Day2 : The main day of site seeing in Cairns ! We packed up our swim wears and started by 8. The pickup van dropped us at the tour office near the boat.
We were amazed to see a lot of Indian couples in the group, which we had seen in none of our previous tours. We spoke to one of them: one couple taking a vacation after both being at onsite in different countries and meeting after 2 years :) and there was one more couple enjoying their honeymoon came as a part of the ‘dowry package’ ( that is just what Krithi and me gossip J ) .
Then started the funny part of the show. Snorkelling comes as a free package with the tour, provided we don’t a person to take us for a snorkelling tour. We had a session in the basement part of the ship on what to do and what not to do while snorkelling. It went like this: there will be an area marked with floating balls tied with a wire, for snorkelling. The snorkelling materials will be available at the place we anchor, and people can choose the materials according to their fit. He warned us not to touch or try to pick a piece from the reef. If someone catches us with it, it can result in a fine of AU$ 5000 ! And again, he warned to not rest on the reefs if you feel like resting.
This somehow gave me a worry on what we will do if we feel tired in the middle! Krithi also had the same concern (and that whole night we were laughing on this worry, I will tell you why as we go). After an hour gone, this small ship of ours started swinging a bit more and there goes Krithi….:).
We reached a portion with some floating spots, in the middle of the sea. The ship settled there, and we were excited to get in to the swim wear and run for snorkelling. We were the first to grab the equipments and get down the steps. Then I got the first hit: I can’t see the bottom of the sea. I was somehow of the impression that it will be shallow waters, and was worrying about how I will manage with out touching or disturbing the reef. We got a shock when someone told that it is ‘only’ 30 feet deep at this part! I think I know swimming, atleast I can manage without drowning unless my towel flips out of my waist (I can see some of my REC classmates laughing now). But this is sea, and even with a floating suit, all my ‘bravery’ had gone. I tried to jump in to the water once, but I sprinted back in double speed than I went, in less than 5 seconds. Krithi didn’t give up. She was pushing me to start and with her half swimming skills, she was enthusiastic about snorkelling. I too am, but there is this humming sound of the sea if I get my ears go down in water and doing the breathing thru the pipe, the water somehow getting in to the pipe blocking the air, ‘I am afraid’ ! All we could do is, then, just put our face in to the water standing in water at leg’s level and take snaps with our ‘underwater’ camera. We still finished that roll of 26-27.
I gave up in half an hour; Krithi also came back with me half heartedly. We had a lot of friends to stand in the shore and looking at this 2/3rd of the World with fearJ, which were mostly Indians. Some people got the instructor’s assistance to go a bit and come back. That was about another 30-40$ per head.
We had a lunch served in the ship, all those salads for vegetariansJ. We had hope with the reef rides with the glass bottom boat and the semi-submersible boat. They were taking people in turns for their 30-40 min rides through the reef. Semi-submersible boat allows you to sit in a compartment under the surface and see under water through the glass walls. Glass bottom boat will just have a glass bottom in the middle where we will be sitting around and viewing like an aquarium.
After the boat rides, Krithi again went alone for another try, I was not even thinking of getting that failed-feeling again. I was just watching her again struggling to get in to the water. We were done by 4 and the ship started back. We were trying to console each other, but I could see Krithi was upset with her reef-snorkelling dreams going for a toss. But we couldn’t stop laughing thinking of our worries in the morning of how we will manage without standing in the reef!
Back home by 6. We spend the rest of the day cooking and having a leisure dinner and proving to ourselves that we can swim, trying in the swimming pool in the hotel.
Day3: We had nothing more to see in Cairns, but we have got a day left. Again, we need to check-out by 10. Most of the hotels, anyway, allow keeping the luggage in their store room and picking it up in the evening.
We were just free birds, nothing to do, by 10. Took a bus (it is a mini bus running around the town, with a frequency of once an hour) to the city centre, walked through the shore to see a place where small motor boats were available for rent. We will not be allowed to enter the reef areas, but we will still have some of the extended waters. I was thinking on what surety he will give on to us. But he was more confident than us. He showed us how the steer-handle and the accelerator fixed at the grip (like that for bikes) works. Rent was about 25$ for 2 hours, pretty cheap compared to the prices here. The two or three seater boat had a life jacket kit in case of emergency. And that was one of the best we enjoyed in Cairns. Alone in the middle of the salt water, in a small boat! It was not a very powerful boat to fly in 60-80 kmph, all it could do is a 40 maximum.
We had on both sides a lot of anchored sail boats for sometime, and then we were alone with the Shipyard on one side. We saw a couple of warships in the naval base, that too hours were peaceful.
We were back in two hours, had a pizza lunch at one of the Italian restaurants in the Town Centre. It was 1PM. We have 3 more hours to go. We walked to the meadow by the side of the sea, and sat under a tree peacefully. The lack of crowd gives it a very relaxing sensation.
By around 4, we took another bus to the hotel, and then a taxi to the airport from there. The flight gave us some stunning views of the sunset, and flying above the reefs not so high was also memorable. We also got some aerial video shots of Sydney CBD (they call downtown as Central Business District). Landed in Sydney by 10 PM. It took another 90 minutes of travel to reach home, tired.
Tailpiece: I am not sure whether it will be a surprise to hear that of the most stolen items in a Supermarket is condoms!!! The report of the loss prevention team says most of the people are shy to scan their condom packs with the girl at the counter, and they choose to hide it in their pockets and walk away scanning the rest of the items purchased! I couldn’t believe it in Australia, this happens!
