Cairns and The Great Barrier Reef

Cairns! Tropical weather!

I spent about 4 days here. The first two days were very rainy…I rested big time…my stomach was also pretty upset from something I ate in the days before…I can’t say for sure it was in Bali..but it does time out to that location..Cairns..its the last “major” town in the top right corner of Australia…it sits at the foothills over some rainforests..and on the coast right next to the Great Barrier Reef. They have a dry season and a wet season….I just caught the tail end of the wet season. It’s humid baby. Nothing that I haven’t experience before obviously…but ya know..it’s still not the most pleasant thing when you are sweating within 5 minutes of stepping out of your place in the morning.

Cairns..is a party? town I guess..very touristy..the biggest attraction is obviously the Great Barrier Reef. There is a casino, aquarium, tons of restaurants, and heaps of hostels and nightclubs….There seem to be more nightclubs than the town really needs..but I guess it isn’t high season yet. Then the town is pretty normal outside of all that…feel pretty safe…there are some Panama City vibes to it all. Less spring break vibes though…even though they’re a couple club la vela type places.

I haven’t scuba dived since probably the 8th grade? So I decided what better place to give it another go than the Great Barrier Reef. I mean I’ve heard about it my entire life..I could probably close my eyes and see pictures of it in my head..all of my life. I book a good boat to take us out..I booked one that had a lower capacity than some of the other boats..less party..more focus on true diving..and the best spots on the reef. $275 for a full day. Meals and beverages included. All scuba included. I chose to do the intro dive..since I wasn’t certified..and I wasn’t going to go out there and just snorkel. Tusa Diving..if anyone ever makes it over there…highly recommend…very professional…good looking staff too ;)

So we have a little breakfast on the boat..sign waivers…the sun is peeking through the clouds..its 7:30 am..absolutely beautiful…fairly rough waves…big boat though..never felt unsafe..but big waves are big waves…so this thing is going up and down…there are about 15 customers and probably 10 staff members. Good ratio. 20 minutes in and 3 people are puking…one didn’t make it outside… the staff were attentive and very helpful…the sick people kind of went out of sight…I was glad. I could see this turning into a chain reaction. I did take natural ginger supplement before the trip. Not a quite dramamine..but it was something to help just in case. It was over an hour out to the reef…big water. I went through a little dive training with my instructor..and when we made it to the reef we practiced a few of the skills in the water on the side of the boat…pretty simple. For some reason I’m scared. My breathing is all out of whack with this regulator..I’m worried my goggles are going to come off..I’m just sucking oxygen…like full exhales..full inhales…Its the claustrophobic thing kicking in. Shoot 10 years ago I don’t think I would have thought a thing about any of it..maybe even 5 years ago. All of these growing fears are getting stronger…but you know…I am facing them.

So I’m diving..I’m not attached to anything but I do swim right next to the instructor on her left side..she has her left arm out and uses hand signals to communicate..I grab onto her arm so she can guide us through the reef..there is a teenage Japanese girl on the right arm of the instructor…I think she was a little nervous on the boat as her mom was one of the ones who got sick. Her mom is certified and you could see she had done this before…but her daughter definitely wanted to be in the water with her.

By the end of our 30 minute first dive…I settled in..I was able to take in the prettiest coral and what seemed like 100’s of species of marine life. Eels, fish, a shark!, octopus, slugs! It’s not quite as bright/vibrant colors as you might think…but there is no doubt that it’s gorgeous. I think a lot of the visibility depends on sunlight and depth as well…this particular dive was a little deeper and the sun was partially out. This first dive was more of a rush for me….I was glad I was rested because my mind was racing a bit this morning…I was able to enjoy about half of the dive. It was a little surreal underwater…what I was doing…what I was seeing with my own two eyes…just….breathing underwater in general was going through my mind.

We get back on the boat…the professionals are still diving..the tourists are snorkeling way out there…I’m on the second deck just taking it all in. We have lunch…and head to our next reef destination..I take a wee nap..very pleasant. I’m ready for the next dive. I make a point to relax and take in the marine life, coral, and overall experience. You’re not going to drown, Zack..just breathe..swim..and look all around you. Super easy.

The Japanese girl’s mom was feeling better by this point and when we told the girl her mom was going to make it she lit up and did like tiger woods fist pump and said “yes!” She was thrilled. So cute. We took a few selfies after you can see below. We dive…the sun is out at this point and we aren’t quite as deep on this dive…Norman Reef btw. We are cruising..I mean just gliding through the reef…like a little coral canyon…some of them are covered in thousands of fish all swimming in the same motion..amazing…there’s a shark..theres another shark…we hover over a shark! So cool. Great White shark brushes up against me… I pooted. He swims away.. Amazing.

Lol the sharks were white tip I believe…two of them were laying on the floor…I mean we did float right above them…apparently they couldn’t be any less aggressive.

