Last Sunday I had the opportunity to go out on Reef Magic to Marine world, having never been much of a Pontoon person myself I was pleasantly surprised at the whole proceedings for the day. On arrival at the Reef Fleet Terminal the staff was both efficient and pleasant and we had a bit of a giggle with the girl about getting our name right as she was from overseas.We then proceeded to Reef Magic II which is a brand new luxury catamaran, that new I could even smell “that new smell” downstairs in the saloon. This boat is a beauty she is so spacious with plenty of outside space for those liking to catch the wind blowing through there hair and obtain a sun kissed face! There is also inside air-conditioned areas both upstairs and downstairs with a presentation on the reef on the way out. Once on board it’s time to lock in those optional activities which really should be pre-booked as there was not a lot of space left for people deciding if they wished to participate. Most people seemed to have pre-organized this (smart cookies!). The optional activities on offer are Guided snorkel tours and two tours on offer one for the advanced and one for the novice. Introductory and certified diving and Introductory Scenic Heli flights for 5 minutes or the Vertical Heli Adventure where you are taken up to 3,000 ft which gives you a great view of the islands cays and drop offs.
On arrival at the pontoon its now time to get prepared for those water activities. As it was stinger time it’s best to purchase one of the lovely red stinger suits (great for those happy holiday pics) and jump in. So red stinger suit snorkel and fins on out I go to be greeted by the very famous “Wally” which is a huge very friendly Maori Wrasse! Well I must say Wally was one of the highlights of our day…..and who said fish have no brains!!! Wally is just amazing, the onboard photographer bought him over to us to say hello and yes I even go to touch him which I never thought would be possible on the reef…..We were so amazed by Wally the star attractions that we stopped and watched him for a good 15 minutes before even checking out the coral.
Moore reef was very pretty and picturesque with many different species of coral to view plus a few clam shells and plenty of marine life. After a snorkel it was then time for lunch and there is a huge array of different food on offer, with selections of sushi rolls, prawns, salads, cold meats, chicken drumsticks and then even two hot dishes which were a chicken curry & rice and vegetarian lasagna there was also a selection of cold fruits. Of course if you would like a drink there is a range of both non alcoholic & alcoholic beverages on board the boat for your purchase.
After lunch I was lucky enough to get to go out on the Introductory Scenic Helicopter Flight, which is a 5 minute flight over Moore Reef. I was very excited about this as I had never been in a Helicopter.
Before I knew it I took the tender over to the helicopter pontoon, was strapped in and off we went.
The view was amazing as we flew off over Moore Reef the day was really clear and with the conditions at only 10/15 knots we got to see two reef sharks, a manta ray and quite a few turtles all swimming along.
This was a real highlight to my day and at only $69.00 this is a great opportunity to experience a taste of what a helicopter is like and an awesome view of Moore reef from the Sky!!
Back down to earth again but still on the adrenalin high of being in a helicopter for the first time it’s now time for the Semi Submersible Tour. This is a great opportunity for those people who are not actually going into the water to view the reef.
Whilst in the semi-sub there is a guided commentary so you actually learn a bit about what you are actually seeing.
After the semi-sub it was time to check out those deck chairs and enjoy a bit of sunshine! As before we new it our 5 hours out on the reef was almost us.
Time for the trip back and this time we opted to travel inside and check out the photos of everyone on the big screens!
By this time we were feeling rather tired after our big day’s adventure.
We had a fantastic day out and Marine World is well worth checking out this trip would be fantastic for children as there is a special little area for young children to splash about in and for the older ones & big kids (adults) there is “Wally” who is just a must to visit whilst you are out on the reef!! Tammy -Tour Specialists Consultant