Cairns, Port Douglas (Great Barrier Reef), and Brisbane

January 2-6, 2010

     It is almost impossible to describe the feeling you get when one of your lifelong dreams comes true. Brad and I both shared the same dream: to see the Great Barrier Reef. It is certainly not an original dream, I'm sure of that. How many children are dumbfounded when they watch that first National Geographic video about the Great Barrier Reef? The allure of tropical fish, florescent corals, sharks, sea horses, and an array of weird and indescribable underwater life that fascinates even the toughest of cynics. .. that is The Great Barrier Reef. We never guessed that we would be lucky enough to do nine dives in the most spectacular seascape on Earth. Actually, it felt like we were aliens, intruding for a moment into the lives of some foreign beings . . . were we in heaven?

Our Boat, The Calypso

    There is a time to pinch your funds, then there is the time when you are about to fulfill one of your childhood dreams. . . no penny pinching here. We did it in style. In order to get the best out of the GBR, you have to set sail to the outer reef, that is where all of the insanely ridiculously awesome marine life call home. In order to do that, you have to fork over some serious dough, no worries here! It was worth every penny, and then some!!!

     We decided to try our hand at underwater photography. . . let me warn you, these pictures are absoultely NO justification of what we saw. We were just us having fun, and trying to figure out how to SCUBA Dive while taking pictures and absorbing your surroundings. It was tough, but these pics are fun : )

    We know that we are always saying things like "it was the most amazing thing we have ever done", and blah blah, blah, but this takes the cake. We are already planning our next trip to the Great Barrier Reef. Next time we will save up as much money as possible, then blow it on as many dives as we can. . . it was so truly out of ths world.

     Maybe it was the fact that I was with the man of my dreams, maybe it was the fact that I was sailing in the Great Barrier Reef, maybe it was the diving in the best dive spot on Earth, maybe it was all of the Nitrogen that was getting to my brain from all of the dives( oh, yes, for all of you non-divers, there is a little perk that comes with diving sometimes. . . let's just say you feel quite euphoric, kinda like when you visit the dentist and he gives you Nitros Oxide. . . he he he), or maybe it was just the fact that I couldn't be happier in my life, I don't know, but all of it seemed to make me cry. . . tears of joy of course.

I will just leave you all with that. Enjoy the photos. . .and remember, compare the photos to a pre-schoolers' drawing, they by no means create an acurate picture of reality, but it sure was a blast trying!!!

OK, OK, so some of the pics were taken by our divemaster, she just wanted to help us out. . . This is a Cuddlefish. they change colors right before your eyes. So super cool! We named him "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat".

Just a baby White Tip Reef Shark Mom. They are harmless!

I LOVE YOU!!!!!

Hi, my name is Nemo, and I live in an anenome.

Lion Fish, Lion Fish, Lion Fish, how graceful you are.

My husband the underwater model. . . who knew?

Spotted Blue Lagoon Stingray. . . bizarre. If you watch him too long he puts you in a trance and turns you into a Cuddlefish!

Just Because. . .

Oh, we forgot to tell you. . . North Queensland, exactly where we were staying, is said to be the most dangerous place on Earth. We won't get into grimy details about all of the poisonous spiders, snakes, jellies, crocs, and other critters. . . Were just happy to get out of there alive! he he he

I mean, who knew. . . saltwater crocs, really? Creepy!

After three glorious days at the GBR, it was time to say goodbye to all of our sea friends. Boo Hoo :(

Off to Brisbane for the final leg of our Australian journey. Brad was lonely, he missed Nemo, so he sparked up a brief frienship with this robotic -roo. So special that Brad.

So much talk about us, you are probably wondering all about Ducky!!!! How rude of us. . .

Ducky is not SCUBA Certified, so he had to kick back on the beach with Russell for a few days. When we got back we saw that he had become quite close to some local females. Leave it to Ducky. . .

We are off to Thailand!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Russell packed up his gear and is ready to take us all the way there! What a great pilot he is, that Russell. G'day mates!! See you on the other side! Love from the most dangerous place on Earth, Sammy, B, Ducky, Russell, Nemo, Robotic-Roo, and Joseph. . .