We were amazed to see a lot of Indian couples in the group, which we had seen in none of our previous tours. We spoke to one of them: one couple taking a vacation after both being at onsite in different countries and meeting after 2 years :) and there was one more couple enjoying their honeymoon came as a part of the ‘dowry package’ ( that is just what Krithi and me gossip J ) .
Then started the funny part of the show. Snorkelling comes as a free package with the tour, provided we don’t a person to take us for a snorkelling tour. We had a session in the basement part of the ship on what to do and what not to do while snorkelling. It went like this: there will be an area marked with floating balls tied with a wire, for snorkelling. The snorkelling materials will be available at the place we anchor, and people can choose the materials according to their fit. He warned us not to touch or try to pick a piece from the reef. If someone catches us with it, it can result in a fine of AU$ 5000 ! And again, he warned to not rest on the reefs if you feel like resting.
This somehow gave me a worry on what we will do if we feel tired in the middle! Krithi also had the same concern (and that whole night we were laughing on this worry, I will tell you why as we go). After an hour gone, this small ship of ours started swinging a bit more and there goes Krithi….:).
We reached a portion with some floating spots, in the middle of the sea. The ship settled there, and we were excited to get in to the swim wear and run for snorkelling. We were the first to grab the equipments and get down the steps. Then I got the first hit: I can’t see the bottom of the sea. I was somehow of the impression that it will be shallow waters, and was worrying about how I will manage with out touching or disturbing the reef. We got a shock when someone told that it is ‘only’ 30 feet deep at this part! I think I know swimming, atleast I can manage without drowning unless my towel flips out of my waist (I can see some of my REC classmates laughing now). But this is sea, and even with a floating suit, all my ‘bravery’ had gone. I tried to jump in to the water once, but I sprinted back in double speed than I went, in less than 5 seconds. Krithi didn’t give up. She was pushing me to start and with her half swimming skills, she was enthusiastic about snorkelling. I too am, but there is this humming sound of the sea if I get my ears go down in water and doing the breathing thru the pipe, the water somehow getting in to the pipe blocking the air, ‘I am afraid’ ! All we could do is, then, just put our face in to the water standing in water at leg’s level and take snaps with our ‘underwater’ camera. We still finished that roll of 26-27.
I gave up in half an hour; Krithi also came back with me half heartedly. We had a lot of friends to stand in the shore and looking at this 2/3rd of the World with fearJ, which were mostly Indians. Some people got the instructor’s assistance to go a bit and come back. That was about another 30-40$ per head.
We had a lunch served in the ship, all those salads for vegetariansJ. We had hope with the reef rides with the glass bottom boat and the semi-submersible boat. They were taking people in turns for their 30-40 min rides through the reef. Semi-submersible boat allows you to sit in a compartment under the surface and see under water through the glass walls. Glass bottom boat will just have a glass bottom in the middle where we will be sitting around and viewing like an aquarium.
After the boat rides, Krithi again went alone for another try, I was not even thinking of getting that failed-feeling again. I was just watching her again struggling to get in to the water. We were done by 4 and the ship started back. We were trying to console each other, but I could see Krithi was upset with her reef-snorkelling dreams going for a toss. But we couldn’t stop laughing thinking of our worries in the morning of how we will manage without standing in the reef!
Back home by 6. We spend the rest of the day cooking and having a leisure dinner and proving to ourselves that we can swim, trying in the swimming pool in the hotel.
Day3: We had nothing more to see in Cairns, but we have got a day left. Again, we need to check-out by 10. Most of the hotels, anyway, allow keeping the luggage in their store room and picking it up in the evening.
We were just free birds, nothing to do, by 10. Took a bus (it is a mini bus running around the town, with a frequency of once an hour) to the city centre, walked through the shore to see a place where small motor boats were available for rent. We will not be allowed to enter the reef areas, but we will still have some of the extended waters. I was thinking on what surety he will give on to us. But he was more confident than us. He showed us how the steer-handle and the accelerator fixed at the grip (like that for bikes) works. Rent was about 25$ for 2 hours, pretty cheap compared to the prices here. The two or three seater boat had a life jacket kit in case of emergency. And that was one of the best we enjoyed in Cairns. Alone in the middle of the salt water, in a small boat! It was not a very powerful boat to fly in 60-80 kmph, all it could do is a 40 maximum.
We had on both sides a lot of anchored sail boats for sometime, and then we were alone with the Shipyard on one side. We saw a couple of warships in the naval base, that too hours were peaceful.
We were back in two hours, had a pizza lunch at one of the Italian restaurants in the Town Centre. It was 1PM. We have 3 more hours to go. We walked to the meadow by the side of the sea, and sat under a tree peacefully. The lack of crowd gives it a very relaxing sensation.
By around 4, we took another bus to the hotel, and then a taxi to the airport from there. The flight gave us some stunning views of the sunset, and flying above the reefs not so high was also memorable. We also got some aerial video shots of Sydney CBD (they call downtown as Central Business District). Landed in Sydney by 10 PM. It took another 90 minutes of travel to reach home, tired.
Tailpiece: I am not sure whether it will be a surprise to hear that of the most stolen items in a Supermarket is condoms!!! The report of the loss prevention team says most of the people are shy to scan their condom packs with the girl at the counter, and they choose to hide it in their pockets and walk away scanning the rest of the items purchased! I couldn’t believe it in Australia, this happens!
