What with work and the pressures of modern-day life, it's all too easy to forget to take some time out for a trip to this stunning region's world famous backyard, the pristine Great Barrier Reef.

And with a dive mask and snorkel sitting neglected in the cupboard and gathering dust, it was certainly high time for some diving. The weather forecast looked glorious: calm and sunny, water temperature hitting a bath-like 27C, and visibility up to 15m.

Down at the Reef Terminal, and with all the essentials packed, sunnies, hat, board shorts and sun screen, the high-speed catamaran smoothly whisked us to the Marine World pontoon for the 10.30am arrival.

» In pictures: the Great Barrier Reef near Cairns

Breakfast served and it was time to climb into our gear for the first dive of the day. Not having dived for a couple of years had me wondering just how to get to grips with the regulator, buoyancy control device and dive computer. A few quick questions answered and our Swiss guide for the day, Jann, had us kitted out and prepared for our first exploration of Moore Reef.

Tingling with a mixture of nerves and excitement, Jann took the four-man party down to a depth of 20 metres, as the vigorous current propelled us effortlessly through the water and to a shelf, from where we drift-dived, swirling among a vortex of circling shoals of barracuda. Red bass swam up close to inspect us and, below, giant bommies and clams peppered the ocean bed. Nemo, surgeon fish, maori wrasse and snub nose dart fish were all spotted during our memorable 30-minute dive.

Back up on deck, we tucked into the seemingly endless buffet lunch, while divers and snorkellers chatted excitedly about the brilliantly-coloured fish they had spotted.

How you decide to spend your five-hour stay with Reef Magic is entirely up to you, there's no pressure to overdo it if all you want to do is kick back and soak up the sunshine. Alternatively, the more adventurous can choose from a variety of activities, including snorkelling, diving, and a semi-sub tour, featuring a fun, interactive commentary. For the ultimate ride, however, Reef Magic even offer a chopper ride to fly you over the Reef for that once-in-a-lifetime flight.

The afternoon brought a second dive and the sighting of a harmless white tip reef shark, and then it was back on board for a refreshing beer, just before the catamaran powered its way back to Cairns, leaving me to reflect on a perfect day of diving and relaxing in our tropical paradise.

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