The Great Barrier Reef

Snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef was a “must do” activity when we were planning our trip to Australia.

The Great Barrier Reef, off the coast of Queensland in northeastern Australia, is the largest living thing on Earth. It is one the seven wonders of the natural world, joining the list with sites like Victoria Falls, Mount Everest, and the Grand Canyon. It is the world’s largest single structure formed by living organisms and can be seen from outer space.  The 2,300km-long ecosystem comprises thousands of reefs and hundreds of islands made of over 600 types of hard and soft coral. It’s home to countless species of colourful fish, molluscs and starfish, plus turtles, dolphins and sharks.

We did a lot of research as to the best places to see the Great Barrier Reef. Cairns is the most popular base for touring the reef, being easy to get to, offering a wide range of tours, and having hundreds of visitors everyday.  However, we chose Lady Musgrave Island, located at the southernmost point of the reef. Going to Lady Musgrave Island was getting off the beaten track, seeing a section of the reef that few choose to see. Since this area sees less tourists, the reefs are pristine, having avoided the damage that comes with humans and their flippers invading these fragile ecosystems.

For us to get here, we travelled seven hours south from Airlie Beach by car, having first been to Hamilton Island. We based ourselves at the Town of 1770, our takeoff point for getting to the Great Barrier Reef.

Lieutenant James Cook, the first Englishman to set foot on what was then known as The New Found Land, made the Town of 1770 his second landing place, on May 24, 1770. The Town of 1770, nestled on the western side of a peninsula, overlooks some magnificent views.  The town was later named in honor of James Cook. A monument now stands near the spot where they came ashore, over 200 years ago.

On a perfect sunny morning we boarded the boat, starting our cruise with 1770 Reef Tours that would take us on a day trip to the reef.

Even on a glorious day the first forty five minutes of our trip was a little turbulent making a few people on board queasy. It took an hour and a half to get to the lagoon at Lady Musgrave Island where we anchored for the day.

Once anchored we enjoyed morning tea with scones, cakes and biscuits.

We were then split into two groups for the day. One group was taken onto Lady Musgrave Island for a walk across the island and along the beach.  We chose to snorkel first as the water looked amazing.

We all donned our snorkelling gear and jumped into the water. The water was crystal blue and brilliantly clear. We swam around the reef – there were so many different types of coral and fish. It was like being in a giant fish tank.  There is something special about floating on the surface of the water, watching the fish below, feeding, hiding in the coral, chasing each other, all seemingly oblivious to your presence. There were so many different species of fish to see.

Dave and Logan were lucky enough to see a turtle which they promptly dived down to swim around with. Logan has a future in free diving..!

After a fabulous lunch back on board the boat we headed off for our tour of Lady Musgrave Island.

This island is completely formed from coral, pieces that have been massing together for thousands of years, held together by plant life. The ground is made up of bits of coral of all sizes.  Somehow, life has found a way here, with trees growing and birds making this their home.  There is a species of bird that flies seven straight days here from Siberia, lays their eggs, waits until they hatch, and then flies back to Siberia..! Nature is an amazing thing…

On our walk we were lucky enough to see a huge green turtle that had come ashore the night before to lay her eggs but had either missed the tide or become too exhausted to make it back out to sea. She was resting where she had last laid her eggs.

After our tour of the most beautiful little island ever, we had a glass bottom boat tour of the coral and marine life.

Back on the main boat we had time for more snorkelling. Dave and I ventured out again. The conditions today were perfect, calm seas with superb visibility. We wanted to do as much snorkelling as possible. The boys preferring to jump in and out of the sea from the boat.

As the sun began to set we warmed up on the boat with tea and hot chocolate. We were then served afternoon snacks of cheese and biscuits. It was then time to head back to the Town of 1770. The hour and a half journey back to land seemed to pass quickly. We arrived back on land  at 8.30pm, having been out at the Great Barrier Reef for ten hours. 1770 Reef Tours operates around the tides, so start and end times can differ.

We had the most amazing day which we will remember for a long time to come.

VISITING THE GREAT BARRIER REEF FROM THE TOWN OF 1770

The Great Barrier Reef is huge, spanning 2,300 kms.  The less touristy areas of the reef are supposed to be more pristine and a better experience than those that see boatloads of tourists every year.  There is only one company currently operating in the Town of 1770, 1770 Reef Tours.  For our family of five we paid $672 AUD for our day trip out to the reef. This price included morning tea and cakes, lunch, afternoon tea and snacks, snorkel gear, and guided tours. The staff are very knowledgeable about the reef and enthusiastic about their job. Getting a chance to see the reef from the island, the glass bottom boat, and then by snorkelling was a great mix of activities, making it a worthwhile experience for everybody. We would strongly recommend this company for a fantastic day out at the Great Barrier Reef.

WHERE WE STAYED

We stayed at the 1770 Beach Shacks. The “shacks” are so much more than the name suggests. We had a two bedroom wooden “beach shack”, equipped with a kitchen, large outdoor living terrace and bathroom. It was clean, very spacious and contained every amenity needed for a self catering stay. The location right next to the beach and the views afforded from all the shacks make it a spectacular location.

On our last morning we rented paddle boards at the 1770 beach. There are also national parks to explore, empty beaches to walk, and great spots to go fishing.  We could easily have spent a week here.