Trip log - Coogee beach
24th November 2018
The plane landed okay. We dropped off our suitcase and changed into summer shorts. We took a stroll up the hill Dolphin Point and back down to beach. Sis only brought with her maxi dresses and they were took long to waddle into Giles baths. To add to the matter she was too embarrassed to sit by the Ross Jones rock pool. We took a bus ride to Mahon pool and dipped our legs into the water. It was a nice feeling. cut short, as we had to meet cousin for dinner and they like eating at 6pm. More or less during peak hour times/traffic jam times. They have young children who needs to sleep at 7:30pm. So, it is understandable.
The trip took place in late November, I figured it would be nice to have a little getaway, before the hectic holiday season begins, and to catch up with cousins in Sydney along the way. The trip was planned 6 months ago, only a week before I board the plane, did one of my cousin state they cannot meet me for dinner on Sunday due to another event.
My original intention was to have one dinner night and that's it. My sister cannot stand them and insinuations aunty throws at her. We end up having a dinner with aunty and everyone on Saturday, another dinner on Sunday, and one more dinner on Monday.
I did get a few chances to play PoGo in Coogee beach. Ah, the waters are so nice, and I dip my legs in cool water many times over. I also managed to do one T5 raid by the beach. Oh yeah baby! That's the life. Sis and I resided by the beach, as we wanted to wake up to the sounds of waves and not car honks. However, each time cousin asked us to meet up, it always had to be 1 and 30 mins hour away from Coogee beach via public transportation.
25th November 2018
After having survived a weird dinner. Sis and I decided to grab a nice Mexican lunch and head down to Malabar ocean pool. The bus 399 skipped us and drove away. Odd. We waited for another 399 by then we wasted a whole hour. We should have taken the L94 bus and walked down to the pool instead. Plus there was a really good fired chicken shop with 8 different salads to choose from. Yum.
Upon arriving Sis needed to go the loo. Lucky the golf club had toilets the public can use. Outside of the pool is rocks contains sea creatures. Standing on the rocks the water would swell and rise up beyond your knees. The sensation of warm water swaying was a nice feeling. I saw some colourful creatures, but I was not entirely sure what they were. The pool itself was partly damaged and you can get hit by golf balls. I did. No change room, no toilet. There is a beach nearby, but no shade.
Again, we could not stay long, as my cousin wanted to have dinner somewhere, where, no one knows. Just that it had to be 5-6pm. We walked up several hills. Took a break and had chips at the fried chicken shop. We caught a bus back to Sydney, while cousin sorted themselves out. Sis went to a book store to kill time and I stared at David Jones window displays. Since it has been an hour and we have not heard from them. I decided we will have dinner at Italian Bowl as it was highly recommended by Four Square. Cousin met up with us there. Then we had ice cream at C9, which was so so, but I got bitten by misquotes 7 times around the knee. Ew. What a dirty store. Sis choose that store. Newtown doesn't have Italian gelato like Carlton ones. Only franchise stuff.
26th November 2018
Playing it safe we had burgers, hanged locally, and walked to Shark Point. Along the way we saw many birds, sea creatures, pools, and cliff face. The amazing part is how the waves can reach so high and splash you at the top of the cliff. Hee hee. We found a small water pool in Tom Caddy Point and placed our feet in it. We watched water shell slugs travel from one pool to the next. Felt like we were miles away.
Again, we could not stay long, as my cousin wanted to have dinner in Cronulla at 6pm. The suburb doesn't appeal to me for some reason. After having visited the various pools near Coogee beach, I have learnt my sister prefers foot spa like pools, not rockpools or inland pools. Everything was closed by the time we arrived in Cronulla, as it took us 30 mins by bus to get to Sydney, and 1 hour and 17 mins by train from Sydney to Cronulla. Like any beach suburb it has 1 main street, tiny parks, poor shade, no trails, and a beach. Nothing significant about it. Coogee is cool by name, plus it is connected to not one, but 7 or more pools by the ocean, in other words, a wider selection to choose from. Like cheese, everyone has their own taste.
I offered one hint to my cousin, advising her sons that swimming in static water doesn't prepare you or your stamina for the ocean waters. The rockpools and swimming pools have static water. Whereas the ocean has rips, currents, swells, and winds. Most people find the ocean waters challenging and shocking to swim in. I am a poor swimmer and I enjoy swimming in challenging ocean waters. Now where's that noodle pool at?
27th November 2018
We flew to Cairns. The heat hits you instantly. Luckily, we were already in shorts. Ha ha. Took a taxi into town. The marina is lovely. Love walking past the lagoon was a treat every time. My sister detoured to a huge shopping mall by the train station to stock up on supplies. Then did we wander back to the night market. Sis didn't like the fish foot spa, trinkets, and food there. After having a self serve dinner, we had ice cream by the lagoon. Sis didn't feel comfortable in putting the legs in the pool. The life guard said the pool was closed for the night. Swimming yes, resting leg in it - no.
