TROPICAL NORTH QUEENSLAND

Day 2 - Reef diving

'Bittersweet' well describes my early departure from Peppers Beach Club & Spa. I wanted to spend the remaining morning with a sleep-in and a day at the pool or the beach, but with departure came three dives with Poseidon Outer Reef Cruises.

I boarded the Poseidon at Port Douglas and was soon on my way to the Agincourt Reef region. Everyone raves about the diving from Port Douglas and it turns out everyone was right. From a repertoire of 40 dive sites, Poseidon focused on three excellent locations: Nursery Bommie, Barracuda Bommie, and Triggerfish City. And with delicious snacks and lunch provided I couldn’t ask for more — but let’s focus on the diving.

Each of the three dive sites brought a different experience, but to be honest with you, the third dive at Triggerfish City was the best, the most evocative. You’ll understand when you immerse yourself in the underwater world. My group of eight divers glided around and through heaps of coral bommies. I could have sworn I was in a fish metropolis. There were amazing multicoloured hard corals, sponges and huge schools of fish. And let’s not forget the reef sharks — don’t worry, they’re more afraid of us and prefer eating fish. What an amazing introduction to diving on the Great Barrier Reef!

If you have an interest in eco-tourism then you will love Thala Beach Lodge. Just a short 20 minute drive from Port Douglas, it’s nestled in amongst 150 acres of beach, rainforest, trails, and plantation. I couldn’t believe the view from the restaurant, and the open air lounge completely blew me away.

Having seen so much beauty during the day, sitting in the lounge at sunset was the perfect way to finish a day on the Reef. Dinner included an excellent choice of gourmet entrées, mains, desserts, and wines. I started with oysters, then some pork with veggies, but after all that there wasn’t room for dessert. What a shame.

The beautiful yet simple decoration coupled with a lovely deck, all tucked right into the forest made Thala Beach Lodge truly unique. When I retired to my room I thought, 'eco-tourism never looked so good.' Where else can you dive on the reef all day and sleep in the rainforest at night...

Day 3 - Indigenous and canopy tours >

Diving near Agincourt Reef

 

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