is just amazing.

I couldn’t take my camera swimming with me (the kids did have disposable underwater cameras) but here’s a couple of shots through the viewing window they have out there:

If you ever get the opportunity to go and see it, I highly recommend it.  It’s not a cheap exercise but in my opinion it was worth every cent.  I really hope I get another opportunity to go again one day.