Diving The Great Barrier Reef
Phil Daly of Ireland went diving the Great Barrier Reef for 5 days from 12 August 2007. This is what he had to say in an e-mail interview...
We used Backpackers World Travel (we lived next to the travel agent office when living in Sydney).
We went on the boat 'Spank Me'.
It can take 26 passengers; the cabins were tight but we had a double bed with a hood that looked out to the stars.
The crew were helpful and willing to answer any questions that we had, also they were a barrel of laughs for e.g. the punishment for being too loud at night or for men wearing budgie smugglers (Speedo's) was a spoonful of Vegemite (disgusting).
The toilets had to seen to be believed - very noisy but clean, showers were cold but I was well used to them at that stage.
While on land we stayed in Airlie Beach in a hostel called Koalas. I wouldn't recommend it but it wasn't the worst we stayed in. It was a huge complex run by a helpful but younger crowd so it would suit some but not others.
There were three meals a day on the boat, paid as part of the package. The food was excellent and plentiful. There was an on board host who took care of everyone's needs.
There are these small green ants on Whitsunday Island that are edible and they taste of citrus. Ask your guide about them and have a taste.
The snorkelling was my high point. I am not a fantastic swimmer so I used a noodle (floating device) to begin with but as I grew more confident I got rid of it.
 The diving I was a wee bit scared of but I wasn't going to pass up the opportunity to go 'diving the Great Barrier Reef' so I let the professional know my situation and he helped me in any way he could.
We stayed down for 30 minutes. At the beginning the visibility was a bit cloudy but then it cleared up and the views were the most spectacular I have ever seen. I captured most on my underwater camera.
We saw clown fish (Nemo), a giant clam, a small harmless shark, millions of different kinds of fish and an abundance of crazily coloured coral.
Weather and Sea Conditions
For the most of the time the weather was fantastic, a wee bit chilly at night when we were sitting around above deck. During the day we couldn't have asked for more blue skies or sunnier days, a great opportunity for the lads to get a sun tan without having to sunbathe.
The visibility in the water was at the most very good.
I felt a little sea sick (a little hung over also) when I was asleep below deck when we were in some choppy water but it passed quite quickly. No need for medication.
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Visiting Whitsunday Island and Whitehaven Beach, snorkelling at the Stepping Stones on the outer Barrier Reef and spending that amount of time with a whole lot of different characters from every corner of the world.
 Make sure you research your boat. There are party boats and there are boats focussed on diving the Great Barrier Reef; we were on the latter and had the best of both worlds but not too much. We didn't want to be too wrecked the following day not to enjoy every minute of the experience, the party boats would be pumping out music throughout the night and the people who wanted sleep would not be able to get any.
It's difficult to say what the most useful item in my luggage was... iPod, Lonely Planet, a good book and board shorts are essential (dry within 10 mins of getting out of the water).
Lonely Planet can become invaluable on any trip also their website can be quite helpful. You can also find anything you want if you look hard enough on the net.
Great Barrier Reef Trip Rating:
8-9 out of 10 - there are always things you can dock points for but over all it was an experience everyone should have.
My only regret is that the trip was not long enough.
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