Title Kiana

Although many yachts cruise the Whitsundays, the Kiana is one of the few that visit the outer barrier reef. It's also a dive boat. I was keen, so we booked a three day cruise.

Unfortunately, Jasmijn was not quite as keen. What she really wanted to do was stay on the Fantasea 'Reefworld' pontoon on the outer barrier reef. So, although she strenuously denies it, I think she somehow arranged the first engine breakdown in 17 years on board the Kiana, requiring us to be towed all the way back to the mainland by our poor, stressed captain. (Actually, he was a very cool dude and, as with all the crew, extremely nice).

In the end we got a lovely day out on the water, with lunch, for free.

Yacht

Island 1

Title Reefworld

We then immediately booked onto Reefworld. A massive high-speed catamaran makes the 6 hour round trip to the outer reef daily, passing by Hamilton Island here, en route.

Hamilton Island mega-yacht.

Reefworld, anchored at Hardy Reef, is the largest pontoon floating on the outer barrier reef.

Reefworld from the water

It has a dorm room with four bunks, and a double room. These is apparently the only reef pontoon accommodation worldwide. We felt incredibly privileged to be able to stay overnight on the reef.

We were not alone. George the Groper also lives under the pontoon (which has been anchored there for 17 years). He's about a quarter of a ton and eats small sharks, and other fish, after attempting to appear as harmless as possible and working his way up close to them. He has half a dozen girlfriends which appear only around 150 kg. This is Gorge's lair.

One of George's girlfriends.

This sea turtle visited briefly. Note the chunk out of its shell - perhaps from a shark.

The pontoon has a fabulous underwater viewing gallery, from which this shot was taken.

To actually enter the water, stinger suits are almost mandatory during the jellyfish season (summer). Irukandji jellyfish stings are extremely painful and rarely fatal.

JdeB

Schools of fish seem to hover permanently below the pontoon.

JdeB with fish 2

Fish school 1

The pontoon is anchored in 60 m of water, next to Hardy Reef - which offers beautiful snorkelling.

Coral 1

Snorkeler

Coral purple

Coral pink

Coral purple-tipped

Coral blue

AK 1

AK diving

Snorkeller diving

Guided tours are available with this marine biologist, who is permanently in the water (for the 3.5 hours that the boat visits). He loves his job and has a fabulous sense of humour.

He introduces snorkelers to the amazing, wonderful creatures that inhabit the reef, such as giant clams.

Clam 2

Clams 2

The numerous ridges of brain coral maximise the surface area available for photosynthesis by the zooxanthellae algae with which they have a symbiotic relationship.

Brain coral with parrot fish

Shelf 4

Fish blue-tailed

You can actually hear the 'crunching' noise made by fish feeding on coral. Parrot fish eat a ton of it, on average, during their lifetimes.

Fish yellow-tailed 1

Fish yellow-tailed 2

fish striped 1

Fish spotted

I was absolutely thrilled to spot this sea turtle below me.

Turtle 2

Jasmijn did better spotting this reef shark. Reef sharks are even rarer than sea turtles. Sharks dangerous to people are extremely rare.

Best of all, the pontoon is a major dive platform, with several dive instructors taking both beginners and experienced dives on tours of the reef. Here, Jasmijn is about to go on an introductory dive. She went to 11 m down. We both did two dives.

Divers follow a series of guide ropes initially. Here, a chain anchoring the pontoon to the reef has become colonised by coral. The pontoon arrived 17 years ago.

The best place to explore is the reef edge, which drops into deep water.