Cairns Scuba Diving

So, I spend a couple of days on a boat to dive the Great Barrier Reef (more specifically Milln, Flynn and Thetford reefs) and to take my Rescue Diver course at the same time.

My diving operator Pro Dive Cairns is a solid diving company and I can recommend their services to all divers going to Cairns. Rescue Diver course was a demanding package of theory, pool practice and actual dives at the reef. Compared to earlier PADI open water courses this course is clearly more stressful but at the same time it presents the students with some effective techniques to cope with different kind of diving related emergency situations.  

However, the reef itself is a bit of a disappointment after all the hype from different sources. To me diving at Bunaken is still the best I’ve experienced. Marine life and the corals are just so much more in quantity there. Great Barrier Reef is still worth visiting while travelling Australia but it is not going to blow your sock off unless it is the first tropical reef you are visiting. Even so, I have to admit that encountering sharks is always a great moment of excitement while diving - especially during a night dive the boat lights created a great atmosphere for shark gazing. Also the underwater passages/tunnels at Cathedrals (Thetford reef) are really cool (don't go too deep).

The past 6-7 weeks travelling New Zealand and Australia have offered many new experiences as well as opportunities to meet some great people. Now it is (once again) time to head back home, enjoy Christmas time with family and then start some new challenges.

I'll upload my selection of Australian pictures as soon as I get a decent internet connection.