Bitchin Rocks n Waves: The Far North - R&R on the Great Ocean Road and the Great Barrier Reef

After the crash (see last post) I spent a solid week at camp in Arapiles recuperating and just hanging out. I revisited the scene more than a couple times, I spent a lot of time reflection on the accident, my travel plans and just life in general. I was glad to have this time to take a breath and reflect, but after a week I was ready to move on and have some fun. It's pretty rough sitting in Arapiles with a busted hand not being able to climb anything ;)

Fortunately I was due to meet up with my parents in Melbourne. I had a few days to kill yet before they arrived. I was very keen to explore the 'Surf Coast' of Victoria which is west of Melbourne on the Great Ocean Road. Unfortunately, I was still missing a bunch of skin and my hand/the rest of me was probably too sore to surf. I made the tough call to leave the boards behind. Sofie graciously agreed to look after my car whilst I travelled with my folks; we set off to explore Coastal Victoria together so that she could drive Sheela back to camp at Arapiles once I'd met my folks in Melbourne.

The coast of Victoria is beautiful, unique yet very familiar. The cool crisp ocean air, big trees, high bluffs above the sea are all very reminiscent of Central California. I was happy, fascinated and homesick all at the same time. This was one of those beautiful Fall surf days that I left behind just 6 months ago. We drove the coast pulling over from time to time to soak in a beautiful view or check a potential surf spot. I found myself saying this over and over: 'I can't wait to get back here with my boards, it's like Big Sur with point breaks!!'

Halfway down the coast to Melbourne, we stopped for a hike in the Cape Otway National Park. This region boasts a stand of giant eucalyptus which are some of the tallest in Australia. Interestingly, they also have planted a grove of California Redwoods in the area. I guess the climate etc. is conducive to growing big trees! We skipped the redwood grove and went on a hike through a lush forest of giant ferns and gum trees. We saw a few gorgeous waterfalls along the way. The falls and pools beneath were difficult to access so swimming wasn't an option. This was fine since it was pretty chilly anyhow, instead we kicked back and enjoyed the sights, sounds and smells of this serene forest.

The next day we picked up my folks in Melbourne at the airport. It was nice to see them after what seems like a very long time. They were excited to see me and perhaps more excited to be on the other side of the world in a country they had never visited before. We enjoyed a delicious lunch on the warf and got caught up. They were pretty tired after a lot of travel so they retired to an afternoon nap.

The next day was a big one which involved quite a bit of driving. In the end it was worth it and my parents were delighted to see an excellent variety of Australian flora and fauna. We set off early in the morning for the big drive from Melbourne to Cape Wilson's Promontory. The tip of this peninsula is the southernmost point of mainland Australia. Just after entering the gates of the park we saw giant emu's and kangaroo's. After taking some pictures we drove down to some gorgeous secluded beaches on the western side of the Cape. We saw gorgeous red parrots in the parking lot. There was even some nice granite bouldering to be found right on the beach! Next time... Next stop was Phillip Island to see the famous march of the penguins. We watched hundreds of these little blue and white critters waddle up the beach in waves to their little holes. Definitely entertaining. Of more interest to me.. the penguins made their march from a cove inside what appeared to be an epic right reef-point. I asked one of the rangers and sure enough, on a good swell, this spot fires!

I spent the next couple of days touring Victoria with my folks before flying up to Cairns for our boat tour of the Great Barrier Reef. I'd definitely been looking forward to this trip and was very glad that my injuries wouldn't prevent me from partaking in the snorkeling and diving. The GBR is one of the most spectacular spots in the world for snorkeling and SCUBA. I hadn't done a whole lot of research or looked at many pictures; I relished the surprise of what lurked below the bright blue water. Bright and early in the morning we stepped aboard a 60ft steel hulled sailboat along with ten or so other reef-bound tourists. We were given a quick tour of the amenities onboard (which were luxurious by my sailboat cruising standards, but some might feel differently), and then we set off out to sea to see the 'Outer Reef'. The reefs furthest from shore are said to have the clearest water and the most abundant wildlife due to their proximity to deep water.

