Advanced Open Water (day 2)

Posted on 16/08/2012 by Paul

What a fantastic day. In the water at 7.30 for the first of 4 dives, and the sun came out to say hello too.

This first dive was the penultimate speciality dive for advanced certification, the deep dive. We went down to around 26m, did a few checks and then had a slow swim looking for fish and stuff. The fish seemed more curious down here, coming much closer, which meant you could see them much better. A real eye-balling on both sides. With a relaxing swim round for the ascent it was out of the water for breakfast.

The last speciality dive was a free choice and there was a split decision. Me and my buddy chose under water naturalist whilst the Dutch couple chose photography. This turned out to be really cool as our instructor led us to some cool spots, we found the interesting fish/corals that we ID’d and then we had photographs of some of the stuff we needed to look up. We saw another turtle and a metre-long giant clam but one of the best finds was a wobbegong shark tucked away in the coral.

Last dive for the certificate completed and the four of us are now certified Advanced Open Water divers. Cool.

Next dive was a fun dive as we have now completed the AOW course and we got a little lost. Hard to believe as navigation was part of the certificate! But it’s ok, we saw loads of cool stuff and made it back to the boat with air to spare. Then we found out the last dive of the day, the night dive, was in the same place! But we didn’t get lost and managed our safety stop without a reference point with reef sharks gliding past our fins. Big tick for buoyancy control.

I have to say this as been a fab couple of days and there are still 3 dives to come. The first one is at 6.30am, sunrise tomorrow morning. The best way to wake up.

Advanced Open Water (day 1)

Posted on 15/08/2012 by Paul

Another early start meeting at the dive shop in Cairns just before 6.20am ready for the 5 minute drive to the boat. The weather looked ok but once out of the harbour the boat began to roll a bit. This was not as smooth as last time and about half way out to the reef the sky turned a dark grey, a similar colour to the water! There were no humpbacks this time but we did get a brief sighting of some dolphins.

By the time we arrived at the outer reef it was raining and still a little choppy, but that’s ok, you don’t notice the rain when you’re in the water. So breakfast and safety talk done it’s time to kit up and our first dive was a fun dive. I had an American chap for a buddy and we had a nice slow dive around one of the reef formations. It was nice with plenty to see including quite a few barracuda.

Fun dive over and our stomachs filled by Jo, the cook for the trip, it was time for our first speciality dive for the advanced certificate, namely Peek Performance Buoyancy. To say our instructor had us jumping through hoops is no exaggeration, he literally did, well swimming. This, as well as meditating in mid air, was really quite cool.

The next speciality dive was navigation using the compass. Now I have to say navigation is not my strong point at the moment but using the compass is pretty groovy. Between that and measuring distance by kick cycles I think I did ok.

That left the last dive of the day, the night dive. And it was pretty good. We practiced navigation and buoyancy and then just had a mooch around opting a ray and the largest shark I have seen to date. Pretty damn cool.

There also seems to be a good crowd on board so I think all things being equal I should be in for a good trip

Daintree Rain Forest, Day 2

Posted on 13/08/2012 by Paul

So the screeching alarm clock sounded at 6.30 and I have to say, although not the most subtle, that little bird certainly wakes you up. And the showers were good too, boiling hot and plenty of water pressure, leaving you clean and wide awake ready for breakfast. I had the cooked veggie breakfast with a fruit smoothie and a nice strong coffee. The breakfast was good although I’m not convinced about the spinach.

Fed and ready for action we had a wander up to Cow Bay, named after the Doogon or Sea Cow. This was a pretty walk with rain forest either side of the road and the sunlight filtering through in speckled patches. Although I’m sure the vegetation is teaming with wildlife, we only saw a couple of small lizards. Not a tree frog in sight.

Cow Bay itself was very pretty and fairly typical of the beaches in the area. As you approach there are warning signs about crocodiles and also box jellyfish. It’s out of season for box jellyfish but the bottles of vinegar are there just the same. The beach itself was pristine and such a sight to see native rain forest grow right up to the sand and see. At the end of the bay were mangroves dotted over the sand right up to the sea, with their roots poking up like needles through the sand.

