"It's the final countdown!" was the song that was going through my head all through my last week on Heron. I enjoyed my time on the island a great deal and probably a lot more than I expected to, but to think that you're not going to have to get up and go to work is a great feeling that you can't help but be excited about.
On Wednesday I got my echocardiogram results through from the hospital and they were fine, so I could go scuba diving! It may have been too late to do the Open Water course, but at least I could go out for a dive in my remaining four days on Heron and enjoy the reef from a different perspective.
I planned to go diving on Thursday, but the boat was full because of the Easter rush (we were at 265 out of a max of 280 guests at one point), so Ben - my instructor - and I went the next morning.
Well, what can I say, it was amazing. Although I had a bit of problem sinking and staying at the bottom, even with no air in my BCD and with weights on, everything else went according to plan. I could equalise my ears (very important for diving) unlike my previous attempt at diving, and the whole experience was simply breathtaking. Snorkelling is one thing, but being submerged in this other world with huge turtles swimming past and a wall of coral beside you is something else. I found scuba diving a bit disorientating to begin with and let my instructor look after my air level and our direction, but I hope to go on and do a course somewhere else to get my license. I would have never even thought of going diving before I came to Heron, but now I've got the bug, I'll have to go again and take it a step further.
Saturday was my last day at work and even though it was a tough day, we got out at a reasonable time. I started to pack the next day and went through my paperwork to weed out all the stuff that I'd been carrying around for no particular reason. I went fishing that afternoon, but didn't catch anything that was both edible and to size, although it was an enjoyable trip.
Monday (the 24th) was my last day on the island, and one that I spent most of chasing around trying to get all the different managers to sign my exit form to say that I'd handed back all my resort property, cleaned my room and so on. I packed everything up, ready to live out of a bag again, and then said goodbye to everyone that was around. I went down to the bar with my roommate Steve for a final drink and then it was off down to the jetty to board my ferry to Gladstone.
I was glad to leave the island, but at the same time I'm extrememly pleased that I went to work there. I think I got the most out of the oppurtunity; I went on about ten fishing trips, numerous snorkels and made sure I got the odd dive in there too. There are people there who have literally done none of the activites, but I think they must be mad because you can't stop yourself (or at least I couldn't) when it's all so cheap or free. A lot of tourists spend a day or two on the reef, but I got to live there for three months. How cool is that?
