A large portion of my recent ten day spring break trip was spent in the water. From swimming in the clean waters of Lake McKenna on Fraser Island to spending three days on the beautiful Whitsunday Islands to white water rafting and ending it all by exploring a rainforest on the last day, I had many amazing water adventures.
I felt most at home in the fresh water rivers, even though they were unlike anything I had previously experienced. On Day 7 we went white water rafting on the grade 4 rapids of the Tulle River. The area had just experienced a good deal of rain and the dam at the top of the river was letting the maximum amount of water through so we had the best possible conditions for the wildest ride. Having witnessed the power of the Niagara Falls rapids I was excited to try my hand at conquering this natural powerhouse.
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| Rafting the Tulle |
Paddling along the Tulle, I was like Lewis and Clarke exploring new regions of my inner thoughts as remote and unknown as the Louisiana Purchase. Our guide, a humorous Sacagawea, kept my mind grounded and body boated as I took in the rapids before me and the rainforest cliffs above. Revelations flowed like the water hitting a rock adapting its course to the obstacles presented, the kind of revelations that only make sense in the water.
The fresh waters of the Tulle were dark and fierce as they crashed over massive rocks. This was a major contrast to the calm, breathtaking, indescribable beauty we had just been surrounded by for three days on the Whitsunday Islands.
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| White Haven Beach, The Whitsunday Islands |
Easter Sunday was our first day on the Islands and was one of the best day of my life. Surrounded by water every containing every possible shade of blue to green, my happiness was as pure as the white sand. The impossibly blue water stretched until it met with the cloud-dotted sky at a point that was surely the edge of the world. Riding in a speed boat and taking it all in I finally felt like I understood what Charlie from the novel Perks of Being a Wallflower meant when he said, “And in that moment, I swear we were infinite,” as I had never felt more in awe of being alive.
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| Easter Sunday on the beach |
Not only did we get to explore these immaculate waters on a speedboat and day-long Catamaran ride, but I was lucky enough to snorkel through multiple reefs and scuba dive on the Great Barrier Reef.
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| snorkeling |
My first time snorkeling I was very nervous about how the permanent residents of the reef would react to this human home invasion. My heart rose to my throat and panic ensued as I saw the giant fin pass along side me and disappear into the great blue beyond. I wondered what other of his friends followed and I began to swim as if they indeed were chasing me with their mouths open waiting to devour my exposed toes.
As the waters got shallower and I could see the bottom, I was able to calm down and enjoy the sea life unfolding before me. Floating along the top of the water I observed the fish darting in and out of coral and the strange sea plants opening and closing like they were breathing. I felt like I was finally apart of my favorite childhood Disney film, The Little Mermaid, swimming with all my friends just waiting for them to burst into song.
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| The Great Barrier Reef |
Scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef was one of the coolest things I have ever experienced. Schools of fish weaved through the coral, us just guests in the precious ecosystem they have created for themselves hidden from the dangers of the world. My bubbles floated to the surface like jellyfish as I focused on breathing slowly in and out of my mouth respirator avoiding the temptation to inhale through the nose. This adapted breathing soon became second nature and I was able to take in the incredible sights before me: fish the colors of electric purple and blue that surely glowed in the dark, coral so vibrant and intricate that with one accidental bump I feared I would ruin its existence, small sand colored fish that blended into the bottom for survival, a Nemo fish happily swimming in his anemone, plateaus of coral with small ridges that were home to even more sea life, the colors of the ecosystem popping like the neon lights at a dance club.
We continued along what I believed to be the bottom, then, making a slight adjustment, went over a ridge of coral and found a whole new level to the bottom of the sea to the explore. The possibilities were as endless as fish and I was never more thankful to have a guide on my arm steering me in the right direction so I would not be washed out to big blue beyond.
Returning to the surface I felt different. Besides the ears still popping and heart still racing, I felt like I had witnessed a great secret. I had become a part of the underwater world that previously was so foreign and inaccessible and I was full of awe. The same awe that had filled me while riding on the speedboat the first day was back and it would continue to emerge throughout this trip of a lifetime.
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| happiness after scuba diving |
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