The Great Barrier Reef

This past weekend I visited the Great Barrier Reef in Cairns, Queensland. So far this was my first weekend trip in Australia and definitely one I will never forget. My brother and his friend were also visiting Australia so they tagged along with myself and my two best friends from home.

On our first day in Cairns myself and my two best friends took a local ferry to Fitzroy island. The island was unbelievably beautiful and the beach was spectacular so I would definitely recommend going if you have time. We chose to go to Fitzroy Island because it was only about an hour away (via ferry) and the ferry tickets were extremely inexpensive so it was definitely a win win. When we got to the island there was a resort where you can rent paddle boards/snorkel gear and they even offered scuba diving lessons. If you’re more of an active person, there’s a path to go on a hike but I’m not sure how challenging it is. Since its been so cold in Sydney and we decided just to lay out on the beach near by for no charge.

On our second day the five of us signed up for a snorkel/scuba dive tour of the Great Barrier Reef. We went through a company called Seastar and they were spectacular. They crew was so friendly and helpful so if you are looking to snorkel and scuba dive in the open water I would definitely recommend this company.

Our boat ride out to the reef was a bit smelly because almost everyone on the boat except for the 5 of us were throwing up violently due to sea sickness (they sell sea sickness medicine on board for $3 and I would 100% take it). Once we got to the reef, four of us decided to scuba dive. Even if you have never scuba dived before (like myself), one of the crew members will give you a beginner lesson and then you are allowed to  dive at all of the reefs! If you ever get the chance to scuba dive here I would definitely take advantage of it because it was absolutely incredible (and definitely better than the snorkeling). On our first dive, we saw a shark, a giant clam, and hundreds of different fish. This reef was smaller than the second reef so it wasn’t as exciting but definitely something I have never seen before.

Since this trip was so amazing and beautiful I cannot wait for all of our next adventures. This definitely got me extremely excited for the rest of the time I get to spend here in Australia. If you have any questions about specifics in Cairns feel free to contact me, I would love to help!