Something changed while I was down there. Something clicked, shifted, or even mutated while I was under that water. This was not just a tick off the old box; this was a passion that ignited. As I came to the surface of my second dive, I knew it was for me. I simply couldn’t understand how the other divers could contain themselves. They looked a little excited, but only a little. I wanted to ask them if they had their eyes closed. I thought to myself, self, there are a lot of places that you have seen backpackers drop anchor and stay to work at forever, but this is the first place that actually makes sense.

This is the part I love; the freedom and flexibility. I’ve decided to go on two additional diving trips. The first is just a repeat of the Rum Runner. I had such a great time and thought it was such a great value that I have opted into the same exact trip in a few days.

The next trip is a total splurge. It’s a 5 day 4 night trip up to Cod Hole and the Coral Sea (Osprey Reef). This trip is very special indeed. It consists of 14 dives. Cod Hole is Ribbon Reef #10 which is way up at the top of the Great Barrier Reef (the top of where ships can reach from Cairns). It’s called Cod Hold because it is a patch of sand where giant grouper the size of divers swim and interact with divers regularly. This is where a diver can pet a fish that is the size of them. I think that the species of grouper must be something like a Cod Grouper (or Aussies call grouper by the name Cod). This is a magnificent opportunity but the real cake stealer is the Coral Sea (Osprey Reef). This location is about 90 miles off the coast of Australia and is known for its 1000 meter (that’s right 3300 feet) shear drop underwater cliff. The visibility in the Coral Sea is between 50 and 70 meters. This is diving at the next level. This is the type of stuff that is said to make the Cairns diving that I just did look like a murky swimming pool. The best part of the Coral Sea is that they have a consistent shark population. The trip even has a shark feeding dive where you get to swim with hundreds and sometimes thousands of sharks. These are non lethal reef sharks with the occasional hammerhead and tiger shark. I’m not exactly thrilled about the tiger shark (the second most deadly shark in the world) issue but as they say “When in Roam”. In addition they have frequent (though not guaranteed) manta ray encounters.

My heart is jacked. I am absolutely electric at the moment. Just thinking about getting back into the water and the thought of where I am going sends me into a heightened state. I’ve ascended to the level where partying and days at the beach have no draw anymore. I am going to see a part of Australia that almost everyone (including the locals) doesn’t get a chance to see. I’m a week away and I simply can’t sit still for a second.

This should be the crown jewel of my Journey to date (possibly my life). In an adaptive nature, I am going to be skipping the outback for this trip. I will leave it for when I come back to Australia sometime in my future.

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