Port Douglas 2

Choices, choices. In 2004 I think we had one choice, now we have about 4 really good looking reef cruises to choose from. We chose one, the receptionist did her damnedest to talk us out of it. Judy prevailed in the end, but we have ended up with a different cruise operator for the three different cruises we are going on.

Today it's Calypso time, a tour to the outer reef for a day snorkelling. It’s a smaller boat than the big Quicksilver outfit that takes 300, ours takes 23. The day starts with a 1 ½ hour run out to the outer reef; Opal reef in particular. The water is the most spectacular blue, blending into the green of the shallow reef proper. Even though you know what to expect, you never seem to be ready for what you see when you stick your head under the water surface. The coral abounds in every shape, size and colour, and the fish – they are just spectacular. And when the sun came out the whole spectacle ramps up about 10 more notches. It’s just bloody fantastic. Back on the boat there was hot tea and cake before a short cruise to another nearby spot. Then lunch and then another spot. Each site is the same, yet different. The second site was a bommie, an outcrop of coral that rises straight up from the bottom like a little mini-island. This was great, you just swam around the whole thing in a circle, immersing yourself in schools of brightly striped black and white fish, or electric blue ones, or chasing pods of green and blue wrasse or brilliant yellow butterfly fish.

The thing to do though, is to just stop over a likely place and concentrate, before long you start to see all the other tiny fish, the star fish, the sea slugs, the giant clams, the grasses. Everywhere you look, it’s just a full-on feast of colour and life.

We had a great day and what better way to finish than by having prawns and salmon and cheese and dips with a crusty cob loaf and washed down with a nice white wine. I tell ya, you wouldn't be dead for quids!

Sorry, no snaps, didn't manage to rush out and by an underwater digital camera!