Sheldon King

After some well-earned sleep to catch up, we wonder up and down the beach and coastal road. There are loads of little, privately owned restaurants and shops. We stop to look at the menu at one, and are enticed in by the Barrimundi on the menu, which is a local chunky white fish. This particular eatery, Colonies, has a couple of additional attractions. Each table has a little checkers board and black and white pebbles to play whilst you wait for your meal, and an adopted Kokoborrugh bird [don't ask me from spelling that :0)], who sits, tame as you like, on the balcony rail and watches for any opportunity to help you to eat your meal ....

Sunday
Up with the birds. 6am to be precise. This is supposed to be a vacation ... anyhow, our dive school picks us up at 0710hrs, so we have to be ready.

We have a medical in the morning [which, incidentally, Tony doesn't tell me about - I wonder why :0/]. Our first hitch - the doctor mistakenly tells Tony he cannot dive because of his asthma. We soon straighten this out at the dive school, but if you're interested in diving anywhere in Australia take heed - it is *illegal* for an asthmatic to learn to dive in Oz. *However* if you are already a certified diver, they cannot stop you from diving. It is recommend that you dive only with a Divemaster or Instructor. So, asthmatics, learn to dive at home before coming out. Neither your Aussie dive school or agent will disclose this before you book - so please, please check before coming all the way here!

The first day of the course consists of theory in the morning [learning about all the unpleasant things that can happen if you don't stick to the diving rules].

Into the pool for the afternoon, swimming strength test, treading water tests. Then we get to our equipment, learning about our air, bouyancy jackets, snorkle and fins [not, apparently, flippers :0)].

Exhausted, back to the hotel for another kip! We eat our dinner at the superb eatery in our hotel. Tony gets his first taste of 'Roo meet and Crock [which he has to fight me for :0)], which is served raw with a slab of hot volcanic rock to cook it on. This approach, incidentally, is very popular here ....

Then, to the shops. Tony has been wanting to buy some dive gear for ages, and the exchange rate is so great for him, now seems as good a time as any. My purchase criteria were quite simply and in order of priority: colour, style and practicality. The poor chap on the dive shop had so suffer me trying on every lycra body suit in my size before settling on the florescent yellow one [so I could be seen during a dive, gang]. And the dark blue one. Well, a girl has to have a change of outfit, and there weren't any with a leopard skin print. Actually, the body-lycra is the lightest and easiest way to stay warm under a wetsuit, and as I feel the cold quite readily in the water, was a good suggestion. Gloves are useful here too. Also, it's worth mentioning, that they are trying to convince you to buy gear at most steps in your course, and the only thing I will agree with on that front is that is totally worth splashing out a couple of quid on a pair of goggles that fit you well. When they keep filling with water or putting pressure on your sinuses, they're quite a pain.

Fortunately I find a pair that not only fit, have no sinus bridge and, surprising are not the most expensive in the entire town, but are also purple. Result. Matching snorkle, natch. Manage to resist the temptation to buy fins to match the body suit. What else could I possibly do with them??

Tuesday
Seaward!! We start our trip on the ScooberRoo, the runner boat that takes out to the Atlantic Clipper which is moored out by the reef, about 26km from the shore. We pause for a little snorkle at Michaelmas Reef which turns out to be absolutely spectacular. When you're out there floating about the reef and staring at a giant purple starfish, you stop worrying about ... well. drowning, basically. Soon jettisoned the flotation suit, and snorkled away!

There's no real way to describe how it feels to be skimming over the reef. It is a totally awe inspiring thing to do. The colours, textures, and sounds are like nothing you can experience anywhere except on a reef like this. The fish totally ignore you [<oh, look, another one of those odd clumsy creatures> you can almost hear them thinking in between eating and more eating].

Then it was off to meet the Clipper, where we would be spending the next three days. We meet the clipper, board and get ourselves into our cabin. I'll leave the comic possibilities of two 6'+ guys in a tiny cabin], but we make do. Then it's time for lunch, and our first dive .....

Here's my first lesson - it's much easier to get in if you don't have to take the <giant step> approach which is usually taught. It's far less disorienting if you can tumble in from a seated position. The weight of the tank and other paraphernalia is a little disturbing at first too, so the less hassle you have getting in the better ...

Unfortunately for me, my sinuses refused to co-operate on this first dive. If you cannot <equalise> [like popping your ears on an aeroplane], then it is dangerous [not to mention extremely painful] to attempt to deep scuba-dive. I aborted this first attempt, like the good studious boy I am ...

The second dive was more successful, with Claire, one of Down Under's instructors, offered to come down with me and wait <for as long as it takes> to get me to the bottom. We get there - eventually and I do my first round of exercises.

After the dives, it's in for dinner, some time lying on the top deck and full-moon gazing and then off to bed.

Reverse block. Let's talk about that for a minute. It's what happens when air gets trapped in internal cavities in the bodie. Cavaties like your sinuses, nasal cavity, and so forth. It means pain. Lots of it. For half the night. Ouch. Ended up asleep in the dining room, propped up against one of the corner seats!

Wednesday
!

Well, the sinus pain's all gone, and it's off to have a crack at the early-morning dive. It occurs to me that not one day since our departure on Saturday have we been up later than 0600hrs. And this is supposed to be a vacation.

Claire bravely volunteers to accompany me down again, but this time it's all too much at about 4 metres [12 feet]. I concede defeat. It's a snorkling only trip for me from now on
Tony the Diver!

One of the greatest things about being out here is the sheer peace of it all. When the divers and snorklers are out, you can lie on the top deck and toast! So that's what I do for a while. Another spectacular snorkle in the afternoon - I'm kinda getting used to it. I'm really glad of my own mask and snorkle, too [not to mention the lycra suit!!].

Tony takes a night-dive which he reports as being absolutely spectacular. All the divers come back buzzing and with huge grins on their faces. Tony's grin is especially wide as he has seen a white-tipped reef shark, which just about makes his trip!!

Thursday
Our last day on the Clipper. We sleep like logs. The Divemaster, Tim, is under strict instructions not to wake us for the morning dive - and we sleep until 0700hrs - a lie in!!!

Two snorkles for me today on the Hastings Reef - one in current that is just a little too strong - it's quite a swim back, and the second in slightly calmer waters. Both times we took a waterproof camera, so there is photo-documentary evidence of our diving escapades. On the second excursion, Tony took a deeper dive at the same time as I snorkled - and we arrived back at the Clipper at exactly the same time :0)

Carins is as inexpensive as we've seen so far in Oz. And the flights out here are very reasonable. Also don't forget the bang you get for your buck [or pound] if you wanna come out here.

What on earth are y'all waiting for???

S.x & T.

Good websites if you're planning a Carins trip:
http://www.ozemail.com.au/~dudive/
The dive school we used in Cairns was Down Under Dives ... this site is kinda old but it looks like not much has changed
http://www.reefhouse.com.au/
To recover from all our diving activities we stayed at the Reef House in Palm Cove, just outside of Carins - and it comes strongly recommended - it represents superb value ... especially if you have $US!

Other, general Australia travel resources:
http://www.smh.com.au/ - The Sydney Morning Herald
http://www.placestostay.com.au/ - National Vacationing Directory
http://www.lets-travel-australia.com.au/ - Our friendly Travel Agent here in Sydney - lots of good advice on their site!