Category Archives: Destinations

A Day at The Reef on Deep Sea Divers Den

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Friday , 23rd July, and what a perfect Cairns day to go to the Great Barrier Reef… and we made a great choice to go on “Reef Quest”, from Cairns which provided an absolutely fantastic day tour.
After arriving from Sydney last night I was due some Cairns weather. It was a little cooler than I had expected and I was glad I had packed trackies and a hoodie!
I’ve been vacationing in Cairns for over 10 years and have been out on my fair share of Reef Trips and let’s admit it, they all do pretty much the same trip: 2 reefs, snorkelling gear, lunch and coffee & tea – so it’s the reef destinations and little extras that make the difference.

From the time you get on the boat to the time you get off, the service and staff are very professional. The staff to guest numbers are really high, as there was always someone right there to assist with any questions or problems. The staff seem really happy and their service and attention were great.

Reef Quest supply a wetsuit for everybody which is normally an extra (usually $7.00 hire) on other trips. For the snorkelers a wetsuit provides you with sun protection and also buoyancy which makes snorkelling simpler and much more enjoyable.

Reef Quest have a choice of 14 different moorings and select the best 2 reefs based on the weather conditions. A guided snorkelling tour is also on offer at both sites and this is a real bonus for beginners or anyone wanting to learn a little bit more about the reef. The snorkel guide dives to the bottom and picks up things like jellyfish and starfish and brings them up so you can all have a good look. They also know where the best bits of the reef are, so it does add a lot to the days experience.

Lunch was yum with plenty of variety including potato salad, rice salad, leaf salad, local fruits, cold meats, bread rolls and soup. There is tea and coffee and soft drinks from the bar available throughout the day.

To sum things up it was a great day.

A Selection Of Cairns Reef Trips

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The Great Barrier Reef, best viewed from Cairns Australia is the planets largest living thing and home to an incredible diversity of animal life. There are a large number of trip vessels that leave from Cairns, depending on what you want to do.

Sunlover Cruises offers the shortest journey time, longest play time at the Great Barrier Reef. Once moored at their pontoon on Moore Reef, guests have over 4.5 hours to snorkel, take glass-bottom boat and/or semi-sub tours, enjoy a full hot and cold buffet lunch as well as afternoon tea on the journey back to Cairns. Full day trip$184/adult, $64/child or $424/family of 4.

Compass Cruises is Cairns cheapest cruise to the
Great Barrier Reef price is $40.00 plus $20.00 for levies, tour includes snorkelling equipment, lunch, afternoon tea, boomnetting, 2 spectacular reef locations Local Family Owned and Operated.

Vagabond Dive ‘N Sail is a 65′ sailing yacht designed for diving, sailing and entertaining for a maximum of 11 guests sailing out of Cairns. The cruise is two days and one night which is spent aboard the boat out on the reef.

Ocean Spirit have two catamarans – one that goes to Michaelmas Cay and one that goes to Upolu Cay. If you’re looking for an inexpensive snorkelling day tour, the Upolu Cay cruise is great value for money.
Michaelmas Cay Prices: Snorkelling only: Adult – $176, Child (4-14yrs) – $97.50. Introductory dive: $95 (additional).
Upolu Cay Prices: Snorkelling only: Adult – $116, Child (4-14yrs) – $75.50. Introductory dive: $7 (additional).

Great Adventures offers a range of advanced ecotourism certified cruises cruising daily from Cairns to Green Island and the Outer Barrier reef. Guests stopping at Green Island can spend up to 7 hours on the island and choose from 3 departures each day. Guests can also combine a 2 hour visit to Green Island with a half day at Great Adventures’ spacious pontoon at the Great reef. The Great Barrierreef trip include snorkelling, semi-submersible trips, underwater observatory, buffet lunch and reef interpretation. Diving, Scuba-doo scooter and helicopter tours are optional extras.
Green Island Cruises: Prices from Adult – $75, Child (4-14yrs) $34.50. Introductory dive: $135 (additional).
Great Barrier Reef Cruises: Prices from Adult – $196, Child (4-14yrs) – $95. Introductory dive: $138 (additional). Family Fares available for all cruises.

