My Australian holiday - you asked for it !

[Snatcher]

Next up I spotted this bird in the treetops - was it a heron?

 

 

The skipper eventually had to turn the boat around as the river was starting to get very narrow.He let this young lad have a go at the wheel - nice touch skipper!

 

 

Another eagle,this time in flight

 

 

The skipper said he would take us down to the river mouth before returning to the marina.This was the Yacht Club

 

 

Check out these two yakkers hitching a ride

 

 

We then passed "Quicksilver" which would later take us out to the barrier reef

 

 

The Inlet Bar

 

 

Soul n Pepper

 

 

This is the jetty that I had done so many early morning fishing sessions from

 

 

The sun was nearly down by now and it was time to head back to the marina

 

 

All in all a very enjoyable trip

[Snatcher]

Now I have been keeping all of my fishing adventures separate and posting them up on the sea forum,to date have posted up about 9 with more still to put on.To balance out this diary will add two of them to it. The first one we done the very next day after our crocodile spotting trip on the Lady Douglas.

 

I had fancied a trip up the river trying for mangrove jack so decided to hire a pontoon boat for two hours.The guy in the tackle shop at Port Douglas recommended fresh steak as the best bait for them so this was our bait for the session

 

 

Now Dorothy,still glowing from her previous session,said that she fancied a bash at this as well so I suggested alternate casts as we just had one set of gear.The guy who hires out the pontoon boats supplies a rough fishing map as well and suggested we should try at the mouth of second inlet.Off we went then with Dorothy at the helm - Lillian her sister took this photo.

 

 

Dorothy could just not get the hang of the steering and I had to take the wheel over to avoid any mishaps!!!

 

We anchored up at the mouth of second inlet and I baited up for Dorothy using a running leger with a size 2 baitholder hook and a cube of steak on.She had a bite within a few minutes but missed it.Meanwhile I was dropping in a steady stream of steak in hopefully to act as grooundbait.

 

My turn next,within seconds of casting in got a good thump on the rod but missed it -damm.I decided to tie on a smaller size 4 hook,baited up and handed the rod back to Dorothy.She got a decent bite and in came her fish after a spirited scrap,a black bream.I was unhooker for the day so back it went

 

 

Oh well my turn again and managed to miss yet another bite and it swiped all the steak off the hook. Dorothys turn once more and this time she hooked a mangrove jack.Its the first one I had seen and was well impressed with its markings.

 

 

 

Back it went to chants of "two nowt" from Dorothy.I am quite used to it as quite often get hammered into second place by her.

 

I was just about to cast out when I noticed the Lady Douglas paddle steamer coming upstream and heading straight for us. It was on a crocodile spotting trip and having no wish to become crocodile bait pulled up the anchor and pulled in as close as I dared to let her pass

 

 

It was at this point that I decided to head back downstream to the entrance of first inlet and try there for the last half hour.It was a bad move as we got no more bites.

 

Dorothy spotted a large croc coming down first inlet towards us.It passed fairly close and I reckoned it was a 12 feet plus beast

 

 

I am happy to report that we were not on the menu and it headed on down the river

 

 

The next report sees us visit the Great Barrier Reef

Edited January 6, 2009 by Snatcher

[Snatcher]

A couple of large boats operated tours/dives out on the Great Barrier Reef.We read through all the pamphlets and decided that the "Quicksilver" was more suited to our needs

 

 

 

This is Quicksilver passing the jetty where I had caught quite a few decent fish

 

 

She certainly got up to a fair lick!

 

 

It was a case of hang onto your hats,I seen one blow overboard

 

 

It was too lumpy for some,oops where has Lillian gone?

 

 

Check out"Captain Camera"

 

 

Quicksilver has a permanent dive platform moored out on the reef,it is quite enormous.This is our transport tied up to it

 

 

 

When you got out to the reef a few options were available to you,one being to view the reef from a helicopter

 

 

[Steve Randles]

I've been there Snatch, done the Helicoptor ride, dived from it and sat in the underwater viewing gallery...Its magnificent!!!

 

Steve...

[Snatcher]

I have never learnt to dive properly with tanks etc but did fancy a bit snorkle later on.All of the gear was provided for you at a reasonable cost. Two semisubmersibles were on hand to take you on a reef tour. Now this is a misnomer really as the boat does not dive at all.What there is is a purpose built viewing chamber below decks which held about 25 people seated.It was an eyeopener.Despite the portholes being a bit dirty we got a good view of the reef

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After this tour I tried to find out where you hired the snorkling gear when I noticed the buffet was being put out.Actually it was more like a banquet.The seafood spread was just too tempting. We decided to tuck in straight away. I really did make a pig of myself and decided that after eating so much food snorkling was not a good idea.We had a stroll instead.

 

Another one of the options was to try underwater photography.Like I say they provided all the gear including cameras and kept a constant flow of food in to keep the fish in close.

 

 

There was an underwater viewing chamber which we took full advantage of

 

 

This was the official photographer taking a picture of me taking a picture of her LOL

 

[Snatcher]

 

 

Now this was the option I had intended to do

 

 

It just means I will have to make a return trip!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I hope you enjoyed your tour of the Great Barrier Reef as much as we did. Next up is a jeep safari into the Daintree Rainforest and Cape Tribulation,why not join me on it!

[tonynufc]

another fantastic report mate, keep'em coming

[Bobj]

Excellent, mate.

[nursejudy]

Brilliant

[Janet]

A great read!

 

Janet