Next on the cards was a drive up to Cape Tribulation named after Captain Cook ran aground on the outer reef. This was a pretty drive though rain forest right up to the beach which looked the same as as Cow Bay. Pristine sands, mangroves and warning signs for crocs and box jellyfish.

On the way back we stopped at a local ice cream factory which served a tub of the ‘four flavours of the day’ all made from local fruits and nuts. Vey nice and quite cooling given the heat of the day.

Once back at Crocodylus, we finished of with the orange rope walk through the rain forest. This is a short 3k walk marked out by orange rope. One of the most noticeable things on this walk was the damage caused by the wild pigs. They clear whole areas of vegetation in their rooting sessions leaving nothing but freshly turned soil.

With the walking done it was time for a beer and a bite to eat against the dulcet tones of the scrub turkey and the thuds of falling coconut on the canvas roof of the bar. Just as we were relaxing a fellow traveller reported a snake in the gents shower block. Steve, armed with a snake catchers pole and sack, moved in, followed by a posse of young male onlookers, to transport the offending reptile back into the wild. Withe excitement for the evening over, everyone returned to their beer and feed with one more story to tell.

The following morning after we checked out I drove the ute home, stopping only for a quick walk around Daintree itself. The drive was ok although there was a nasty accident just outside Cairns involving a motorbike and a large ute. Apparently that stretch of road is quite a black spot. By the time we got back I was quite glad not to be sitting down anymore! Time for a beer I think.

Daintree Rain Forest

Posted on 13/08/2012 by Paul

Travelling up to Daintree we stopped off at Port Douglas for lunch and wander round. Port Douglas is very much a tourist town and quite an expensive one at that. We had a wander round some of the shops, down to the harbour and then found a nice little Thai restaurant for lunch.

Moving on we reached our destination, the Daintree Crocodylus Village, around 6pm. The accommodation is basic, a light, a fan and a bed with a mosquito net. The cabins are wooden with a canvas roof and no electricity. There is also a communal seating area near the bar and restaurant. And overall the this place has a very relaxed, laid back feel, mostly emanating from Steve’s constant smile (Steve is the receptionist, barman and proprietor).

Having settled into the cabin we grabbed a bite to eat and had a couple of beers at the bar. Just to ease the cost we then tucked into a couple of bottles of wine we had stashed in the ute. As we left, Steve’s non smiling partner Sally who runs the restaurant, held up the two empty wine bottles and asked if she should throw them away or did we want to keep them. It wasn’t until the next morning we saw the sign “NO B.Y.O”.

Having retired to the safety of the mosquito net I realised just how noisy a rain forest can be at night. With all manner of birds calling back and forth, the largest turned out to be the little scrub turkeys or the orange footed scrub fowl. The only way I can describe it is a kind of very loud screeching. This would also turn out to be our alarm clock at sunrise which is at 6.30am.

Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures

Posted on 09/08/2012 by Paul

Leaving Mareeba we headed for Kuranda and what a contrast. Kuranda was basically a hippy settlement until they realised they could become businessmen and make money. The town is thriving with loads of shops and cafes, is beautifully maintained and has a really nice atmosphere. There is a lot of really good art and craft stuff about including a co-operative art centre, probably a remnant from the hippy era. Evan better than that were the pancakes and coffee I had for breakfast. Certainly hit the spot.

After spending a good hour or so wandering round the new market, the old market and past the train station to the river Barron it was time to leave the Tablelands and move onto the next stop, Hartley’s Crocodile Adventure just outside Cairns.

Well Hartley’s Crocodile Adventure was pretty amazing. I was a little apprehensive as I don’t like zoos and it sounded a little too touristy. And it was touristy but well worth the visit. Apart from crocs there were snakes, spiders, kangaroos, wombats and monitor lizards. Once we had wandered round and seen everything else we strolled round the part with crocs. The first one I walked past I thought was plastic until it moved, which made me move even though there was a double fence in between us! 5m of croc weighing in at over a tonne is quite scary close up!