A few hours later, the crew had us tied off to a mooring ball in the lee of 'Tedford's Reef'. The reef was a crescent of even brighter, light blue water which stretched for a mile in either direction from where we were anchored. In no time at all I was wetsuited up, snorkel and flippers on and swimming eagerly towards the reef. Immediately any expectations I had about the experience and the wildlife were blown out of the water (no pun intended). The water was crystal clear and I could see 40-50 feet in every direction. There were fish of all sizes, shapes and colors all over the place. I hadn't even made it to the reef yet! The reef itself is a fantastic array of shapes and colors and textures. Giant blue cauliflower, bright red and razor sharp pitchforks, mushroom caps, brain looking thingys. It's hard to describe and the pictures can't even do it justice. Although a few of them did turn out pretty well ;)

During our two days at the reef I saw just about every character in Pixar's Finding Nemo. I saw majestic golden turtles, creepy white stingrays, small but intimidating reef sharks and a wide assortment of colorful tropical fish. Let me tell you, as fantastic and colorful as that movie was, it doesn't hold a candle to the real thing. I spent as much time as I could snorkeling around, practicing my freediving technique, finding epic tunnels and canyons in the reef with big sleeping fish and other critters abound. Next it was time to put on the tank. Initially I was a bit hesitant, worried about clearing my ears, getting the bends etc. but given all there was to see I felt like I shouldn't miss out. My SCUBA instructor Zac, from Arizona of all places, was excellent, knowledgable and made me feel extremely comfortable about the whole process. By the end of the trip I had done 3 dives and now I'm keen for more! Some day I'll have to get my SCUBA ticket.

It was awesome to hang out with my folks and see them having such a good time. This boat trip was the perfect blend of excitement and relaxation for all of us to enjoy. In addition to the reef we had excellent food and company and an exciting sail to and from the reef. There was a minor hangup when our anchor snagged a coral head on the last day. The windless winch failed and pulling up the anchor proved to be a rather dangerous situation as the length of the chain flew out of it's compartment and into the water (twice) each time the brake failed. In the end my Dad (a lifelong sailor) helped the crew to position the boat over the anchor. The captain of the ship, jumped into the water with a scuba tank to free the anchor from the reef, and the remaining crew and I pulled 40 meters of chain out of the water. Fitness party!! Whew it was physical and my bad hand hurt like hell, but it was fun nonetheless. I hadn't had an adrenaline fix like that for a few weeks... The sail home was wild, we arrived back at port in Cairns a bit later than expected, exhausted and content. Back in Cairns, we enjoyed one last meal together before my parents flew out to see Sydney and New Zealand.

Lucky me, I had a couple more days to kill in the 'Far North'. I took a bus up to the sleepy, tropical town of Port Douglas. When I arrived in town I went straight to the beach. The water looked a bit murky due to the onshore breeze blowing so I op ted for a run instead of a swim. The beach was long and gorgeous. The southern end formed a nice hook turning the breeze sideshore and there were a bunch of kiteboarders haning out. There was a reef which kept the water dead flat and a very consistent/moderate amount of breeze. It looked like the best place to learn the sport in the world. Boy I was wishing I had a setup at that moment.

That night, I enjoyed some lively conversation at the hostel and a bottle of wine along with some salami and cheese my folks had left me. I woke up the next morning a bit later than planned and caught a bus to Mossman's Gorge. I could only spend a couple of hours, but I enjoyed every moment. I strolled through the lush and bright green rainforest. I took a dip in the clear blue and refreshing river. I've never swum in fresh water that was both warmer and clearer than this. It was a gorgeous swimming hole. Out in the middle of the river, the water moved at a nice pace so that you could swim up river indefinitely, without moving. Somebody threw some bread crumbs into the river and a lively school of decent sized fish came out of nowhere to eat the crumbs.

In the end my trip to the 'Far North' was exceptional, unique and far too brief. I think with the right gear I could spend months up there exploring the reef and the jungle and not get bored. I would recommend a stop here to anyone traveling this side of the world.

Check out this video! http://youtu.be/cWZytRRTjaY

And these photo's: Click one to expand/ see a slideshow.