Even though I have been living in Sydney for the past six years, I haven’t really been around Australia. Every time I made holiday plans, I’d choose to jump on an international flight to go somewhere far, far away: Hong Kong, San Francisco, Barcelona, Finland.. you know. Far.
I have been to Melbourne and Brisbane and.. that’s about it really. The iconic Great Barrier Reef was always some place that I had wanted to visit but never found time to – until now!
Our first stop was Palm Cove, which is a beachside village situated right in between Cairns and Port Douglas. We stayed at The Reef House, a charming little M Gallery by Sofitel resort right by the beach. Day 1 of our little getaway was spent relaxing and unwinding at the resort, playing a game of chess, and having dinner to the magnificent view of sunset by the beach.
Well rested and all ready for the adventures on day 2: the Great Barrier Reef!
We took advantage of the Memorable Moment Package which included a day trip to Low Isles with Sailaway. We spent the day on Coral Cay island, sun-tanning on the white sandy beaches and snorkeling to our hearts’ content.
You see, I’m not exactly a water person. By that I mean.. I can’t swim. There, I said it. So naturally I was a bit nervous about being in water. With the aid of a life jacket, however, and hanging onto my man’s arm the entire time for dear life, I have to admit that it was pretty fun being dragged around in the water, effortlessly feasting my eyes on the breathtaking beauty of the colorful underwater world.
Definitely worth choking on sea water and laughing because it tasted horrid and choking some more because I was laughing.
On day 3, we ventured out to the outer Great Barrier Reef to Agincourt Reef, where we snorkeled some more (AND SAW A SEA TURTLE) and did a helicopter ride.
I highly recommend the scenic flight, even if it’s just for 10 minutes, as it is an entirely different way to experience the magic of the reef!
I opted out of diving for this trip as I treasure my little life and don’t want to drown at the tender age of 24. Someday though, hopefully in the near future, I’ll return and have a go at diving in this little piece of paradise. Till then, I shall keep day dreaming..
x
Amazing post Nat!
looks like rad fun nat! 🙂