Are there really fish on the Great Barrier Reef?

That seems to be the main question posed by the viewers of this blog (silly silly people.)

Oh...um, I guess I shouldnt insult the readership! Sorry it wont happen again.

Now to fish!! I saw everyone of these creatures during my four dives (nico saw a few from above while snorkelling. It was absolutely beautiful.







Next question for the masses - can one Canadian, two Americans, and one POM find opals during a weeklong fossicking adventure to White Cliffs? WE hope to strick it rich and bring back glowing piles of the rare gem. I'll let you all know SOON!

Damo

OH - by the way - don't worry about posting multiple comments your comments all end up in a bin awaiting approval (for us to publish them.) So, Samina, we got all five of yours :P.

Life on the Reef

We now ask that you travel back in time with us, not long ago, on a planet not very distant at all, in fact closer than you can imagine, Nico and Damo hit the Great Barrier Reef. Well, not hit it, but took a three hour boat tour (egads, first warning) out through inclemant seas to the Great Barrier Reef.

To be more specific, the date was July 19, 2006 and the planet was the planet Earth. And this trip was a 5 day spree in the Cairns/Port Douglas region of Australia just prior to our trip to 'The Top End.'

The boat ride over was through very rough water and several passengers were delicately grasping barf bags in the rear of the vessel (a reenactment of what this looks like is to the right.) Fortunately for us, this old crappy boat was not our final destination. Our final destination was The Reef Encounter, a live aboard pontoon boat for an overnight stay on the reef....it even had a hot tub to warm up after snorkelling or scuba diving.


The next post will be about our experiences on the live aboard vessel including snorkelling and scuba diving on the world's biggest reef. For now, sunset over the reef as we sipped on a nice glass of Cabernet Sauvignon...mmmm.

Ubirr

But, now you know this story,
and you'll be coming to earth.
You'll be part of earth when you die.
You responsible now.
You got to go with us.
To earth.
Might be you can hang on.
Hang onto this story.
To this earth.
Bill Neidjie, Gagudju Man (Aborigine caretaker of Kakadu)









Breathtaking views of Kakadu from atop the rock.



Rock art found at Ubirr: a scene depiciting a fight between two groups, superimposed by a fishing trap.









Look up, way up, on the ceiling of this rock overhang, to see the cute little Mimi spirit. As it was generally accepted that no human hands could reach over and below the overhang from the clifftop, nor could they reach that high from the ground to paint this little critter, it is said to be the work of the Mimi spirits--a little "hello there!" to the the humans.