There are always gems to be discovered on the Great Barrier Reef.
This is what coming to the Great Barrier Reef is all about. I am stretched out like a content kitten under a glorious sun on the foredeck of an Ocean Spirit catamaran as we skim across the water headed for the reef and its bounty.
The stroll out to the reef gives you every chance to take in the beauty of the undeveloped forests that creep east from Trinity Inlet.
But as soon as they pass, you settle back down with nothing but the blue expanse in front of you and the anticipation of getting wet and coming face to face with all the magic that lies below the sea.
Ocean Spirit Cruises offer a number of different trips but today I am heading to the playgrounds of Upolu Cay and Oyster Reef.
The Cay is our first stop and comes out of nowhere, a tiny nipple of white sand poking through the water no more than 50m across.
From the boat it doesn’t look like much more than the perfect place to bring your lover on an afternoon with an umbrella, a picnic and a couple of cold beers.
But as soon as we shipped on a smaller runabout to the Cay, I threw on the goggles and flippers and went exploring; I was blown away.
For the inexperienced swimmer, there is a guided snorkelling tour from an extremely professional guide but I wanted to race around on my own.
Usually, when you are told on the boat about what marine life you will see, you take it with a grain of salt and don’t feel too disappointed when they don’t eventuate. So when I was told this was a fertile turtle spotting ground, I was of course hopeful, but not expectant.
But there was no more than five minutes of paddling around before I came across my first turtle, the great stoners of the ocean. He paid me no heed and allowed me to follow him wherever he went.
I sat behind him as he searched for food, went to the surface for air and eventually found a friend as well.
I spent the next five minutes with two turtles which are easily one of the most placid and languid creatures to come across under water.
All up at Upolu Cay, I saw four different turtles, followed a small reef shark – until it picked up the pace and whisked itself out of sight – and spotted a few rays among the thousands of different species of wildly colourful fish.
I never would have thought so many would make their home around this single dot of sand.
Upon returning to the boat, a sumptuous buffet lunch was served as the captain moved us on to the next stop, Oyster Reef.
As with all the better reef trips taken out of Cairns, the second site was vastly different to the first. Oyster Reef has a fantastic bombie revolving much more around the different corals than Upolu did.
There was a long wall to follow in an easy snorkel route that exhibited a number of different corals and fish.
Once back in the boat, well and truly exhausted from a couple of hours in the water, we sailed home content with a great day on the reef.
It was capped off when one of the very friendly staff strapped on her guitar and sang some beautiful tunes along the trip home.
Every person that day walked off the boat humming with a huge smile on their face.
INFORMATIONWHAT: Ocean Spirit Cruises
WHERE: 140 Mulgrave Rd, Cairns
DETAILS: Tollfree 1800 644 227 or (07) 4031 2920
HOW MUCH: Oyster Reef & Upolu Cay trip is $110 (all inclusive)
TOUR INCLUDES: Introductory dive; travel to both Oyster Reef & Upolu Cay; morning refreshments; tropical smorgasboard lunch (includes seafood); afternoon tea; use of snorkelling equipment; use of floatation vests; glass bottom boat tour (Upolu Cay only); complimentary glass of Australian sparkling wine; high crew to guest ratio
