Friday 24th September 2021
Hi everyone, we are still enjoying our freedom in Far North Queensland. Love and big hugs to all our family and friends in lockdown. Hope you are trying to stay sane and keeping safe.

We had an amazing day today even though the weather wasn’t particularly kind for our big day. We chose the best forecast over this week to book our trip to Green Island and unfortunately the weather Gods didn’t read the memo. They changed their mind and threw us a curve ball of wet, wild and wooly (well almost). It was very windy, overcast with a few sunny glimpses and showers for about an hour. This unfortunately put a dampener on our snorkelling activities as the water was choppy, cloudy and cool.

We left Cairns Marina at 9am with about another 100 or so people, not quite sure of the number. It was very windy on the way to the island, the water started out grey and dirty but cleared as we got closer to the Island which is about 27km from the mainland. On arrival at Green Island just for good measure it started raining so we decided first activity would be a walk through the rainforest in the centre of the island and then a walk around its circumference. This was a pleasant walk and the time for our first wildlife encounter. We were walking along the edge of the beach and about a metre from us about a 2m black-tip reef shark, we think, came right to the edge to check us out. It was an amazing moment, we watched and followed it along the shoreline for about 10 minutes and then it swam away. Not a good thing for me to see before we head out snorkelling in the same ocean. Oh well, I am sure there are more than one shark out in the ocean everyday, so fingers crossed no nasties around. By the time we finished our walk the rain had stopped and there was the occasional glimpses of sun, although momentary it did show the island in a different light for the short minutes it was out.

We decided to have a snorkel at the flagged area on the beach which had a very small reef. It was quite foggy but we were able to see a variety of fish including the parrotfish. After about 30 minutes here we decided to head to the left side of the main wharf before David got too cold (water temp about 24°C) as the water isn’t quite warm enough. David was wearing a stinger suit and I had my long-john and a thermal log sleeve rash vest. So I was definitely going to last longer. We headed out near the piers of the jetty where we saw a few fish and then a 1.5-2m black-tipped reef shark swam right past me within about a metre. It was a magnificent creature with another long thin fish nibbling near its gills. It was a fleeting moment but one that will be an amazing highlight for me. Both David and I were amazed at how lucky that was and can also see how you don’t always see what is coming near you until it is there as I wouldn’t have even seen it if David didn’t get my attention. It was soooooo cool. Our next awesome moment was as we headed back in towards the shore as DB was shivering and very cold and we couldn’t stay in the small arm pockets of water. David had just got out of the water and was huddled by the wall protected by the wind when I saw a big sea turtle just on the shore’s edge. I called David and swam towards it, it was not at all perturbed by my presence and we swam with it for about 10 minutes. It was the most amazing experience. I just flippered beside it backwards and forwards between the wharf and the windbreak wall. Wow was I lucky. Another awesome time snorkelling, you couldn’t wipe the smile off my face – a black-tipped reef shark and a green sea turtle. Woohoo!!

We then went back to the flagged area to sit in the not sunny beach to warm up. David got dressed but I was able to stay warm in my wetsuit and rashee. After a little while whilst DB was having a snooze, I headed back out t snorkel some more. I saw many more fish this time – Angelfish, butterflyfish, parrotfish, longnose unicornfish, triggerfish, leopardfish, and many many more. It was another great time in the water that I am so thankful for my not so new learned comfort. What a great day. Imagine how cool it would have been with the sun shining warmly on our backs as we snorkelled the magnificent blue waters of Green Island. Lucky I have rose-coloured glasses. as I am still smiling now as I write this blog. David snuck in for a quick 10 minute snorkel to see the new fish to the area before we rushed back to the boat at 3.30pm. We then had a very windy trip back to Cairns as both times we sat upstairs in the open air to be Covid safer just in case.

We Arrived back at the Marina at 5pm, exhausted and happy. Thanks again to my gorgeous husband for planning another great adventure on this extended tour of a lifetime.

Take care and stay safe everyone. Love Fiona and David xxx