I must have been ten or so when I first saw the TV series, The Thorn Birds which took place in Australia. From that time on I had dreamt of traveling there, to the other side of the world. Little did I know that as a graduate student, I would be headed there as part of my studies!
My trip was scheduled for the middle of summer. Being my first trip overseas, I had so much to do to prepare, included getting scuba certified! I mean, how can you visit the Great Barrier Reef and not DIVE? My arrival that summer into Townsville, Queensland started with the heartwarming smiles of the Australian people, warm tropical weather in July, their winter, and the anticipation of a life-changing experience to come. Sure I saw koalas, snakes, crocs…you name it, and wild ones at that!
But nothing compares to my experience of finally reaching the Great Barrier Reef after a three-hour long choppy boat ride out to Keeper’s Reef. The ocean is blue just like any other large body of water except for the fact that when you reach the actual reef, the water surrounding you is suddenly filled with amazing life and color. The blue is now a combination of sapphire, teal and green…sparkling in fact! Time for me to get into the water and long story short, I was not able to complete my scuba certification on time so I would be snorkeling. Yet, the Pacific was so huge and overwhelming that I suddenly freaked out…no way was I going to even snorkel! I remember telling the dive crew that “I’ll be ok; I’ll just watch everyone else from the deck”. After much coaxing, I found myself being led on a safety ring by Craig McGrogan, one of the lead educators at the Reef HQ Great Barrier Reef Aquarium in Townsville. Upon putting my head down to look into the water below me, all fear flowed away. Right below me, a black-tipped shark casually swam across! The snorkeling was amazing and as we swam right up to the reef, we saw corals, sponges and colored fish galore! Large clams, sea cucumbers abounded in numbers too.
It was then that I decided I would never stay in my own little neck of the woods for too long ever again. Visiting and experiencing such beautiful world hot spots such as the Great Barrier Reef is crucial to understanding them and working to conserve them.
Safe Travels,
Natalie
