The Big Blue...Great Barrier Reef (off Cairns)

As some of you know, I have my SCUBA ticket and have been waiting to get back into the water since Airlie Beach...we have been dragging all my gear around with us so far, much to Georges moanings (as he couldnt bring his golf clubs)
I was kindly given a day on the reef for my birthday, from my brothers, which was great pressie...
Unfortunatly George doesnt have his diving licence and if he came with me on the day wouldnt be diving with me as he would be doing an introductory dive, so I headed off by myself for the day.
Its a 90min ride out to the reef (we headed to Norman Reef)
It was a pretty average day and the wind and rain didnt help the above water conditions...but underwater was a different story, who would have known that it was choppy and rubbish up there and that everyone left on the boat was seasick.....
It was warm, so clear and lots of sealife...few sharks, rays, turtles and of course lots of fish and coral!
I had a great time and had a really nice lunch then back into the water...and over to Turtle Bay- a nice little sheltered dive site...with of course...turtles!
I went with one of the guides from Deep Sea Divers Den (which also has a live aboard boat you could have stayed at too which does night dives with the local sharks!)
I was on the go most of the time but when I stopped, met some lovely couples (who all seemed to be on their honeymoons) I also didnt take our camera as I wasnt sure how deep we would be going, turns out I probably could have taken it down...but you never know...so no photos for me. They do have an onboard photographer though, but I was being stingy and didnt get any photos.
I got home and raved about it to George who I think has caught a bit of the diving bug and was keen to head out...
So when his brother came for a visit it was the perfect opportunity for them to both do an intro dive... alas I had to work and missed out :-(

They had a picture perfect day....(and cameras to prove it)

Waiting at the Marina

 

 

The boys did some snorkelling first then an introductory dive afterwards

The pictures say more than any words I can put together...

 The next lot of photos are from the in house photographer that the company has....AMAZING!

George and one of the local maouri wrasse that loves a pat!

George seems to have grown another head!

NEMO!

George making water angels??

So after a few intro dives George is pretty keen to get his licence so hopefully soon we will be able to go on some dives together... Im hoping we can get to the 'cod hole'

Oh yeah check out the reef with Deep Sea Divers Den if your in Cairns
www.diversden.com.au