Then came the boat ride. Our guide and the star of the star of the show was Jason. Playing the stereotypical Aussie he steered and joked his way out into the lagoon with a boat full of people. As we moved through the lagoon Jason pointed out mounds of leaves which were croc nests. To control numbers in this enclosed lagoon the staff collect the eggs from the nests in what he described as the most hardcore easter egg hunt on the planet!

Stopping mid water and with a chicken head tied to a long pole the crocs began to gather by the side of the boat and jump to get the food. They raised a good metre out of the water and slapped their jaws, just missing the meal but giving us a fabulous photo opportunity! The sound of the jaws snapping shut was pretty chilling and seeing these creatures so close was pretty awesome. I was glad for the safety glass separating us.

After a few jumps on either side of the bus we returned to dry land just in time for the ‘attack show’, again featuring Jason.

With tiered seating around a small area of water no more than 6 meters round the show began. Into the arena walked Jason and began stamping his feet in the water. Crocs can sense vibration and sure enough Bart (odd name for a croc I know) surfaced. Then with a chunk of meat on a rope the show began. Tossing the meat in front of the croc it attacked and in an instant the meat was firmly locked in its jaws. Slowly the croc sank into the water, drowning its quarry. With a few tugs on the rope Bart surfaced and after a couple more tugs Bart showed us the death roll. A 360 degree roll designed to break off extremities such as limbs leaving the croc only with the meat in it’s jaws.

Next came the hand feeding. Mad. How Jason has all his limbs left I don’t know. He was in the water, bare-foot, holding a chunk of what looked like a tuna fish. The croc chased him across the water and launched at the meat, which he got. Jason let go just in time and made it to safety complete with all his limbs in tact. It takes a certain type of person to do this kind of thing and, at times like this, I’m glad I work in a library!

To fund the business Hartley’s also operate a crocodile farm supplying the top-end fashion designers with 3 year old croc skins for bags, belts, purses, shoes etc. This side of the business is not so good but while people will pay silly amounts of money for croc skin I guess farming is better than hunting wild crocs. Maybe.

Tablelands

Posted on 08/08/2012 by Paul

First stop just into the tablelands was the Mungalley Dairy and Teashop. Very nice place to stop for a civilised elevenses refresher. And I can highly recommend the lemon curd pie! Views were excellent and the owner was weirdly hilarious.

Second stop, Lake Eacham. Quite a nice area with a big lake and picnic tables with built in BBQ’s. Apparently there are fresh water turtles in the the lake that breathe through their arse pretty much the same way fish breathe through gills, we didn’t see any but it was a nice walk. And there were a couple of scrub turkeys wandering around too.

Yungaburra was the next stop, a very pretty little town. Wendy called into a hippy shop to by a top and I could have spent a fortune on all the trinkets and stuff. They had some lovely incense burners. There was a hotel that looked like something out of the wild west complete with barrels and full sized glass saloon doors. Pretty cool. Just before we left we had a quick gander at the Platapus viewing station. Nothing to see. We are planning to return for the Saturday market the day before I fly to Bankok.

About a mile down the the road we parked the ute to see a giant strangulating fig tree. Very old and absolutely amazing. A seed settles in the host tree and grows sending down a root. Further roots grow out from this original root and wrap around the host tree slowly killing it. In this example, once dead, the host tree fell hitting the next tree and as the fig sent down its roots, created a ‘curtain’ of roots. All over a hundred years or so. Now off to Atherton for lunch.

Ok, I don’t recommend Atherton for a vegetarian cullenary experience. Walked up and down the main drag a few times and settled for a veggie kebab at a fast food place. Now we’ve eaten we’re leaving!

