Happy Monday, friends!
For those of you who love a travel recap, you’re in luck because today, I’m sharing PART 6 FROM OUR TRIP TO AUSTRALIA.
For those of you who do not, don’t worry, there is only one more after this 😉 .
As a reminder, so far, we’ve covered: PART ONE (Arrival, Sydney, Bondi) and then PART TWO (Manly Beach) and then PART THREE (The Blue Mountains, Koalas & Kangaroos!) and then PART FOUR (Off to Cairns!) and finally, PART FIVE (Beach Bums).
I mentioned in a previous post that at the end of the trip, all eight of us agreed that we had the same two favorite days. We all loved both our BLUE MOUNTAIN DAY and this one 🙂 .
This day was one of those pinch yourself extra extra amazing days that you’ll remember forever. This was the day we went out and snorkeled in the Great Barrier Reef! And bonus, this day was also extra special because…
…it was the TENTH ANNIVERSARY with our sweet Ashby!
It was such a special way to celebrate such a special girl.
Disclaimer before we begin…but this was an epic day that has few pics. Apologies in advance, but we didn’t have our phones with us the majority of the day, so we couldn’t take a lot of pictures.
Here we go…
We woke up that morning and drove over to Port Douglas because we had chartered a boat for the day to take us out into the reef to snorkel.
We had a boat with a captain and one other crew member who both did an amazing job of spoiling us with food and teaching us all about the reef, the history, the culture, the indigenous people and so much more throughout the day.
Off we went!
We headed out for about two hours before stopping…
…they dropped anchor here and we got ready to snorkel and explore that island over there.
Please note our wetsuits…
…they are required in this part of the country during the summer months. In order to get into the water, you must have your entire body covered (including fingers and toes and your face) so that the lethal jelly fish and stingrays don’t get you. Between the spiders and the stingrays and the crocodiles, I considered it a win that we all made it back 😉 .
This is where my photo taking gets wonky. Our captain made two trips with us. He dropped off this group, and then came back and got the rest of us.
Off they went!
And then off we went. Thank you to the crew member for using my phone to snap this pic.
My mom didn’t snorkel, she just went out to the island and watched. She took a few of these pics…
See? The photos most definitely don’t match up with the day.
In a nutshell, we spent the afternoon snorkeling and exploring that island. We saw more fish than I’ve ever seen in my life. So many schools of brightly colored, almost fluorescent fish, swimming everywhere. We even swam with reef sharks. Mades was the most apprehensive about snorkeling out in the middle of the ocean, but the minute she got in, she was the most natural. It freaked me out a bit because I thought “sticking by Madeley” would make my day a little easier, but instead, I had to do the most work swimming around and keeping up with that kid. She LOVED it! With everyone dressed in wetsuits, fins, goggles and masks, it was hard to keep up with who was who…Madeley was always the one swimming off and about the fastest, ha!
After a very big and amazing afternoon, we loaded back up on the boat…
…and dug into this amazing spread.
We spent the rest of the afternoon heading back to Port Douglas. By the time we arrived at our hotel, we were so filthy and oh so happy. We showered and headed off…
…to another lovely dinner in Palm Cove.
I know, I know, the pictures don’t do it justice but the MEMORIES the eight of us have are the real blessing.
Six down, one more to go! Spoiler alert, there’s a plot twist in the last recap. #sigh
Now, don’t forget, if you want to visit Australia too, we want to send you! Contact my travel agency today for more info on an Australian vacation or to any of our other destinations around the world. We would be so honored to send you to Europe, on a cruise, to Mexico, the Caribbean, Walt Disney World, Hawaii or any of our other destinations.
Happy happy FEBRUARY! I hope you all have a wonderful start to your day/week/month! xx
Elspeth says
What an incredible day at sea! Thanks for sharing!
http://www.elspethsdaybyday.com
Kelly M Sites says
How did your sea sickness -motion sickness do on the boat and snorkeling? I have BOTH and we took our kids snorkeling in Mexico and I took one for the team and went along and puked off the boat the entire trip 🙁 But we saw the biggest most beautiful sea turtle who swam right up to us, and that made it worth it (sort of). Boats and Kelly do not mix. I just can’t do it. But I have FOMO and don’t want to miss time with my husband and kids.
Mix and Match Mama says
Dramamine + Lots of Crackers is the only combo that really works well for me.
Rita says
Ask that you pray for Far North Queensland as at the moment they are experiencing extreme flooding.
Mix and Match Mama says
That’s terrible!
Sheaffer says
Okay, wait. So I’m supposed to trust that the wetsuit is supposed to protect me from the LETHAL jellyfish. I’ll be with Lovie.
Patty Anderson says
I’ve snorkeled and I’ve been scuba diving with sharks. But the Great Barrier Reef intimidates me big time. Kudos to all of you!
Arika says
How did your stomach handle a 2 hour boat ride on the way to the reef? Any remedies you find helpful? I’d love to be able to enjoy boat rides!
Mix and Match Mama says
For me, a full stomach is the key. I always always eat before getting on a boat/small plane/etc and then bring crackers as well. The minute my stomach isn’t full, things go south, so I eat a lot to make up for it. I also take Dramamine too!
Susy says
Must recommend staying on Heron Island to do the GBR. Burrowing birds moaning at night; others bird species walking around this small island sharing trails with you; hatching sea turtles headed to the ocean and you can walk right on to the GBR (carefully) as fish swim around your feet. And amazing snorkeling in less than 5 minutes. One of the most thrilling, accessible, authentic stays!
Laura says
Wow, what a fabulous vacation. It just keeps getting better and better.
Alyssa Norman says
Ok- so how do you handle an outing like that with your motion sensitivities? I’ve always wanted to do these fun adventurous things but I’m always terrified I’ll get seasick and it will ruin everything!
Looks like once in a lifetime though 🙂
Mix and Match Mama says
I took quite a lot of Dramamine and ate my weight in crackers. Sometimes, I do get sick! This time, I didn’t get sick, but I didn’t feel fabulous.
Charlene Cunningham says
There are some ” nausea bands” you can buy on Amazon and elsewhere, that uses acupressure on a spot on your wrist. I’ve never been sea sick-( only on amusement park rides and watching videos), but I put them on during rough seas on our sailing trips. Worth a try!
Sharon says
Did everyone wear life jackets when snorkling? I’ve never snorkled so I don’t know how it works. I would be like your mom and just watch. I have a fear of dark deep water.
Mix and Match Mama says
You can do both when snorkeling. The life jacket makes it hard to be buoyant and actually swim and see the fish.
Kristen says
I just read an article this am that a 17 yr old died from a shark bite in Australia!!
Mix and Match Mama says
Well that is frightening!
Erika Slaughter says
AWWW!!! This looks like the most perfect day!
Temi says
You survived the lethal jellyfish, stingrays, spiders, crocs and sharks! Who knew the real danger lay waiting for you in a swanky NYC hotel! You were no match for that darn coffee pot! 🙃 I love the trip recaps and basically any content you share. Looks like an epic trip! 💗
Mix and Match Mama says
Well this made me LOL!
Laci says
The water looks incredible! I must admit I would have been with Lovie, she snapped some amazing pics!