Great Barrier Reef (QLD Trip)

There we go: Thursday April 6, first day of my holidays on the East Coast. I booked a day tour with Cairns Diving Centre to the Great Barrier Reef. With contrast to other companies, they included even a dive in their price. I was looking forward to the snorkeling and also the promised dive. However, when I entered the boat, I got disappointed. I had to fill out a health declaration, revealing my eligibility for diving. Answering the question if I (had) suffered from asthma with yes, the guide explained that authorities in QLD were really strict and don't allow diving if s.o. has suffered from asthma within the last 5 years. How stupid is this? I nearly didn't have it for 1, 5 years and even if: I did already some diving before in my life and there were no problems... But I couldn't do anything about it. My first day of my holidays was restricted to only snorkeling :-(

We left Cairns harbour in the morning hours. After 2 hours we reached the outer part of the Reef. While all the others on the boat got instructed for a dive I remained snorkeling a bit on the surface, waiting for them to descend and to then follow them. Finally, after about 45 mins. they managed to remain under water and attempted their first dive. With me following them on the surface we experienced the Great Barrier Reef for about 15 mins. After that short while we had to come back to the boat as we changed location.

Already this first stop disappointed me a bit. I thought we had much more time to snorkel around and additionally, the real amazing beauty of that place only comes to light when the sun shines and isn't covered by a cloud, so that its rays can reach through the surface. Only then the wonderful colours of the corals come through. Without direct sun it all looks quite a bit grey.

Anyway, I just hoped that the next location was more promising...
But again, not really much better. Though we had the long stinger suits as you can see on the above pictures, we all left the water after already 20 mins. The reason? - Nearly all of us got stung by something we later identified as a bluebottle. Looks nice, he?

You hear of all kinds of stinging species in the Great Barrier Reef; that's why you are asked to wear these stinger suits. I decided for a long one which gives most coverage and protection, thinking that these few uncovered square-centimetres of skin on hands, feet and face I can control in case there is something in the water...
Well, the picture shows the contrary: that wobbly something got my neck...

It was not that big bluebottle (also known as Man-O'War), but a little version of it which made the syptoms result in nothing more than "only" 30 mins. of uncomfortable itching and stinging...

But anyway, that was already the end of the day. In total I snorkled for max. 1,5 hours in the reef not having seen what I expected to.

On the boat I met two people, Barbara (from Germany) and Henk (from Holland). Henk, as I found out, stayed at the same hostel as I did and was starting the same trip along the East Coast with me the next day; and with Barbara I shared an under-water camera to take some pictures, trying to catch the moments with a bit of sun coming through:

In three (Barbara, Henk and me) we spent the evening together strolling through the few streets and along The Esplanade in Cairns, enjoying some chat while sitting at the Lagoon in the middle of the city.