In 2000 we spent a month in Australia, several days of which were spent in the Coral Sea on a live-aboard dive boat, Rum Runner, out of Cairns.  The Coral Sea is about 200 kms off the north eastern Australian coast, way beyond the Great Barrier Reef.  We were impressed with the numbers and variety of sharks that we dived with - reefs are great for colourful fish but you need to dive in more open water to see the really big fish.  On one dive we spent 45 minutes in the middle of 50 sharks, grey reef and white tips, pussy cats compared with three silver tips including the one on the left, all 3 metres of it...

The highlight was undoubtedly a dive at a site called the Abyss.  This comprises a wall starting at about 20 metres down but descending down for over a 1000 metres - as it was our second dive of the day, we stayed at 35 metres!  It is an awesome sight looking down and seeing this wall of rock and coral descending into darkness and then looking out at a wall of pure blue as a 5 metre Hammerhead shark swims in for a closer look at these strange, bubble making creatures.  It is somewhat more nerve wracking lying in the water waiting for the boat knowing that it is still down there below you!

We also visited some beaches around the dive trip, in particular at Cape Tribulation where the rain forest and the reef meet, although it rained all day, hence the name rain forest, I suppose...

I must go down to the sea again, for the call of the running tide

Is a wild call  and a clear call that may not be denied;

And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,

And the flung spray and the blown spume, and sea-gulls crying.

Sea Fever, John Masefield

Shark bait...