Great Barrier Reef Cruise

The resort is very large and plush, but I was a little disappointed with our room. I expected it to be better than it was given the surroundings, although there was nothing wrong with it and we had only booked a standard accommodation.

The bedroom consisted of a large bed, TV, and wardrobe. At the far end was an area with tea and coffeemaking equipment and a fridge and a bathroom with a washbasin, toilet, and shower. The interior was a little dark, as there are lush palms and shrubs across the walkway from the bedroom window, but it was very clean.

There was a laundry area just a couple of doors from our room that had washers, dryers, irons, and ironing boards - and a few small lizards inhabiting the area. There was a restaurant, snack bar, and bar overlooking the pool with plenty of tables and chairs. Internet access was available in the small library room, and there was a shop in the lobby. The reception staff and porters were all very friendly.

The resort is situated outside Cairns, and although there was a shuttle bus, the last one was at 6pm, so although we would have liked to see Cairns, we felt it wasn't worth the cost of a taxi.

We were collected from the hotel at 7:55am for the journey from Cairns to Port Talbot. We had a few pick-ups on the way, and the journey took about 1 hour up the coast road, giving spectacular views.

We embarked on the large catamaran about 20 minutes after our arrival and were given free tea or coffee with biscuits. We were given a programme of events, and staff came around with information on what was available. There is swimming and snorkelling from submerged platforms (wet suits are advisable due to jellyfish at a cost of A$5), the underwater observatory, semi-submersible boat rides (in glass-bottomed boats), and fish feeding at regular intervals. We also saw some people in the diving helmets, suits, and boots walking partway to the reef underwater near the observatory.

The journey took 1.5 hours and took us past Snapper Island, which is a rain forest-covered national park with Thorntons peak (at 1,374m), the third highest peak in this part of Australia. After this came Undine Cay, which is in the early stages of becoming a coral cay.

The Great Barrier Reef itself is made of 2,900 separate reefs that stretch over 2,300km, and we travelled to the outer edge. Farther out is Agincourt Reefs, and 2km beyond this, the sea floor drops away to over 500m deep. The clean water washing over the outer barriers helps the marine life for which they are famous.

At 12pm a buffet lunch is served. This consisted of hot dishes such as curry and chicken and cold dishes such as prawns, salads, cheeses, and ham. The food was plentiful, although drinks weren't included but were available from the bar.

The only things that weren’t plentiful were tables and chairs. People in the know had put belongings on tables and chairs to reserve them whilst they were involved in activities. At 2:40pm, a blast of the ships horn signalled that it was time to embark for the return journey. Tea and nibbles were served until the boat set off.

Upon our return, there was a short amount of time for shopping before boarding the coach for our trip back to the hotel. We were very lucky with the weather, as we had only a short shower whilst at the reef, but it rained all night and the next day. Of course, it doesn't matter if you are in the water!

On arrival at our hotel, our taxi was held up by a coach with "Quicksilver" written on it. I asked our driver if it was the one for the cruise and his reply was "Yes, if you want to go with 300 others."

We checked in and a porter delivered our luggage, then we went to the travel desk to confirm our cruise details. We were informed we had to be in the lobby for 7.45am for coach pick-up at 7.55am.

After taking advantage of the free internet access in the "quiet room", we decided to try the poolside cafe for a meal. Just as we were enjoying our burger and fries we noticed people looking and pointing at something. When we looked we saw an animal resembling a very large rat snuffling between the tables, before it headed into the bushes surrounding the patio area. We were alarmed until we saw a poster on the wall stating that it was a Bandicoot and a regular visitor - were we relieved!

Next morning we boarded our coach, which collected others in the area, for the journey along the coast road to Port Talbot and the marina. The scenery was very beautiful and the driver pointed out things of interest on the way.

On arrival at the marina, we had about 20 minutes before embarking, which we spent window-shopping in the small marina mall.

As soon as we boarded, we were given coffee and biscuits and managed to get a window seat, where we sat and spent the one and a half hour journey chatting to a very nice Canadian couple. As we looked around, we understood what the taxi driver meant - there were hundreds on the catamaran. After a journey of one and a half hours, we landed at a platform in the sea. The leaflet we were handed stated, "The reef activity platform, moorings, and facilities have been developed to avoid damage to the reef under the most extreme conditions." It also states that it was installed under strict supervision and ongoing monitoring is undertaken to detect any visitor impacts.

On the platform, it was easy to see people had been before, as all the tables and chairs were reserved with clothing and other belongings of people who were doing activities in readiness for the buffet lunch. This meant we had to sit on the floor to eat.

As we watched the snorkeling, a young woman (probably early 20's) with no wetsuit sat down on the edge of the platform ready for snorkeling. Just as she flapped the jellyfish away, the guy in charge threw fish food in her direction. Immediately a very large fish jumped onto her lap - half in half out of the water - she screamed, jumped up, and that was the end of her snorkeling!!

Not being boat or water people, four to five hours seems a long time to spend on a platform in the middle of the sea, but after wandering round, watching the fish being fed and having lunch, it seemed no time at all that we had to board the catamaran for our return.

On the outskirts of Cairns our coach driver pointed out a group of kangaroo feeding, which was good to see, as they were the only ones we saw out of captivity during our whole trip.

That evening, it started raining - and it poured. After running through the rain from our room, we ate again at the poolside cafe, under a shelter with the rain all around us, but it was so hot. Even the poor Bandicoot was bedraggled.

It rained all night, and there were large puddles everywhere the next morning - we understood a little about the flash floods we had been told about in the Red Centre.

Before we left the UK, we were told that January was cyclone season and there was a possibility that the cruise wouldn't operate in a cyclone. Luck was on our side for our cruise, as we only had a shower whilst at the Reef, whereas the people going the day after had torrential rain, although it doesn't matter if you are in the water anyway.

We were hoping the airport wasn't waterlogged, as it was time for our departure to Auckland, New Zealand.

A wonderful trip, highly recommended, and we are so glad we have seen the Great Barrier Reef.