Tag Archive for Australia

bubba | 05/17/2012
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Learned To Scuba Dive Finally!

Following the Whitsundays Cairns must be one of the best destinations to have fun in Australia. It was so good I even went there three times in the space of my travels. The Great Barrier Reef from Cairns appeared to be just a bonus.

That’s where I completed my SSI Advanced Open water dive course. I achieved it with Cairns Dive Centre on a 6 day liveaboard scuba dive training course which was certainly wonderful. I actually at first checked out going with a business known as Down Under Dive but these guys sounded very up themselves and I’d heard many a good thing about their dive training. Additionally after a little bit more digging I discovered that they had possibly pretty much the finest dive pools .

Their particular liveaboard scuba dive boat has been recently entirely rebuilt and has all the better technology fitted. It’s got very nice air conditioned cabins which cater for 2-4 people, has a huge saloon, lounge and its own bar. Of course it even has a small spa on the front deck to sit in and chill out . The actual meals was fantastic and created in a very well built galley, among the best foods they prepared was Barbecue Coral Trout . Yummy .

The actual boat is usually based at the diving site but would shift every day to other sections of the reef, which would either be performed over night if some distance or early in the morning if closeby . This was pretty good as you are free to experience a variety of reefs and have a truly unique diving experience . This company had a quick transfer boat that takes you there and back again which also permits you to spend as many days and nights on-board as you wish.

I absolutely would not recommend anybody else to instruct you to Learn to Dive in Cairns however if you decide to look somewhere else please be diligent when selecting a dive course in Cairns as some dive schools utilize fixed platforms at sea which you stay on and travel by means of boat for the diving, not quite the live aboard you would expect!

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bubba | 04/07/2012
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Check Out A Week in Cairns

Monday

For day 1 of our Cairns backpacker package we thought we would get the adrenaline flowing by going white water rafting on the Russell river in two person sports rafts. Although the Russell River isn’t as high a grade as the Tully this is still an adrenaline ride. As you are in 2 man sports rafts there is no guide in the kayak with you. They are paddling their own kayak with you.

Tuesday

Today we thought we might to have an easy day lying around the pool. Some cold drinks and mudcrab for lunch made it a great day.

Wednesday

On Wednesday we finally got to go to the Great Barrier Reef. We went to the reef with Quicksilver cruises. They have an artificial island permanently moored at the outer reef. The snorkelling was amazing with literally hundreds of fish of all shapes and sizes swimming with you. The coral was fantastic and was so close you could virtually touch it.

That night we went out for a meal and a few beers and watched some Cane Toad racing. They are ugly lumpy creatures.

Thursday

Today we went to Kuranda on our package. It’s a quiet little town in the mountains behind Cairns. You can get a bus there, but we travelled via the Skyrail Cablecar. The Skyrail took about an hour with 2 stations on the way. Kuranda’s an interesting place but a little too tacky for me. Just about every second shop is selling didgeridoo’s and the ones in between are selling souveneirs. A must see is the Kuranda Village Markets, with more didgeridoo’s for sale as well as lots of local handmade knick knacks, as well as more didgeridoo’s. We returned by the Scenic Train with more beautiful scenery.

Friday

Friday was another lay day of sorts. We took the opportunity to spend the day at the lagoon. For a place with deadly crocodiles and stinging jellyfish, the lagoon is the ultimate idea.

Friday night we went on a boat cruise on the Cairns Inlet, the food was of a high standard and the singer was top quality. Finishing by 9.40pm, it wasn’t too bad.

Saturday

Today we cruised to the Great Barrier Reef again. This time we went with Pro Dive on a diving cruise. However we only did the snorkelling, as none of us are trained scuba divers. The reef was even better than the first day. The lack or crowds makes it a much different experience than on the big boat trips.

Sunday

On Sunday we took a tour to the Daintree Rainforest . The Daintree is the worlds oldest rainforest, and it’s quite spectacular. They market it as “where the rainforest meets the reef” and thats what happens. The rainforest runs right down to the white sandy beaches.

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bubba | 03/08/2012
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Shifting to Australia

Australia, based on the 2006 IMD Community Competitiveness Yearbook, is the greatest spot in the globe to live in! That is probably the reason why the application for migration to Australia yearly can be quite very competitive as countless folks desire of starting off a new life down under.

