I visited Australia, traveling to three different parts: Cairns, one part of the tropical coast; Darwin, in the Northern Territory; and Sydney, the capital. While in Cairns, we visited a bird sanctuary, climbed through the Daintree rainforest, visited the Irvinebank, the home town of my grandfather, and drove up the incredibly breathtaking coastline to Cape of Tribulation. However, my favorite part of the first leg was absolutely the snorkel excursion on the Great Barrier Reef.
I had never snorkeled this far out at sea (about a 1.5-hour boat drive at high speed), so starting close to the deck was a great way to become used to the pull of the ocean and get my swimming legs. Wally, the female Wrasse fish, and her much smaller mate swam close by the anchored platform off which we dove. She was slimy to the touch, but gentle and seemingly iridescent in the ocean waves. Although the first part of my snorkeling adventure was just off the dive deck of the pontoon (seen in the background of the picture), I spent the afternoon snorkeling around the outside of the reef, and saw many schools of fish layered one upon the other. I did not enjoy the skintight diving suit, but absolutely loved seeing all the fish from “Finding Nemo.”
Today’s faraway Friday post comes from my wonderful friend Stephanie! Here’s a bit about her awesome experience in Australia.
Rachael Cullins is a twentysomething American girl living in Dakar, Senegal, with her husband and two dogs. She blogs about her adventures in Senegal and travels elsewhere in West Africa. She will reside in Dakar until summer 2013, when she and her family will move to another foreign post as part of her husband’s career with the U.S. government. In addition to West Africa, she has traveled to France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Italy and Costa Rica and plans to continually add to that list.