I was able to enjoy this dive….Surreal is probably the only word that makes sense about this experience…its really hard to process that you are swimming within feet of fish and marine life that you have only seen in aquariums and pictures..and its a whole living..world down here..and of course the fact that I’m in Australia…just living my best life..always plays a factor in these unreal experiences. I found peace in this one…a little hooked…I didn’t want to come back up…but your boy guzzles oxygen more than anyone on the reef…so we had to head up. Last thing…the instructor was pointing out an octopus that had camouflaged itself on some orange coral and she was trying to get the mom to see it….next thing you know this lady is swimming between my legs to look at this squid..and I’m about to drown from laughing so hard…the instructor..Hannie…is laughing too..she got water in her mask…had to clear.. I tried so hard not to drown in that moment.

We make it up…have a celebratory beer…mingle with all of the other passengers…one guy..his family is from NZ. He lives in Atlanta lol…He went to the University of Alabama..He filmed his dive…which is pretty identical to mine so I’m hoping he remembers to send me an email with the video he took on his gopro.. Of the 15 people on the boat…there was a family of 4 from China, 3 from Switzerland, 2 from South Africa, 1 from France, 2 from Japan, and 1 from NZ. Then 2 of University of Alabama Alumni from Atlanta, Ga haha. He was retired from a lifelong career with GE. I was retired from a career of 5 years in Dental Sales. Fist bump! We are killing it, sir. The staff was literally from all over…I don’t think a single one was Australian.

The diving was the highlight of this portion…I don’t have pics from under water..but you can google Norman reef..and yeah..there you go. A great day.

I did a tour in the Daintree Rainforest yesterday..it was rainy..go figure..saw a little less wildlife than I hoped but…I think a rainforest..is amazing. Frogs…insects..constant rain sounds..water sounds..

We saw one croc. Bruce..pretty big guy…Australians stopped killing crocs sometime in the 70’s…so they know they can live up to 50+ years…but signs are indicating that they can live much much longer…apparently they don’t die from natural causes? I haven’t gone back to do my research so I’m basing this off what the guide said…..the boat ride on this muddy river surrounded by a rainforest..looking for exotic birds and crocs….was what I had imagined…but better. Another surreal moment. This trip was from 7:30- 6:30 with about 25 other people from my hostel..folks from all over….we had many stops along the way..love getting to talk to all different kinds of people. A fun way to interact when I start to feel a little isolated is booking a little expedition at a hostel…likeminded folks are usually on these things…and not a bus full of seniors or non English speaking people from China. You know what I mean.

I had a good conversation with a new friend last night…we got on the subject of facing our fears…and I laid out the things I was scared of…but every single one of them I have made attempts to face and overcome…..I realized I am “scared” of a lot of things…but I don’t run away from them…acknowledging them has been a powerful tool for me in the past few years. I think I’m probably chipping away at a lot of things…I may not be scared of things moving forward…somethings may take a lot more practice…

I’m thinking that my fears are of being hurt…in whatever way..again…so in the history of Zack…I have either been extremely cautious…or I get extremely reckless…like Imagine…and I’ve never done this…

I’m at a bonfire..the fire is pretty big…you know that it will hurt you…the fire is pretty fascinating to look at. Why do I want to mess with if I know this…do I want to beat it? I’m better than….fire??

I’m going to jump through this thing…but first…I need to drink…I gotta numb incase it does burn or hurt me…also…I need to numb to go ahead and get the courage to jump through it…Once I feel bold I jump through..it..I close my eyes though..I knew that I couldn’t even make it to the other side without one foot hitting the edge of the fire..I probably roll my ankle on the piece of wood sticking out of the side…my arm hair is singed…I tumble out the other side. I’m alive…not unscathed…but alive..and I guess I conquered something? Great good job, Zack! You almost burned yourself alive! You idiot.

I think there are probably a lot of things to pull from with that analogy but now I have lost a little train of thought on how I wanted to round that out…I know what I mean on my end..maybe you can interpret it how you want…..I know the things that can hurt me…but I still do..them?

Idk maybe part of me is trying to say I realize the things that can hurt me…I see them..I get close to them…I conquer them if its possible…I see and know the consequences but can’t help myself…it could be as simple as going back to look at an old photo…or more intense…letting my mind take me to the place I hate..to the fire. Maybe...to see if it still burns? Do what you please with it…

I think now I am a little more intentional on when and how I jump through this raging bonfires…and I don’t grab the fire hose and put it out..I let it burn..I watch it a little more carefully…and make a more strategic decision. Sometimes I jump…sometimes I sit it out..but I’m always pretty close to the fire.

The lady next to me is reading “THE BODY KEEPS THE SCORE”..ironic. I’ve read the book as well. She is on chapter 1. I wish her luck on this long journey. I’m landing in Brisbane. Much Love.