Seas so smooth you could water ski on them. That's what greeted us as we "turned
the corner" from the northern coast of Australia
to the east coast of Australia,
leaving the Indian Ocean and reentering the
Pacific. Not that jumping into the ocean
here would be very refreshing. The
water temperature is very warm at 33C (91F) degrees. But it was a beautiful
sail, passing by islands (and reefs) so small that they disappear under high
tide, other islands so large they contain enough pure white sand to meet the
world's glass making needs for the next 2000 years. A naturalist on board
provided commentary during the sail.
Also on board ... a pilot,
specializing in traversing the tricky waters of the reefs, where at times the
ocean depth allowed only 3 meters clearance between the bottom of the ship and
the ocean floor.
Wednesday morning at 11:00 (three hours late
because of the medical emergency on Monday), the behemoth Solstice threw anchor
in Yorkey's Knob, Australia. The ship was too big to dock at neighboring Cairns, the gateway to the Great
Barrier Reef. But for us,
that didn't matter. Our tour made plans
for a pontoon boat to come out to the ship, pick us up, and transport us to the
outer reefs, one of the so-called Seven Wonders of the
World.
Though it had been 25+ years since my last visit
to this astonishing part of the world, the images in my mind from those many
years ago were still vivid. I feel truly
fortunate to have been able to visit this special spot twice in my lifetime. Leaving the ship, I could see Cairns in the distance,
high rises and resorts replacing the sleepy town I visited over a quarter
century ago.
It took 90 minutes to reach the outer reef which
beckons snorkelers and divers from all over the world. The last time I was here, there were a couple
of floating docks where day visitors could secure their boats and explore. Now, the pontoon boats which carry hundreds
of people each tie up to large covered platforms with kitchens, dining areas,
changing rooms, and underwater observation stations. The small floating docks have been replaced
by landing pads for helicopters. And
glass bottom boats and semi-submarines are at the ready to collect more of your
money for an intimate underwater experience with 50 other people. 
For us, it was just about snorkeling, so we threw
on the gear (including full body lycra suits to protect us from the intense mid
summer Australian sun and from jelly fish stings), and for more than an hour,
we explored. The pictures here don’t do
it justice. The fish were plentiful
(including a foot long parrot fish which had the most amazing colors I have
seen on a fish and who just wanted to hang out with the two of us …. seemingly
following us for a while until he got bored).
The coral was also colorful and healthy. Though more populated with visitors than
before, the reef was every bit as majestic as I remember it.
As I mentioned, the water temperature is very
warm, more so when wearing the lycra body suits. It is what made it so comfortable to be in
the water for an extended period, compared to what we are used to on the west
coast of the U.S.
Because, again, the Celebrity Solstice did such a
poor job of getting passengers off the ship for the adventure, we were two
hours late. The operators of the reef excursion
(who are licensed by the government and have to pay a hefty fee for the rights
to transport people out there) agreed to lengthen our stay to make up for the
initial delay. That meant sailing back
to the Solstice just before sunset. For
about half of the 90 minute voyage back to the mother ship, we were in darkness
at sea … until the lightening storm hit.
Unbelievable rains, as strong as I have ever seen, pelted the boat. We were inside when it started, but those
outside were totally soaked. With the
sudden storm, lightening flashing, gale winds blowing, the sea turned
nasty. It took nearly 45 minutes for the
boat to secure itself to the Solstice, the waves slamming the small boat
against the side of the Solstice. It was
even worse for the people who had gone ashore in Cairns and were being transported back in
small tenders (one tender actually lost part of its electrical system, and was
bobbing in the ocean in darkness before finally making it back). One passenger said it looked like a scene
from The Titanic, a bit of an exaggeration, but I understood her
sentiment. Once we tried up, such as it
was, it took another 30 minutes to evacuate everyone. The high swells at times created a foot wide
gap between our little boat and the ship (where if you misstepped, you would
either fall into the ocean or be crushed as the ship and the small boat again
slammed into each other). I will say it was extremely dangerous for people who
weren’t in great physical shape to transfer.
For us, we were totally soaked by the time we got off, but safe. All part of the adventure.
Now, two more days at sea, then Brisbane (where fortunately, we actually dock
on land, and don’t need to use small boats to get from ship to shore).
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