Travels and Tours Australia – Day 10: Mission Beach Queensland

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My normal slow start was far from a concern on this less than sunny Sunday morning as a nervous excitement filled the Manson Mobile and I rushed to ready myself for the Reef. Not wanting to waste any time, I packed up my possessions and barely chewed my cereal to ensure little time was lost. I rushed down from South Mission Beach to Clump Point Jetty and waited patiently to board the boat. While the waters seemed far from calm, my mind was racing with thoughts of turtles and clownfish that I didn’t stop to consider the effect of shaking waters upon morning stomachs.

Having boarded the boat, the team quickly ran through the day’s procedures and I contemplated the options – snorkelling, diving and a glass water boat – as the ride seemed to become increasingly rocky.

Now, I have never before experienced seasickness despite having been aboard a boat on numerous occasions. But despite my vain attempts at keeping composed, I admitted defeat and fed the fishes my meagre breakfast. Feeling decidedly shaky by the time the boat reached the reef, my excitement had been somewhat quelled, but talk of a snorkelling tour pricked my ears up and I readied myself for the vivid colours and curious creatures. I togged up and jumped in. Though my stomach was still shaking, I persisted and paid attention but found the pace too rushed so hung back and headed off on my own little circuit of exploration. While I may not be able to detail everything I saw, I have to say my ignorance did not hinder my enjoyment. More fascinated by the lucid colours and various breeds of sealife than terminology, the sensation of visiting this magical kingdom.

Finding the snorkel far less complicated than I had while swimming with tuna in Port Douglas, I only had one moment of potential disaster -I nearly choked upon discovering my own troupe of mini Nemos!

With Nemo ticked off the list, my hopes were raised for a turtle sighting – especially when hearing tales of turtles over the lunch break. However, with my stomach once again deciding to play with me, I refrained from re-entering the water and chose to test the glass bottom boat. Having not even considered the boat as an option at the outset, I urge you to trial it. While swimming in the reef is a wonderful experience, it is almost impossible not to feel like an intruder from a different realm, while the glass bottom boat embraces this difference and also has a clarity that is lost while snorkelling due to the need to constantly balance swimming and exploring. It was only once on the glass bottom boat that I was really wowed by the vibrancy of the coral and the diversity of the creatures that inhabit it.

With the day having blown by in a mere blink, I clambered out of my wetsuit and tried to phase out during the distinctly calmer return voyage. Without an ounce of exaggeration, I have to sadly admit, that I have never been happier to see solid ground. While I had been captivated by my introduction to the reef, my day of seasickness had detracted from my overall enjoyment and the Manson Mobile had never seemed more comforting.

Deciding that I wanted to make headway, I wasted little time in getting back on the road and with a good few hours of driving time before darkness I thought I would just see how far I could get. With little clue about what delights would be discovered en route, the journey proved fairly quiet and saw me taking brief looks at Townsville and Ayr, before calling it a night at a rather lovely rest stop just south of Ayr.

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