There are many variables luring men and women to reside in Australia – the quality of life readily achievable, abundant work choices, world-class educational institutions as well as good health related treatment services. On the other hand, it could be quite tricky to get irrevocable residence standing within australia as the competition for those limited number of visas presented every year can be intense.

There are a selection of methods for those who are truly serious about starting off a fresh life in Australia to apply for residency.

You’ll be able to request immigration for your entire household when using the Competent Visa Program in case you have a specialized skill set which is in demand in Australia. However, you will discover little people that requested immigration within this type of system in spite of the intense demand for visas to reside in, study and work in Australia.

You will find folks who had been turned off at the idea of needing to demonstrate experience with their profession as well as prove their particular knowledge ought to basically consider this particular method if they truly held the actual proficiency and when his or her career shows up inside the Knowledgeable Program Listing of in-demand capabilities, since they can certainly stand a great possibility of approval.

Those of you that view completing tons of forms as well as turn up for many selection interviews to end up being favored just for immigration scary, they should be prepared. For the reason that, you will need to undergo several selection interviews, fill out plenty of papers regardless of which system you apply for but in the finish, should you be issued some sort of visa, all of these are likely to be worth every penny.

A visit to Brisbane or Cairns will certainly improve your desire to immigrate to Australia if you’re really serious of beginning a different life there. Urban centers such as Sydney and Brisbane in Australia are believed to be some of the more desirable, interesting and pleasurable cities in the whole world. The lifestyle is definitely languid and also happy-go-lucky and yet the cities usually are modern and stylish. Blessed with excellent weather conditions and also exciting individuals, Australia is actually a land with much pleasure plus appeal.

You’ll be able to make application for a visa to reside in Australia for life using the Spouse, Children, Mother or father or some other Family Migration systems should you already have relatives located in Australia. Those who actually have a home based business and intend to move to Australia or maybe individuals that want to begin a start up company there and make use of the residents have different options accessible for them. You will find there’s specific visa readily available for refugees and and lastly, the opportunity offered to any one with lots of cash is to speculate a sum of money in to a bank within australia for a length of time.

Whichever plan that meets your plight best, you should definitely invest in every thing in your capability to help make your wish of starting up a brand new life come true. As Australia has been voted to be the greatest land to exist in, the demand for residency there will probably expand drastically as we all move to Australia to get the best quality of life available!

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bubba | 12/29/2011
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Some Facts About The Barrier Reef

The Barrier Reef is one of the natural wonders of the world running from the northernmost point of the country to just north of the border. It’s coral reefs stretch over 2000km along the countries coast.

The Barrier Reef is home to well over 900 fish varieties, dolphins, turtles. An impressive amount of birdlife make their home in the area.

The coral which creates the reef itself is also a living creature, made up of 1000′s of tiny creatures. When it dies it turns white, and forms the basis for further reef growth. Different varieties of coral grow at varying speeds, while some are very quick to grow, some species take well over a hundred years to fully grow. The vivid colours are not formed by the coral but by the growth of algae on it.

The barrier reef needs a tropical climate as it relies on warm shallow water to survive. Clean water and lots of light is required to keep the coral healthy.

With 100′s of 1000′s of square miles of reef it is a watersports mecca. Access through day tours are available from the communities all along the coast. Even if you don’t swim you can see the marvels of the reef through reef viewing tours.

The reef is heritage listed and extensive areas are restricted from fishing and removing coral from the reef is prohibited to preserve it for our childrens children.

The colourful and exciting capital of North Queensland, Cairns is alive with exciting activities. Located in the centre of some of the most scenically beautiful and environmentally important areas in the world, Cairns is the natural gateway to the natural riches of rainforest, tablelands, outback, and The Great Barrier Reef. The CBD itself has many attractions – great shopping, theatres, cinemas, museums, botanical gardens, a casino, and fine international dining. Cairns is definately positioned as one of the countries leading visitor destinations, being the departure point for all the best water based adventures. Cairns reef tours are definately the most popular for most tourists, however the area is fast becoming recognised as the extreme sport capital of Queensland.

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bubba | 11/23/2011
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Some Cairns Great Barrier Reef Boats

The Great Barrier Reef, best visited from Cairns Australia is the world’s largest coral reef and home to an amazing diversity of marine life. There are a large number of cruise vessels that depart from Cairns, I’ve listed the best below.

