We're off snorkeling today, so with the help of the kids playing football at 5.30, we're up nice and early. A quick coffee and shower, we meet the bus out front and its not long before we're down at the dock. Its a big bugger of a boat with three decks, so we find seats somewhere in the middle and settle down for the three hour journey to the reef. Lin ain't looking forward to the journey, so as we board, she grabs a couple of ginger pills being handed out by the crew and downs them in one. We're soon under way, when someone passes us with tea and bickkies, Lin's up and in the queue in no time, the pills seem to be working. Now it seems a permanent floating pontoon has been set up at the edge of the reef as a staging point and the boat is just a shuttle. Good idea, till I look around a see all the kids. Well at least they cant play football.
Just as we arrive, we're informed "if we'd like to take a snorkeling tour, its another $35, If we'd like to do a try dive, that's $199 (second bottle $59), How about a helicopter ride at a minor $300". Bugger all that, we'll snorkel, take the free lunch and sod um. We get kitted up with fins, mask, snorkel and stinger suit (theres some nasty little buggers in the water out here and that's before I get in) and off we go. Lin does the snorkeling thing like she's been at it all her life and we doggy paddle up and down the ropes set out, watching all the things we've seen on T.V. while being clumped on the head, legs, sides by someones little darlings, playing a game of tag up and down the ropes, while mum & dad sit on the bottom of the ocean in pure silence, doing a try dive. I bet it was worth $199. Lin pops her head up and says I'm starving, lets head back. Those pills seem to be putting in overtime, so we climb over the kids and head back to the boat. Lunch was dips, crackers, rice and pasta, chick peas and coleslaw, cheap, but lots of it. (this firm must be coining it).
Lunch over and done with, we check out the glass bottom boat and the big grouper that lives at the front of the pontoon called "George", (not to be confused with the big groper that lives in a tent). Its not long before our time on the reef is up and we're heading home (not before Lin grabs another load of ginger pills). Tea time comes round before yer know it and Lin's up there already. Rock hard Doritos, dips and fruit, (melon and orange). Gorden Ramsey, eat yer heart out. Whoever thought up that menu, wants looking at.
Three hours later, we're on the coach, heading back to the camp. Now either the driver was new, or he liked us and was taking the pretty route, cos its a ten minute walk to camp and we've been on this coach, in the pitch black, for the last forty minute's. Yes I know the lights look twinkly from up here and yes I know the town looks tiny from up in the mountains, but we've done the snorkley thing, we're tired and want to crawl into the bed before the little sods on the camp start a new game of football.
We arrive at long last.
We're moving on tomorrow and normally put a few things away the night before. Cant be bothered, the football loving ankle snappers will have us up early and we'll do it then.
The mairna at Shute... loads of money!!!
The man is all at sea and happy happy happy....
and on and on and on.....flippin lovely...
We pop into Hamilton Island to pick up more travellers
Him on board and ready to JUMP!!!
Me ready to jump with him lol....
The pontoon that you use use to swim off to the reef to..and yes that sandy coloured area is the Great Barrier reef....
More underwater...taken with our new 'underwater camera' woooohooooo
Me, and yes I have jumped.....IN
and on our way home....ahhhhh
Back into Hamilton Island..
and then on back and into Shute...
What a fab day and another tick on my bucket list....
Love to all and big hugs and kisses to OLLIE who is 4 today, have a lovely day Ollie see you soon xxxx love Grandad and Lin xx
Nite all xxx
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