28th November 2018
Wakey wakey. Off to the reef terminal we go. Check in and paid reef tax. Then gift shopping. I found myself a side bag and dad a t-shirt. Sis wanted to buy a hoodie jump because of its print. Down to the port we find our Silverswift labelled ship. We sat on the cement nearby and wait for boarding to open. Once onboard, you had to fill our form about the state of your health. Tea and cakes were ready. We were debrief about using our gears, using the ship facilities, and how to call for help. Sadly, Sis and I forgot to bring extra sun screen and towels. BYO people! They do offer free power ports and tubs to wash salt water off your GoPro camera. Drinkable water and warm shower water to rinse off salt water. De-fog soap spray for your snorkel goggles.
What an adventure! I learned to snorkel for the first time in OUTER GREAT BARRIER REEF!!! I have not swam for like 20 years or so now. I hate chorine, as it triggers psoriasis on my eyelid. We went to Flynn reef, Milin reef, and Moore reef. There I saw giant clams, sea slugs, parrot fish, sweet lips, blue horn coral, plate coral, boulder coral, and soft coral.
At the first patch coral, the ocean current dragged me 13 metres from the ship and I had to call for help. Mick had attentive and brought me back. Holis and Ken was just as good. Phew!
By the second and third coral patch, sis and I got the hang of snorkeling. Just need to refine embarking and disembarking though. I was capable of swimming for 30 minutes and making my back to the ship with ease.
The photographer managed to grab a cool shots of us. Which was lovely. I have yet to look at my footage from the GoPro.
Dinner at Riki Japanese restaurant.
29th November 2018
Reef terminal round two. This time we went with Reef Magic Cruise. If you do but any add-on, you were basically ignored. When the ship arrived at the pontoon, the whole crew disembarked the ship, leaving passengers to sort themselves. Everyone was confused, what is happening, and where do we go. There no change room on this ship compared tp Silverswift. So, the ladies rush to the loo to change into swim wear, same did the men. Then people disembark to the pontoon and grabbed their gears like a mad shopping sale. Whoa.
While everyone has gone crazy. I just wanted to do activities that I have already paid for online: glass bottom boat and snorkeling. Boy, did it feel like we were on WaterWorld's movie set. There only one patch coral for us to snorkel in. We had 5 hours to kill.
The glass bottom boat felt like rickety rack type, you could possibly fall out of it. The semi-submersible boat ride was better. However, both ran only for the first half of the day. So you had to get in quick, as it was guaranteed you will get a seat, even if you have paid for it. Many of the suba and snuba divers have forfeited their ride, so that they can spend more time under the water.
If you add-on they will take you to Moore reef to snorkel, but we have already done that coral patch yesterday with Silverswift. Price TBA.The other add-on were swimming with marine biologist extra $35 (30 minutes), snuba with a air raft extra $125 (40 minutes), seawalker helmet $100 approximately (30 minutes), and other things.
We watched two noodle pools float away from the snorkel circle and two men chuff on salt water, while the life guards put up their feet and chatted away. We upstairs were doing Melbourne Cup horse race commentary on how the green noodle pool was catching up to the yellow noodle pool, which has already gone 500 metres head, and we see two struggling human being, with one latching onto another snorkeler's noodle pool, and so we may have 3 strugglers by the end. After the laughter and loud commentary did the life guard use a machine to swim out to the noodle pool. But no one helped the three poor men, who in the end made it back to the pontoon safely.
The salt water kept going into my snorkel hose and for sis the salt water kept getting in her mask. The gears have holes in them. Ew.
What a waste of $186 per person.
Back on land, we had a happy hour dinner at Boat Shed.
As we walked back to the lagoon, I received a telephone call form Skyrail that our tour was cancelled for tomorrow. Since we could not reschedule, they will refund the money via my agent RACV. RACV office was closed by the time I received the phone call.
30th November 2018
Reef casino. Tiny. Cosy. Welcoming. Tamarind did not serve lunch, so we went to Fitzroy Grill at the back of the casino for lunch. It was delicious. Then we went to to the roof to check out Cairns Zoom and Wildlife Dome. They have a four day ticket. Wow. At an extra cost you can pose with a koala, snake, and baby crocodile. Of course, we choose all 3.
The animals were exotic. The birds were free to roam anywhere. For extra cost you can zipline over the big crocodile enclosure. Nah. No thanks. They also have rope climbing activities. As an add-on you can walk outside and around the glass dome. It was too sunny for our liking. We did stay for the koala talk and reptile show.
Then we went retail therapy. I purchased some opal art rock and pendant. We checked out some new shorts by Ripcurl Hurley, Billabong, Quicksilver, and so on.
Dinner at Goong Korean and Japanese restaurant.
Then it was time to pack and fly back home.
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