Silverswift is an ultra modern custom-designed dive and snorkel catamaran. She goes to three reef sites daily at either Flynn, Milln, Thetford or Pellowe Reefs from Cairns. This cruise caters for certified divers, introductory divers and snorkellers. Silverswift is the only dive vessel in Cairns that has a state-of-the-art ride control system for a smooth journey. Advanced Ecotourism Certified. (Sistership in Port Douglas is Silversonic)
Prices: Snorkelling only: Adult – $182, Child (4-14yrs) – $160. With Introductory dive: $223

Ocean Quest This is a live aboard vessel that can best be decribed an a floating 4 star hotel. she is incredebly comfortable. She moves around Norman, Saxon & Hastings Reefs; and visits three sites a day. There are daily transfers to and from the boat every day so that means you can stay for as little as one night or as many as you like. A great boat for both divers and snorkelling .

Thailand Diving

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Thailand is sandwiched in between The Gulf of Thailand on its eastern coastline and the vast expanse of the Andaman Sea on its western coast. It is in such body of waters that scuba divers could explore the marine life of the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean free of having to cross continents.

The waters in Thailand possess 1 of the richest and diverse marine life in the world for the reason that conditions right here for coral development is almost perfect with an average temperature of 28C all year round and terrific underwater visibility.

Because of this kind of practically ideal scuba diving conditions and sights, the scuba diving market in Thailand is thriving robustly with the proliferation of first class scuba diving facilities, services and diving schools.

The Gulf of Thailand features thousands of islands on its 1,840km (1,143 miles) long coast. The gulf is a shallow bowl shaped body of water separated from the South China Sea via a pair of underwater ridges that extend from Vietnam on 1 side and Malaysia to the other.

The sea bed bottom here is mainly mud mixed with sand and shells. Corals are typically found about the fringes of the gulf islands. There are quite a few rivers in the north bringing sufficient sediment and freshwater to inhibit coral growth except to the south or the eastern side of the Gulf of Thailand.

The underwater scenery in the gulf is perhaps not as visually attractive as those of the Andaman Sea as it consists of slightly less diversity of marine life. Marine parks such as the Ang Thong Marine Park feature spectacularly formed limestone islands with lush rainforest covering them and many of these islands are literally uninhabited.

Similan, Thailand – Mu Koh Similan National Park has been rated 1st by the U. S. publication Skin Diving of the top rated 10 dive sites in the entire world. The Similan Islands in the heart of the Andaman Sea are indeed unparelled in their unique beauty. If planning a visit, keep in mind that anytime between December to April is advisable, with the perfect month being March, given that the monsoons are over and the water is clear.

Similan is actually the Malaysian word for nine, as there are nine islands in the Similan group: Kohh Bangu, Koh Similan, Hin Huwagralok, Koh Payu, Koh Ha, Kohh Hok, Kohh Miang, Kohh Payan, Kohh Payang, and Kohh Huyong.

Shark Ridge Rocks are pinnacle rocks near Kohh Payan or Kohh Sam. Here, quite a few species of sharks like Silvertip, Leopard Shark, and Reef White tip may very well be discovered.

Hope this info aids you to have fantastic diving experience in Thailand.

A Couple Of Aussie Dangers And An Unique Way Of Hearing About Them.

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Folks in Australia enjoy reassuring tourists about the harmlessness of the wildlife and countryside while at the exact same time warning of its deadliness. It comes out as a strange mix, leaving you undecided whether you should be relaxing or worried for your life. Some Examples I have heard:

“Don’t worry while you’re snorkeling: reef sharks are pretty harmless. Unless you annoy them”

” There’s no sharks around here………….the croc’s ate them all”

“Stingrays are like pancakes with tails: they can’t harm you. Just.don’t go near them.”

“Go ahead and swim with the freshwater crocs. They don’t hurt people.at least, most of the time.”

This snake is poisonous, but don’t worry it’s fangs are at the back of it’s mouth

“No-ones ever been left behind while diving on the Great Barrier Reef, except that American couple, but they staged it.”

“Cairns is a safe city……………..just don’t walk alone .

“Kangaroos won’t hurt you. Well, unless they get angry. Then you’re pretty much finished.”

Oh, and did you know that koalas, despite looking otherwise, aren’t the most cute and cuddly animals. They can in fact get pretty nasty, which is why it’s more difficult than you might think to find a place that will let you get a photo holding one.

I will either leave Australia with a healthy respect for animals or with plenty of fodder for nightmares. Though seeing as how I have already gone swimming with reef sharks, stingrays and crocodiles, I think I’ll be okay. I even now enjoy holding snakes, though I do prefer guarantees that it won’t bite me, even in a non-lethal way. Spiders are where I draw the line. I’m positive my arachnophobia is incurable.