Sunlover Reef Cruises offers the quickest travel time, longest play time at the Great Barrier Reef. Once tied up at their pontoon on Moore Reef, guests have over 4.5 hours to snorkel, take glass-bottom boat and/or semi-sub trips, enjoy a full hot and cold buffet lunch as well as afternoon tea on the cruise back to Cairns. Full day cruise$186/adult, $66/child or $426/family of 4.

Compass Cruises is Cairns cheapest tour to the
Great Barrier Reef price is $50.00 plus $20.00 for levies, trip includes snorkelling equipment, lunch, afternoon tea, boomnetting, 2 spectacular reef locations Local Family Owned and Operated.

Vagabond Cruise & Dive is a 65′ luxury yacht designed for diving, sailing and entertaining for a maximum of 11 guests operating out of Cairns. The tour is two days and one night which is spent aboard the boat out on the reef.

Reef Magic moors at a ponotoon on the Great reef with the smallest passenger numbers on the market, giving you 5 hours in which to spend doing what you like. Included in the cruise is semi-submersible tripcruises, an underwater observatory, all snorkelling equipment included and offer scenic helipcopter flights and diving (not included in price).
Prices: Snorkelling only: Adult – $169, Child (4-14yrs) – $84, Family (2A & 2C) – $415. Introductory dive: $85 (additional).

Great Adventures offers a variety of advanced ecotourism certified tours cruising daily from Cairns to Green Island and the Great Barrier reef. Guests stopping at Green Island can spend up to 7 hours on the island and choose from 3 departure times daily. You can also combine a 2 hour stopover on Green Island with a day at Great Adventures’ spacious pontoon at the Outer reef. The Great Barrierreef cruise include snorkelling, semi-submersible cruises, underwater observatory, buffet lunch and reef interpretation. Diving, Scuba-doo scooter and helicopter trips are optional extras.
Green Island Cruises: Prices from Adult – $77, Child (4-14yrs) $35.50. Introductory dive: $137 (additional).
Outer Barrier Reef Cruises: Prices from Adult – $198, Child (4-14yrs) – $97. Introductory dive: $134 (additional). Family Fares available for all cruises.

Silverswift is a very modern custom-designed dive and snorkel catamaran. She visits three reef sites daily at either Flynn, Milln, Thetford or Pellowe Reefs from Cairns. This cruise caters for certified divers, introductory divers and snorkellers. Silverswift is the only dive vessel in Cairns that has a state-of-the-art ride control system for a smooth journey. Advanced Ecotourism Certified. (Sistership in Port Douglas is Silversonic)
Prices: Snorkelling only: Adult – $142, Child (4-14yrs) – $180. With Introductory dive: $223

Reef Quest This is a live aboard vessel that can best be decribed an a floating 4 star hotel. she is incredebly comfortable. She moves around Norman, Saxon & Hastings Reefs; and visits three dive sites a day. There are transfers everyday to and from the boat daily so you can stay for as little as one night or as many as you fancy. A great boat for scuba divers and snorkelling .

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bubba | 11/15/2011
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Aussies Have A Dry Sense Of Humour

Folks Downunder like to reassure visitors about the harmlessness of the wildlife and countryside while at the same time warning of its dangers. It comes out as a strange mix, making you undecided whether you should be relaxing or fearing for your life. Some Examples I have heard:

“Don’t stress when you’re diving: reef sharks are mostly harmless. Unless you get in their way”

” There’s no sharks here………….the crocodiles ate them all”

“You’ll be OK if you swim inside the stinger enclosure, apart from the Irukandji’s, they can swim through the mesh.

“Spiders? Ah, spiders won’t bite you! They don’t even bite. Well, except for that one. But otherwise, harmless.”

This snake is poisonous, but you’ll be right, it’s fangs are at the back of it’s mouth

“No-ones ever been left behind while snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef, except that American couple, but they staged it.”

“Cairns is a safe city……………..just don’t walk alone .

“Kangaroos won’t hurt you. Well, unless they kick you in the head. Then you’re pretty much dead.”

Oh, and did you know that koalas, despite appearances, aren’t exactly cute and cuddly animals. They can actually get pretty viscious, which is why it’s so hard to find a place that will let you hold them.

I will either leave Australia with a healthy respect for animals or with plenty of fodder for bad dreams. Though seeing as how I have already gone swimming with reef sharks, stingrays and crocodiles, I think I’ll be okay. I even now enjoy holding snakes, though I do insist on reassurances that it won’t bite me, even in a non-venomous way. Spiders are where I draw the line. I’m positive my arachnophobia is incurable.

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