Face to face with calm turtles, gentle rays and curious sharks, the surface sending shimmering rays of vibrant sunlight through the water, casting a magical glow over you. A turtle sees you and soars closer, curious about the strange creature in their home. Dazzling colours and glorious, rippling surface patterns scatter, reflecting off the bottom of the shallows. It's breathtaking, and yet you've never been able to breathe easier.
Fish of all shapes, sizes and vibrant colours surrounded us and every time we dove down, they followed us, curious at the huge animals that were visiting their space...little starfish and other little ocean creatures peppered the wrecks and the surrounding sand banks and it was spectacular...It is quite a unique and special ecosystem that has been forged from the remnants of human activity.
By the time that we left, watching the sun sink towards the horizon as the boat eased away from the pier on Rottnest Island, I was already replaying my favourite parts of the day in my head...Rottnest Island should be on everyone's bucket list when in Australia. It is a shining jewel and it exceeds every expectation you could possibly have, tenfold.
And that was truly just the start...the colours just exploded around us...colourful fish surrounded us as we swam further into this underwater oasis, magic sparkling around us as the sunlight shimmered down from the water's surface. And I had no idea that being here with our friends could possibly get any better.
So there we were, talking and watching the soft blue sky intertwine with the whites and dove greys of clouds and the sound of coral gently tinkling into the shore as the ocean rushed in to meet the edges of Fitzroy Island.
We did not know what this year would hold for us. As of this very moment, I am sitting in my office looking out at a perfect view of the sunlight filtering down through the green leaves of the trees, a perfect blue sky, and bird song fills the air. And to top it all off, the butterfly migration is in full swing. There are butterflies gracefully arcing through the wind every which way. This is paradise, surely?
And then, imagine this...millions of years after your entire species is long gone, an individual of a species you will never see for yourself happens upon your footprints; immortalised remnants of your life, of your very existence. Pure happenstance and suddenly two species, millions of years apart, are connected.
We decided to travel through our home state...Just in this one road trip, we had been to the red outback centre of the state to the crystal clear oceans that frame its edges.
What makes Caloundra so special is that the ocean flows into a little waterway that feels very much like a lake. On a clear day, the water is beautiful shades of blues, turquoises, and greens.
Living in this area is wonderful so far. We both bought bikes, which is great. We have so many great bike tracks around the city. I miss the relaxed atmosphere of Southeast Asia but I love the feeling of home.
Over the last few months, we did research on potential places to move to, the pros and cons of each of these locations, visa qualifications, must-see sights, etc. Australia will always be home, but we can have homes away from homes, too.
A dizzying array of colour literally surrounds you as the fish swim with you. The Great Barrier Reef is renowned for a very good reason…and I promise that there is nothing like it. It is one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World and it more than earns its place.
