October 2013 – Life as a Gypsy

Sea Quest can offer one a fantastic value for money while giving you the opportunity to do, either if it is diving or snorkeling. They allow you to experience the best of the outer Great Barrier Reef and with the joys of unlimited snorkeling in two different locations or choose to do up to three dives and experience the world of down under.

Snorkellers, sea quest provides all the equipment necessary including a wet suit or stinger suit as well as floatation noodles. Learn how to put your equipment on during the pre snorkeling briefing. Snorkel on your own or join up with their guided snorkeling tours and learn what you see of the marine wildlife. Sea quest crew keeps a constant watch over the snorkeling sites so you can relax and enjoy the wonders of the reef in complete safety.

Their dive locations on the outer edge of the Great Barrier Reef’s warm waters offer outstanding underwater visibility, superb coral formations and abundant colourful marine life including Wally (Sea Quest’s friendly 1.5m Maori Wrasse at Norman Reef) And cute little nemos and magnificent turtles and sting rays!

Introductory dive program is the perfect intro to the reef while they teach you all you have to know about the diving skills, equipment, communication under water and the marine life before your first dive! You are close supervised under water by sea quests friendly instructors giving you an amazing experience and you will also receive a certificate of recognition.

What Sea Quest offers – 17 exclusive moorings on the outer Great Barrier Reef at Norman, Saxon and Hastings Reefs. Their dive sites are frequented by myriads of tropical and Palegic FIsh, Rays, Turtles, (friendly) Sharks and the ever popular driver friendly Maori Wrasse. The dive sites are chosen on a daily basis by the vessel captains for the best variety and visibility according to the weather conditions.

Not the greatest boat they have for the day trip due to sea sickness, I do not get sea sick but quite a few other people did. But they are a well known company and great to learn from and to dive with. I felt I saw more on this Great Barrier Reef trip than from my first trip out. Another amazing adventure I had here in Queensland, Australia.

Where the rainforest meets the great barrier reef, two world hertiage sites meet. Cape Tribulation was named after the British navigator Lieutenant James Cook after his ship scrapped a reef north east of the cape, while passing over it. As he steered away from the coast into deeper water but no later than 10:30pm he ran aground again, on this reef that is now named Endeavour Reef. His ship stuck fast and was badly damaged. Desperate measures had to be done, to prevent the ship from foundering. Cook recorded and named the north point, Cape tribulation because here began all their troubles.

In 1930s some europeans settlers started arriving, but they found the rainforest environment a difficult place to get established.
The average annual rainfall for the cape is 3,900 mm. And in 2006 it was recorded well over 6.5 m while in 2010 it then reached 8 metres.

Most people visit the area during the dry season which is between July and November. As for the wet season, marine stingers are prevalent causing locals and visitors to swim in the many creeks that are not infested with crocodiles.

To its gorgeous coast line. Where this exact location was where Steve Irwin was known to be during his last days filiming his underwater documentary titled ocean’s deadliest. May he rest in peace.

Mossman Gorge located in the southern part of the daintree national park, 80k’s north of Cairns. The traditional homeland of the indigenous eastern kuku yulanji people. Mossman Gorge was established as part of the daintree national park in 1967.