Port Douglas - Tag1-3; Reeftrip, drive to Cairns

07.04. 

After having breakfast by the sea in Palm Cove, we drove along a winding coastal road to Port Douglas. 

Upon arriving there, we checked in at a small, but very nice, campsite and were pleasantly surprised by the friendliness of the staff. They introduced themselves to us by their first names and repeatedly asked if they could be of assistance. We had never experienced that before, so we were more than happy to spend our money there! :D

After an afternoon by the pool, we cooked dinner and ended the evening in the camper with some sparkling wine before going to bed early. 

08.04.

Already shortly after eight, we set off for our introductory dive. We went snorkeling and diving at the Great Barrier Reef. 

During the two-hour journey to the first site, we received some theory lessons on the most important rules for diving. The rest of the bumpy ride on the rough sea, we spent at the back of the dive deck on the two-storey ship, as we were feeling quite seasick. 

Once we arrived, we went snorkeling in the water, as we were in the second group and the second dive spot with the guide. But even snorkeling was amazing. I had never seen so many colorful larger fish before. Unfortunately, some of the corals were gray like in the Whitsundays, but the ones that were not destroyed were beautiful to look at. I was especially happy to see the clownfish in the anemones. 

After an hour and a half, we went to the second stop. This was when things got serious for us. While guide Robbie explained the equipment to us and helped us put it on, he also explained all the rules again and how we should behave. That was good, as I had already forgotten everything from the journey due to excitement. 

And then we took a big step into the water. At the surface, we were supposed to get used to breathing with the mouthpiece underwater. When we were about 20 cm underwater, we practiced switching the mouthpiece and clearing water from the dive mask. 

Then we finally started. Holding onto the mooring line with one hand, we descended. Once at the bottom, we knelt in the sand and looked at a huge shell. It is truly remarkable how lively these things are before they are collected on the beach. 

Finally, hand in hand with a guide diving backwards in front of us, we swam along the reef that rose next to us. To our right, there was an endless expanse, and to our left, there were fish and corals. About halfway through the dive, we were allowed to let go and dive more or less independently. Being able to breathe underwater and be deeper than the fish was truly an amazing feeling. 

Way too soon, we were back on the boat and headed to the last stop. The snorkeling there was only half as cool as at the first site... :D

After an even bumpier return journey, where we tried to conquer the nausea again on the dive deck, we only had the energy to cook and shower. We were pretty exhausted and fell into bed. 

09.04.

After getting a good night's sleep, we explored the town a bit more and were very successful in finding souvenirs. 

In the late afternoon, we set off for Cairns. Still feeling pretty exhausted, we hid from the heat in the camper.