Australia 2015

Unlike the reefs I'm familiar with in Hawaii, The Great Barrier Reef is a long way from the shore. In fact, it's a 15- to 30-mile jaunt to get to the reef, so we book a cruise out to what's called The Low Isles, a snorkeling site where several reef cruise operations have anchoring rights. The water is stirred up and visibility is mediocre, which is disappointing, but the coral is astounding. Unlike the rock-hard coral formations of the Hawaiian reefs, this reef is thick with soft coral, which waves in the water's currents like sea grass.

We are charmed by the look of the lighthouse on the tiny island, where we disembark to sit on the sand and get snorkeling instructions before entering the water.

We don't have an underwater camera, so no photos of aqua-life, but after we finish our dive and reboard the boat, a four-foot reef shark appears, circling the catamaran several times before lazily swimming away.

After enjoying a complementary glass of wine and a snack, we relax on the catamaran's trampoline, enjoying the 90 minute sunset ride back to the docks where we started.