After Atherton we made a tourist stop at Garnet Gorge, a place where you can feed wallabies. This is probably the only tourist stop we have made and it was cool to feed them. Even better were the views, what I envisioned the Australian landscape to look like. On leaving the Gorge we got a little lost which was quite funny but eventually found the the road to Mareeba

Now Mareeba is different to the places I have stayed before, kinda redneck country Oz style. Finding somewhere to stay was a feat in itself. We went to a local Internet cafe and came up with a few numbers of pub accommodation, most of which was fully booked, save one. So we headed for the Peninsula Pub. With drunks very drunk at the bar a 6pm we asked to see the room. It was ok, just a basic room with communal kitchen and shower facilities. These places are not really for tourists, they are for workers so luxury is not included.

Having seen the room we went back down to the bar to complete the paperwork including production of ID. If you rent a room in Oz you have show some form of photo ID. Very strange. Anyway, forms done, fee paid and key in hand we went up to the room. It was then I noticed the curtains and half-height louvre doors did not lead to a cupboard but were a feeble attempt to barricade our room from next door. Nice, think I’ll leave the iPad and camera gear in the ute while we wander round town.

The best place for a beer turned out to be the RSL (similar to the British Legion Clubs back home!) but they closed at 9 so we ended up at the bar we started out at! The bar we left in search of something better and quieter as halfway through the second stubby they cranked the music up so loud it was almost painful!

Before going to the last bar I fancied some chips so we found a little pizza place that did chips, ordered them and sat down. Then it struck us, we had travelled back in time to the 50’s. The empty cigarette display, the orange food display cabinet, the fridgidarre cool display, even the pictures on the wall, all from the 1950’s. And none of it was tiled, not even the cooking area. It was all wooden panels and shelving units. I don’t think hygiene was high on the owners agenda.

With a few beers on board and Wendy already retired, I wandered back and found my bed. Next thing I knew it was time to shower and move on.

Scuba Open Water (day 5)

Posted on 05/08/2012 by Paul

Dive 1
What a way to start the day, jumping into the ocean at 6.30 in the morning, just as the sun has risen. Saw our friendly green turtle again as he was munching on some coral. Saw loads of different fish but ID’ing them is quite hard. I’d see one and think wow, I’ll look that up when I get back to the boat. Then I see something else and again and again. In the end I’ve seen so much I can’t remember enough details to ID much at all!

We are now moving to our final reef site for the last 2 dives of this trip, Tracy’s on Flynn Reef.

Dive 2
This was an awesome dive for spotting life under the waves. First off we found Nemo, actually a real Clown Anemonefish. We then moved around and about seeing Reef and White Tip sharks, several Blue Spotted Stingray of varying ages. These were just the actual fish I managed to ID. The were loads more of all shapes and sizes including huge sweet lips and parrotfish to tiny, colourful dudes darting around the coral. Fantastic dive.

Dive 3
This is the last dive of this trip, then it’s dinner and head back to Cairns. This dive was quite shallow, at times only a couple of metres deep but the coral was spectacular and I saw some of the biggest Bumphead Parrottfish yet. Blue green in colour and absolutely magnificent. On the way back the ocean revealed on of it’s best kept secrets, Unicorns do exist and we saw it! A Whitemargin Unicornfish. Magical.

I am quite sad to be going back to shore now but, being realistic, I think my body could do with the recovery time!

Fish ID’d: Threadfin butterfly Fish, Whitemargin Unicornfish, White Tip Shark, Clown Anemonefish, Blue Spotted Stingray

Scuba Open Water (day 4)

Posted on 04/08/2012 by Paul

Dive 1, 7.22am
Really good dive, used up pretty much all of my air meaning I broke the QLD regulations! You have to hit the surface with 50 bar left in your tank. I had 25.

Had a cool dive, really beginning to enjoy myself, just wish we could stop with the mask flooding/clearing skills training. Saw lots of cool stuff but the other group of OWD actually saw a shark just resting on the bottom. Jealous. We are going to move site again soon, somewhere close to sightings of a whale shark a couple of days ago. Now that would be something.

