Wind—barrier to the reef

Press, 5 July 1977, Page 21

Wind—barrier to the reef

Over-exposure to beautiful, underwater colour films bv Jacques Cousteau at an impressionable age must take much of the blame for it, 1 suppose, r ti Sin ?- ex P ec tations unattainably high. That, and the bad weather we met. But, yes, I have seen the Great Barrier Reef, and, frankly, I preferred the movie. .The odds are very much against the visitor to Lindeman Island—one of the wmtsunday Islands, off Mackav, Queensland — striking the 35-knot, freezing winds and seas churned to an opaqueness only marginally more attractive than army-surplus paint that prevailed during our visit in the first week of June. But it is worth bearing in mind that such conditions do last for days in that area, that the spectacle of the reef as photographs and films have shown it is available—-to those unwilling or unable to go diving — only when the s "’ ne ? an( l the sea is smooth, and that walking on an exposed, and therefore dead, reef is disappointing So anyone determined to see the world-famous reef — and, after all, the reef and the warm winter weather are the only overwhelming attractions of the area to the New Zealander, surfeited with beautiful scenery — would be wise to allow a fortnight rather than a week, to be reasonably sure of achieving that ambition. Cousteau’s fascinating world does exist, but only for those who bring or hire snorkelling gear and dive off the edge of the reef. There lies the Great Barner Reef of the coffee-table books:

brilliant coral gardens teaming with picturesque fish, weird and fantastically-twisted shells, perhaps the occasional shark circling close enough for the perfect picture but not daring to come near for fear of a smart blow from one’s tanned and rippling forearm. ...

Those who can’t swim, don’t want to swim (perhaps because of age), or, like me, are so morbidly afraid of sharks that they hesitate to put more than three inches of water in the bath for fear of losing a limb, can do a vicarious Cousteau by paddling along

the edge of the reef in a glassbottomed boat. This is the way most visitors see the reef; and, I was told by those who had done it in a boat that, unlike ours, did not have almost as much water inside as out, it is an unforgettable experience. Visiting an exposed Inner Barrier reef at low tide, on the other hand, is a very forgettable experience. The coral, being exposed, is dead, and it stretches like a lumpy, grey plain of cement-sprayed tussock, the plants, clams, and animals that stand up so picturesquely for Cousteau lying

flaccid and exhausted like grisly exhibits in a police museum while middleaged ladies poke them with the squeamish toes of their plastic sandals, groan in disgust, and look forward fervently to a nice cup of tea wnen the boat comes back. The five-hour return trip from Lindeman is not really worth it for that.

By contrast, the day at sea to visit the Outer Barrier reefs is worth while, even though one may have to wait for days for the confluence of good weather and a convenient low tide to allow even the most timid to snorkel or

paddle in the safe, isolated pools left when the sea recedes off the reef. I was a mere 150 ft away from doing this myself — 150 vertical feet, in fact, as we flew low over the Outer Barrier in an hour-long flight that also took us over the main holiday islands of the Whitsunday group: Hook, Hayman, Daydream, South Molle, and back to Lindeman.

Hobk has an underwater observatory, a huge, windowed tank lowered to the seabed; Hayman, so they said, is for the carefree holidaymaker, the young; Daydream, the word was, is also lively, though the man from the tourist board, er, didn’t want to talk about Daydream; South Molle has the reputation of being a lively holiday place. Lindeman? Lindeman seems to be the place where people go for a nice, quiet rest when they’re exhausted from all that swinging that people kept telling us went on in all those nearby islands that we couldn’t reach to do a scientific investigation of because of the weather. A few square miles of excellent beaches, undulating eucalyptus bush broken by a marvellous sixhole golf course, Lindeman is more pastoral than tropical in appearance. As a base for seeing the reefs, it might suit the quiet family man, who likes plain food, lots of sleep, lots of golf, rambling on gentle tracks, television, and the odd game of bingo. Its main appeal is its totally informal, holiday-camp atmosphere and the fact that the food and accommodation are free for up to two children under 15 years of age if they share a room with their parents. It does not set out to attract the young, the childless, those who seek a dash of nightlife, and can offer them nothing other than the suggestion that they should have chosen South Molle or Hayman.

The quiet-living New Zealand family man would probably like it, but, considering the price (and the loss in buying power in converting to Australian money), he would probably want to see, say, Fiji first — unless the appeal of the reef itself is very great. He might be shocked at paying 60c for a glass of beer, or $1.35 for a nip of spirits (rum sAust27 a bottle if taken

to one’s room, for example). He might also be surprised at finding the bar closed at midnight on the dot, but he won’t find many others complaining with him because it’s the sort of

place where everyone is in his room by 9 p.m. — except on bingo night. Accommodation is in motel-type units clustered round a central diningroom. pool, games room, television room, and bar.

How to get there. Most convenient is by Air New Zealand’s direct DC 10 service to Brisbane; T.A.A. or Ansett to Mackay; Lindeman Airlines to the island. The total cost, economy flights booked five weeks ahead, eff-season, from Christchurch, including 12 nights on the island for two adults and two children under 15, with meals, is about $2lOO (including travel tax). Package tours are available, and offer good reductions. All cruises and flights from the island are extra, despite what outdated brochures still in circulation say. Examples: Flight over Outer Barrier reefs for one adult, sAust47; cruise to Hook Island underwater observatory for one adult, sAust7.so.