Tuesday, 1 April 2008

TAWOMG - Finding Nemo

Dear Friends,

Our trip to Australia did not finish in Adelaide (bueno, it almost was the case…). Two days after the car accident we flew to Brisbane and three days later to Cairns. It was wise to leave Queensland for the end. We were tired and needed some rest. The fantastic beaches of north-east Australia were the place where to go and rest.

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Until we went to Queensland the stellar moment of the trip was when we swam with the dolphins, south of Melbourne. In Cairns there was a second great experience: snorkel at the outer barrier reef! On the flight from Brisbane to Cairns we could already have an idea what to expect: on the photo beside, made from the plane, you can see some coral reefs. They are spread alongside the north-east Australian coast, covering 2.000 Km from north to south. It is so impressive that it is difficult to explain how beautiful it is.

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In Cairns we stayed at a resort in Palm Cove, about 20 Km north of the city. It was no longer the peak tourist season, the hotels, bars and restaurants in town were only half full. Great for us, that could calmly enjoy it. We were also very lucky: when we arrived to Palm Cove it was the first day of sunshine after weeks of rain! We wanted to rest, but above all we wanted to see the coral reef. We booked a tour to the outer reef. It was more expensive than other tours to locations near the coast, but we were told that in the outer reef there were the best locations to dive or snorkel.

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In the past I had never been enthusiastic about the coral reefs; I don't like any activity under water; the only reason why I went to Cairns was because I was travelling with my cousins and they absolutely wanted to go there; I knew that I would have to do a big effort to snorkel for more than a few minutes. However, as I told to myself, "This is probably the only trip to Cairns in your lifetime. Go there and see the corals, God knows if you will have a second chance to do it. "

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We took the boat to the outer reef in Port Douglas. It was a big catamaran, very well equipped. It took about one and a half hours to get to our destination. Due to bad weather on the previous days, we had rough sea. For those not used to sailing, sometimes it was very unpleasant. I was not worried about the boat, but about going to water on what looked like open ocean. Our instructor assured us that at the reef it would be a lot better, the reef would shelter us. I was not convinced that it would be all that simple. When we arrived to our first destination I wondered whether I really wanted to do it. On the photo you can see how it looks like from the boat. You know that you are miles away from the coast and beyond the reef is the Pacific Ocean. The idea of what might happen can be frightening! On top of it, Marta and Patrícia were afraid of sharks and when they asked the instructor the answer was: "Well, there might be some baby sharks out there, but you are bigger than them…" Very encouraging, indeed!

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Bueno, as we were there, to water we went. Shame that I don't have photos under water, because it was absolutely gorgeous! It is amazing what nature can be up to. The colours and variety of corals, added to the variety of fishes of all sizes make it something unique. As it was my first time snorkelling, I have no idea what you see in other places of the globe. What I can tell you is that it was far beyond all my expectations. As I could relax, forget "what could happen" and concentrate on what I was seeing, I enjoyed it a lot. For my surprise, put together the morning and afternoon locations, I was in the water for some hours, not only minutes. I think I will never forget the feeling of peace and harmony that I experienced there, in a place so far from anywhere I could call home!

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After Cairns we flew to Sydney, where I was for Easter. Last week I told you that I was about to leave Sydney, heading to Hong Kong. Today I am writing from Barcelona, where I arrived on Sunday night. Private reasons brought me back here at least three to four weeks before planned (don't worry, nothing bad has happened). This means that I could make it to Hong Kong, where I stayed until last Friday, but for the moment I had to postpone the trip to Shanghai and Beijing, where I intended to visit friends. Other trips in Southeast Asia will also have to wait for another occasion.

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In Sydney I bought "Finding Nemo". I had not watched it before. Yesterday night I did it. In the reef we saw some Nemos, some Doris, one turtle. Well, the group that was diving even saw a shark. It was just a baby one… I could also confirm what I once was told: at the end of the movie they play one of my favourite songs, "Somewhere". Watching "Finding Nemo" and remembering our trip I told myself: "What a great country Australia is, and what a lucky person I am, having the opportunity to visit it. Hope I can make it back there soon!"

Wish you have a nice week!

Maurício

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