Disappointment and Happy Ending ...

The 260 kilometers from Yeppoon to Agnes Water were completely unspectacular, it only got exciting afterwards ...

The only attraction on the way was the 'singing ship'. Because of its construction, this structure emits various high-pitched buzzing sounds when the wind is strong enough. There was enough wind and the sounds were very audible.

In 1970, the monument was erected in honor of, yes, of course, Captain James Cook. Because exactly 200 years earlier, in 1770, he sailed past this bay.

But now to the exciting part of the day ... I am more of the safety type and therefore not only booked every accommodation in advance, but also the excursions. Except for one ...

I ignored the starting point for the Great Barrier Reef, Cairns, because I wanted to visit the southernmost point of the Great Barrier Reef in Agnes Water. And specifically on a day trip to the beautiful Lady Musgrave Island. You can go there by boat from Agnes Water, take a glass-bottom boat over the reef, snorkel, and explore the small uninhabited island. I wanted to book this tour at short notice. Two days ago, I booked the tour on the internet and then received a rejection because this provider does not offer tours on my desired day. Okay, I thought, there are surely other providers on-site, no problem ...

Arriving in Agnes Water and checking into the hotel, I immediately headed to the (only) provider in town. The friendly lady at the counter told me that booking the tour at short notice for the next day would not be a problem, but due to the weather forecast for the following day (very stormy), the tour is canceled. All other participants who may have booked weeks ago are currently being informed that the tour is canceled ...

Of course, I was very disappointed because I am moving further south day by day, so I am getting farther away from the Great Barrier Reef, and also because the days are already more or less fully scheduled ... That basically meant that I would probably not see the Great Barrier Reef anymore ...

I had to digest that first and spontaneously went to the provider around the corner that offered trips with this inconspicuous vehicle. May I introduce you to 'LARC!'. So to speak, the Australian sister (or, color-wise, the gay brother) of the Lübeck amphibious bus ...

LARC! (Lighter Amphibious Resupply Cargo) was a military vehicle used by the Americans in the Vietnam War to transport troops and supplies through rugged terrain. After the war, it was too expensive for the Americans to bring the crates back to the USA, so they could be acquired cheaply. Four of these crates are still rolling around in Australia. 

Then I immediately booked the one-hour tour for the afternoon and we went straight into the water in the harbor, past the anchored boats, then out of the water onto an offshore sandbank, along the beach, then about 50 meters into the ocean and back to the beach. During this, the driver and guide talked a lot about the wildlife and we also saw kangaroos, many bird species, and even a small shark. And finally, on a steep stretch of beach, we went back into the water at full speed, so that the vehicle dived into the water with a huge bow wave. And guess who sat in the best seat and got completely wet ... Since I had booked spontaneously, I obviously didn't have a towel with me, which you should actually bring on the tour ... Well, at least the driver warned us briefly beforehand, so that I could at least safely and dryly stow the camera in my backpack.

Fortunately, the hotel was only a two-minute drive away, so I could quickly change into dry clothes again. Since it was warm all day but very cloudy and became more cloudy in the evening, I stayed at the hotel. 

I definitely wanted to try to see the Great Barrier Reef with 'Plan B'. After some research on the internet and surprisingly few changes to my travel plans, I finally found a way to visit the Great Barrier Reef. Now the one day that I had planned too little for Sydney is coming in handy. As a result, I scheduled three days on the Sunshine Coast before Brisbane, one of which I will now use for the Great Barrier Reef. 

I just received the confirmation and e-ticket from the internet provider and will now fly to Lady Elliot Island early in the morning in a small plane in about 45 minutes, spend the whole day there (glass-bottom boat ride, snorkeling, relaxing, exploring the island), and fly back to the mainland in the evening. Treat yourself ...

I will now use the actually unplanned free day here in Agnes Water to visit some beautiful bays and, as shown below, write the blog ...