Dive 2, 11am
Again a good dive and again I used up my air really quickly but we are now certified divers and the last of the OWD skills have been completed. They were navigation by compass both on the surface and under water, hovering and mask removal. I hate mask removal but at least I can do it if needed. I didn’t ID any new fish but there were loads including some sort of clam about a metre long, several angel fish and loads more. Next up we get a fun dive. Yay.

Dive 3, 3pm
First fun dive with buddy. It was cool. We had to navigate ourselves and kinda got a bit lost, we turned right but should have turned left after swimming through ‘the gates’. This detour used both of our air quicker than it should have and it tired me out. I’m really starting to feel how dive fit you need to be. My ankles, thighs and stomach are beginning to to ache. But it’s all good. We have a night dive left to do and then 3 dives tomorrow..

Dive 4, 7.30pm
Night dive done and dusted and I have to say it was probably one of the best dives so far. Apart from the fact it was dark save for a hand torch, we came up to the 3 metre safety stop to find grey reef sharks circling just under the boat. At times they were no more than a couple of metres away. Wow, I’ve swam with sharks at night. Awesome.

Fish ID’d: Elephant Trunk Fish, Lizard Fish, Giant Clam, Green Turtle, Moorish Idol, grey Reef Shark

Scuba Open Water (day 3)

Posted on 03/08/2012 by Paul

Picked up from the ProDive shop at 6.20am, we were on the boat within 15 mins and set out shortly after. No more than 30 minutes into the journey and the engines slowed. Everybody on deck to watch 3 humpbacks playing, seeming to us as their audience. They rolled fins, slapped tails, blew their breathers and humped their backs! They cut across the bow of the boat and were joined by at least 2 more whales. Then 3 swam under the boat and we were flanked on both sides. Spectacular.

Once the humpbacks moved on, we too carried on with our journey, heading to the reef. The sea was apparently calm but one or two of our number made use of the sick bags! I was ok, though glad it it was no rougher.

On reaching the reef it was time for breakfast with a help yourself spread of fresh fruit, croissant, fruit breads and coffee. Just the ticket before prepping for the first dive. And an interesting dive it was. I was not entirely comfortable with my buoyancy and breathing, requiring yet another weight. That’s 12 kilos now. But half way through the dive things began to come together. And I’m chuffed cause the first fish I saw and ID’d was a Bumphead Parrotfish. I can tick that one of the list.

Dive 2 was much better as I began to relax my breathing and control my buoyancy. I think, with practice, I might get used to this new underwater world.

The last session of the day for us was a bit of free time snorkelling. My legs are killing me and I feel pretty tired so I’ve given it a miss as have a few others. I now have peace and tranquility for a while so I’m going to try and ID some more of my fish sightings.

Fish ID’d so far: Bumphead Parrotfish, Sea Slug, ChristmasTree Fish (blue), Scaly Damsel Fish, Spotfin Lionfish, Scissortail Sergeant Fish.

That’s the theory

Posted on 02/08/2012 by Paul

After two days of pool dives and theory and now I’m about to see the Great Barrier Reef for the first time. In a couple of hours Pro Dive will pick me and the other 11 students up for 3 days on a live aboard. Apparently another group out on the boat yesterday saw a whale shark which swam right past them. That would be absolutely amazing. There is also a possibility of seeing humpbacks on the way out to the reef and even minke whales.

We have quite a mixed group including Germans, free-diving fisherman from the Torres Strait, a guy from Hong Kong and a girl from Brazil. Quite a mixed bag but a really good group. We have 2 instructors, Scott and Lisa, meaning small groups of 6 six students. Lisa is English takes the group I’m in while Scott is Australian and takes the other six.

Apart from our group of 12 students doing the open water course, there will be 31 people on the boat including some advanced open water students, pleasure divers and snorkelers. Should be a fun few days.

Hoping to get a few pictures posted of the time on the boat but no underwater camera for me yet as I want to concentrate on the diving.

Travelling in style

Monthly Archives: August 2012