The Pohl Family: Hamilton Island (Great Barrier Reef)

We finally got one thing marked off of our bucket list for Australia...The Great Barrier Reef! We took the girls up to Hamilton Island last week for a a little mini-vacay for the school holiday break. It was BEAUTIFUL!! When flying over the islands I couldn't believe the different shades of blues and greens you could see as well as the greenery! Absolutely breathtaking! We spent the first day on the beach where B and A snorkeled a bit till A saw a ray and decided she wanted to get back to land! E and I just hung out in the beach chairs and walked around in the water watching the crabs! The 2nd full day was when we went out to the reef. It was smooth sailing until we reached the shipping channel. To make a long story short, let's just say E got sick on Daddy while she was napping and then Mommy got a bit nauseated helping clean up E and Daddy! :( Once we got out to the reef it was AMAZING! The ferry docked on a manmade dock that had a viewing room, picnic tables, sun shades, and showers. Once we got there, we took a glass bottom semi-sub boat out to view a part of the reef. We saw quite a few fish and there was even a reef shark, but I missed it! After that, B and A donned their wet suits and snorkel gear and headed out while E and I ate lunch. When they got back in and ate, I went out to snorkel and B took E out for a swim. Both of the girls loved it as well as ourselves! So amazing and blessed to be able to have the opportunity to see one of the wonders of the world! Lots of parrot fish, clams, and other species of fish that I have no clue what they are called! Brandon took a half day fishing charter out on Friday morning and said it was "okay fishing, but there were lots of shark taking the fish that anybody did manage to catch". Our hotel was built with all of the rooms facing the Coral Sea and there were lots of Cockatoos, seagulls, and crows! One evening I saw two wallabies hopping around on the side of one of the golf paths! The cockatoos liked to sit on the balconies and the one below seemed to enjoy having his photo taken! Hope everyone is well! Enjoy the pics!