The Great Barrier Reef, Cairns Australia

A goal of mine in Australia, was to go sky diving over the ocean and overlooking the Great Barrier Reef. I didn’t have enough time in the Whitsunday Islands for this activity, so I was set on sky diving in Cairns. However, I may have set my expectations too high as I would quickly discover that I would be making many attempts if I was going to accomplish this goal.

Attempt #1- maybe it was a little too much partying in Airlie Beach or the germs from the boat, but it was just my luck that I caught a bad sinus infection and after scuba diving an added ear infection. With an ear infection, I was told I couldn’t jump out of a plane because of the pressure. This would be my first of many attempts....

Being that I had just met back up with my parents, I’m not sure why I thought it was a good idea that I would go sky diving in Cairns. And boy did my jewish mother have a few words to say about my plans to jump out of an airplane. But after many arguments and to my mother’s dismay, two days later I made my 2nd attempt to go sky diving. However on that particular day, there were not enough people to fill the plane and therefore they wouldn’t be diving that afternoon. Strike 2….

Attempt # 3 was on Christmas Day, (it was just another Friday for me) but to everyone else it was a holiday and there were no diving trips.

I decided after 3 attempts and failing at all of them, that sky diving wasn’t in my cards for my trip down under and that maybe G-d was trying to tell me something or warn me otherwise…

So instead of sky diving out a plane, my family took a helicopter ride over the Great Barrier Reef. This ride was spectacular and the beauty of the ocean absolutely blew my mind. So high above, you get to appreciate the depth and immensity that the reef takes over in the Pacific Ocean.

Having just been scuba diving that morning, I spent a few hours exploring the reef and marine life up close, as if I was in a life size fish tank or swimming in the movie “Finding Nemo”. In contrast, it was absolutely amazing to be diving in the Great Barrier Reef 20 meters below sea level and then to fly directly above the reef 20 meters above sea level.

On the helicopter ride, I made one last attempt and asked the pilot “if he was going to let us know, when it was safe to jump out” Not sure he quite got my michigas humor and I know my mother sure didn’t appreciate it…

The chopper ride was baller style or at least we thought. But we were no where near baller status as the world's largest privately owned sailing yacht was docked next to us as we landed on the marina.

Little did Melissa and I know that we would venture on to this ridiculous 305 foot super yacht in just a few hours. Later that night at Woolshed, we met some of the crew members, and after much of our NY intimidation, persuasion, and batting of our eyes, we convinced them to take us on a tour of the yacht and for a few more cocktail. I wasn't allowed to take any pictures on board because the Britts assumed I would be selling them to Paparazzi. But I can promise you the yacht was worth all $100 million down to the very last penny…

The beauty of the boat doesn’t compare to the Great Barrier Reef, but it was a close second and a fun night to wrap up our memorable Christmas in Cairns...