[Quicksilver's "Wave-piercer catamarans"]

Sadly, we're up again at 7am. At 7.25am a coach picks us up from the hostel. It's new and plush compared to other tours we've been on. We do a couple of pick ups, then head down to the harbour, where our boat is waiting. There are half a dozen coaches dropping off, and the boat is big - with a 600-person capacity. It's an aluminium light-weight, catamaran, with a displacement of 1.5m only. Apparently the latest in high speed ferry technology, it can reach 44kmph. The boat's nice, and we get free coffee and loads of biscuits, which compensates for missing breakfast. We have a couple of stops en route, then we're out to the north reefs, opposite Cape Tribulation, 25m out to sea. We stop at Port Douglas, so we see the same views as yesterday, but from the sea this time. The boat is only half full, and we can stretch out well in the lounge.

It's been an expensive trip, at $165 each just to get out here with use of their pontoon, and lunch. However, we've booked with a big and prestige company, Quicksilver, since we want to feel safe out there. The next day we speak to some backpackers with unpleasant stories about smaller companies.

Quicksilver offer added extras, including introductory scuba diving, the opportunity to snorkel with marine biologists guiding you, and helicopter rides. I want to do the scuba, but am unsure whether my foot is up to it. I speak to a couple of crew, and fill in their medical form - my foot doesn't come under any of their query points, but a crew member is concerned about the possibility of nitrogen getting trapped in the scar tissue, or DVT area.

They're going to call an on-shore Doctor to ask advice - this is standard practice daily, and other people need referral too - one is rejected, and tearful. Whilst we're waiting administration etc, we watch some videos and presentations about the reef and wildlife. Thankfully I'm okay to scuba, providing I'm not on Warfarin, which I'm not. This means I'll dive in the morning, then both of us are going out with the marine biologists in the afternoon, so I don't have any time for free snorkeling. This all adds another $200 to the trip - not the cheapest way to learn to scuba, but the only way I've got time for.

[Snorkler]

We get to the reef at 11.30am. The weather is perfect according to the crew, very clear and not windy. The voyage has been really smooth - some people we met who came out last week said it was terrible. Prior to the boat arriving, our scuba group of around 15 has introductory tuition - what the equipment is, how it works, how to clear your mask, change your regulator, and the meaning of the main communicative sign language. We have a quiz, which proves most of the group fairly clueless! We only need the basic information as we're only diving 10m, with a guide, so this first dive doesn't give us any qualification or real experience.

My dive partner is Nick, a teenager from the UK, who has dived before but only in pools. The boat docks at the pontoon, which is pretty big. There are sun lounger areas, underwater viewing areas, semi-submersible trips, and a large roped off snorkeling area. I grab fins and masks and head for the scuba area. In the meantime, Iain goes on a semi-sub trip. He sees a lot of fish, and a white-tipped reef shark, which is fairly unusual.

[Blue-green Damsel Fish]

[Parrot fish]

I get kitted up, in a short wetsuit and tank. It's pretty heavy if you're not used to it, but weightless under water. We run through the basics again, underwater, having learnt to breath above water first, then with our faces in. We then slowly move to the bottom, using ropes to pull ourselves. We have to equalise the pressure in our ears every couple of feet, but I find this really hard, and keep having to ascend slightly. Eventually we reach the bottom. I find it surprisingly easy using the regulator, but hard to keep myself at an even depth - I keep floating towards the surface. Our guide takes lots of oxygen out of my tank and it gets easier.

One of the four in my group somehow gets a mouthful of water, his regulator comes out, and he surfaces and gives up. Once you've descended the steps from the pontoon there's no refund. His wife is with us, and pretty worried about him, but he's okay. We swim around, guided by the arm. According to the video on the boat, there's a rope attached to the bottom and little information signs, but they don't seem to exist. This way is fine, though, and it's reassuring to have someone hold on to you.

I've no idea how long we were down - it felt like hours. It's mentally tiring remembering what to do, being a bit worried, trying not to hit coral. It took me a few minutes before I was relaxed enough to look around and appreciate the view. It was fantastic being the same depth as the fish and coral, and I saw an awful lot of colours and species. Pretty amazing stuff, something I'd like to do again.

[A Marine Biologist]

[Giant clam]

[White-Tipped Reef Shark]

We ascend at 12.50pm, and Iain meets me. My bad foot is a bit knackered from using flippers, but it's coping, just. I used the other foot much more. I don't have much time for lunch, so grab what I want from the buffet and the staff refrigerate it for later. We have to get new gear and meet the biologists. We just get time to see the fish feeding inbetween - some are up to a metre long. There are 16 people going on our trip, and they spilt us into two groups. We take a small boat out to Turtle Cove, away from everyone else, and where we may see better variety of wildlife.

[Blue-green Damsel Fish over Staghorn Coral]

[More coral]

[Brain Coral]

It's great. We learn and see lots of stuff we covered in the Reef Teach, including holding sea cucumbers, closing giant clams, different types of coral and fish. I take photos with our disposable camera but I'm not sure whether they'll come out. Iain spots a white-tipped reef shark,. which swims just a couple of metres from my face - they're harmless, but it's a bit surreal! I give up with my left flipper halfway through as my foot is pretty agonising, and use just one, like a tail. Iain copes well with the snorkeling - on previous trips he's hated it.

[Us snorkling]

[The cat and diving platform]

[Going back]

Just as we get back to the main boat, the horn blows at 2.45pm, which is a signal to re-board. We shower, and await a passenger count, which they do twice to check - we've read of stories where people got left behind and never seen again. The trip and equipment is very impressive here, all good quality. The staff on board are amazingly helpful and polite. All day they've given us fruit/cheese and biscuits/coffee. We certainly feel well looked after.

[A cold front comes over]

[Island]

I have lunch, then sleep on the way back. We get off the boat at Port Douglas and get a coach back. Unfortunately the coach has an electrical fault, and the driver pulls over. Within two minutes they apologetically have us on another coach and on the way to Cairns. It's smoothly done and impressively slick. We get back at 6.30pm, and are too tired/lazy to go out, so we call Pizza Hut and order a delivery; bliss. We read, and crash out tired at 10pm.