Stopping at the Barrier

Since he was a boy, Jakob has always wanted to visit the Great Barrier Reef. The world's biggest living thing, visible from space, teeming with colourful life…what's not to like? But as we contemplated a year in Australia, we were hesitant to visit this giant tourist machine that is slowly being killed off by human pollution. Then we decided to sojourn in Cairns - and, once you're here, how can you not fulfill your boyhood wishes? As it turned out, we fulfilled not only Jakob's dreams, but also the wishes that our own Aurora and Sophia never even knew they had.

Getting to the Great Barrier Reef is noteworthy in its own right - there are dozens of companies vying for your attention and publishing the most colourful and improbable shiny pamphlets you have ever seen. The dock is jam-packed with tourists from around the world, being herded onto overcrowded discount ferries, picturesque pearler boats, or (in our case) a companionably full, three-story catamaran.

We were surprised that all the boats seemed to be full, and by our calculation there are a couple of thousand people going out to the Reef every single day. We now know what happens to everyone's Christmas bonuses, as the tour operators expertly coaxed people into helicopter rides, assisted scuba dives, ocean-floor helmet walks, massages, underwater James Bond jetpacks for the lazy snorkeler, photo shoots.

The Reef lived up to its reputation - it really is Great. It was mesmerizing to swim among the forests of coral: stag coral, spaghetti coral, elephant coral, boulder coral, and on and on. There were more fish than in a Dr. Seuss book: tiny, electric blue guys busily eating coral, big parrotfish chasing them, even a giant wrassie named Wally. We flapped our flippers and blew air out of our snorkel tubes so that we were part of the ocean ecosystem. Not only were we impressed with the reef, we were also impressed with ourselves. Aurora took to snorkeling like a clownfish in coral, and went way out to the perimeter on expeditions of awe. Sophia can't even swim, but tirelessly bobbed up and down like a blonde cork, peering down at the wildlife and occasionally inhaling a mouthful of seawater with good cheer. Tova happily bonded with her visiting grandparents, and eagerly yelled 'Fish!' every time a fish swam by the glass-bottomed boat (which was often).

So now we have a newfound fondness for sea turtles, and Jakob is coming up with a new childhood dream. Tamar's is yet to be achieved, since it involves Siberia.

Our stinger suits may only have repelled harmless moon jellyfish, but they look badass

Suspense on a semisubmersible. We'll let you guess what she's looking at