Gold Coast Day 9 : The Great Barrier Reef

Islands in the sea (stream)...That is what we are...

No one in between...How can we be wrong...

Sail away with me...To another world...

                                                 - Kenny Rogers

The small Cessna plane looked like a rich kid's toy. It being my first flight in a private plane, I apprehensively surveyed the engineering of the aircraft, stopping short of asking the pilot (he was in shorts!!) how many engines the plane had. The chassis was full of rivets that held the aluminium in place. Hmm tight enough I thought. A Chinese family flew with us. They were friendly, the two kids said a warm Hello to Tweety, the ladies did not speak English so we kept throwing smiles at each other, while the men chatted. We were given a breakfast kit of nutty health bars, juice and I don't remember what else. We flew over the Pacific for about an hour. My fear of flying in all things small were laid to rest, when we looked down at the emerald sea, even whales popping in and out, and finally came to view the tiny Lady Elliot Island where we were to spend the day.

                                 

    Lady Elliot Island got its name after a Governor who visited here, is what our guide said.  The island was formed by coral deposits, since corals grow only up to the level of the low tides. This island is the nearest place you can get to, if you want to explore the GREAT BARRIER REEF! A World Heritage, no point in going to Australia and returning without a look at this incredible Reef. 

The stars we could reach were NOT just star fish on the beach!

We were given thermal diving suits to wear, sticks and  Crocs to wade in the water as a friendly staff took us to explore the Reef. The wind gave us a chill even in the thermal suits. We saw a lot of Sea cucumbers, blue Starfish, and corals in the clear rippling waters.

Teeming with life...falling short of words

Time for snorkelling...Brrr...venturing in the winter sun...as we sailed farther away from the island, it became a Whale spotting trip when we saw the omnipresent Humpback whales cavorting in the waters. One went right under our glass-bottomed boat, sending cheers through the guests on board! Finally, since the waters were a little choppy, only A managed to catch sight of pretty marine fishes in his snorkelling gear, which was why we took the boat in the first place.

Mark my words..this could be a new Coral Island in the making!

When we came back to the island, lunch time was up, so they cooked us a fresh batch of snacks - veggie burgers with delicious patties, a whole heap of potato fries and even ice cream I think...if only our guides would keep notice of time, we could have had proper lunch before the resort closed its kitchen...Oh its a small matter though, compared to the mightiness and the awesomeness of the Reef...
 We rushed through our meal, changed and sat in an even smaller aircraft, since apparently the one in which we flew in, was required for a bigger group. High above the seas, A wrote on Facebook that we are safe and sound....why did he even think otherwise???
Even after writing an entire post, I feel that only one word describes this island, this Reef....Indescribable. Sigh!

This was the last highlight of our Great Gold Coast Holiday!!! Ciao Australia.