Let's be honest, we've all had moments of very real tedium this year.

With many of our hobbies and lifestyle choices rendered impractical due to social distancing measures implemented all over the world during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, we've all been searching for new and interesting ways to keep ourselves entertained.

Personally speaking, I've half-read many books, which now lay strewn around the flat long forgotten; I've attempted new recipes with such alarming lack of success that I've long since given up on dishes that require more than three ingredients.

Yes, it's been a largely fruitless time for me, and I think many of us probably could do with a shot of (friendly) adrenaline in our lives.

Perhaps it is this pattern of thinking that would lead one to take a turn in a 'Cage of Death' at Darwin City's Crocosaurus Cove.

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As both names imply, this would involve visitors being lowered into the water in a cage, coming face-to-face with a 5m saltwater crocodile. The experience (read: ordeal) lasts 15 minutes. A description of the attraction on the Crocosaurus Cove website reads:

"Experience the ultimate face-to-face encounter as you are carefully lowered in to the water with a 5m saltwater crocodile for 15 minutes.

"Take in his intimidating gaze, feel the sheer power of his 3 tonne bite force, and learn to appreciate his true strength and resilience as a modern-day dinosaur.

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"The Cage of Death activity offers swimmers the opportunity to get up close and personal with our saltwater crocodiles in a controlled environment that is safe and enriching for both the crocodile and the visitor. Regular feeding throughout the experience is done in a way that encourages the crocodile’s natural instincts, giving swimmers the opportunity to witness our saltie’s infamous bite force under the supervision of trained handlers."

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So if shark diving isn't quite enough of a thrill for you, you can head over to the Crocosaurus Cove website to find out more about their Cage of Death and the other attractions on offer at the park.

While we trust Uber to transport us to meetings, and safely get us home after a night out, it appears that the ride-hailing app have expanded their offering.

''scUber'' is the world's first ride-sharing submarine service, and it transports you to the depths of Australia's Great Barrier Reef. Offering you a round trip to the world's largest coral reef, it's one of the most unique ways to visit one of the seven wonders of the world.

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According to Insider, passengers will enjoy a five-star ride in a two-seater submarine called Barry - which you can book through the app.

scUber will work similarly to the Uber app, and passengers can even rate their driver.

Queensland-based riders will have to enter their destination as the Great Barrier Reef, before being picked up by a helicopter, and transported to Barry's departure point.
This is no standard Uber journey, however, as scUber will need to know more than just your location. Prior to the trip, an operator will call you to ask your weight, and to confirm that you haven't accidentally booked the trip.

[[imagecaption|| Credit: Tourism and Events Queensland]]

As could be expected, the hour-long journey doesn't come cheap. A deep-sea trip to the Great Barrier Reef will cost customers $2,060 for two people, including the helicopter drop-off.
scUber has rented the Barry submarine and its crew for four weeks in partnership with Tourism & Events Queensland, and have pledged to ''match every fare with a donation to Citizens of the Great Barrier Reef''.

The charity helps protect the reef from ''climate change, coral bleaching and over-tourism''.

The package has limited availability and will only be available until the 18th of June.

It is rumoured that we have only explored roughly 20% of the water on earth, meaning that in all honesty, we have no idea what may be existing deep in our oceans - which is pretty terrifying. Despite brilliant programmes such as Blue Planet that aim to inform us about the strange life that goes on underwater, we're still only scratching the surface when it comes to our explorations - and this story proves just that. The Great Barrier Reef is one of those phenomenons that you just have to see at some point in your life, and probably features on the majority of people's bucket lists. Sadly, as with most natural things in this world; humans are doing all that they can to destroy the reef. Over the past two years, the corals of the reef have undergone two excessive bleaching events, raising concerns about the capacity for the reef to survive under global-warming. Bleaching refers to what happens to corals when sea surface temperatures rise. As the temperatures heighten, corals expel the algae that nourish them leaving them to bleach and turn white. While some corals recover, a vast amount of them die and become covered by a different type of algae. However, while the Great Barrier Reef has undoubtedly been hit hard by global warming, it looks like there may be a bit of hope on the horizon. [[instagramwidget||https://www.instagram.com/p/Ba24Sj9HYwQ/]] Lying 200 kilometres from Daydream Island in the north east of Australia, a mysterious Blue Hole exists in the Great Barrier Reef. Little is known about the hole, but thanks to Johnny Gaskell, a marine biologist from Whitsundays, more information about the hole has now been discovered. Taking to his Instagram, Johnny shared a photo of the hole, saying: "This Blue Hole has previously been described by geologists who suggested it could be even older than the famous Great Blue Hole, in Belize. "Its location is in one of the least explored parts Great Barrier Reef, over 200km from Daydream Island. "To get there we had to travel overnight for 10 hours and time the tides perfectly...Was well worth it!" Johnny and his team of divers went 20 meters down into the Blue Hole before hitting sediment that sloped towards the center. The diver added: "It was great to see big healthy coral colonies. Stay tuned for video footage of the coral within..." The discovery of healthy coral will come as a major surprise to some experts, and could signal a potential future for the reef. A blue hole is a sinkhole that extends deep below sea level. The formations of the holes came about during the ice age, when sea levels were as much as 100 - 200 meters lower than they are now. Over time, glacial runoff began to dissolve the limestone ground, forming huge sinkholes. As the glaciers of the ice age began to melt, the holes were filled with water, creating the blue holes we see today. It's great to see that there is signs of a recovery in the Great Barrier Reef and hopefully we will see the bleaching start to slow down. Although, with global warming becoming a more prominent force in society, don't be surprised if we see more major bleaching incidents.

There are two types of people in this world. The first are those of us who see rare and wonderful land and underwater animals, and stand back, gaze in awe and think: "my god, they're beautiful". The second are those out there who look at them and think: "that'll make me a few extra bucks". It's become a tragic reality that the tourism industry is rife with members of the latter group. Go pretty much anywhere as a holidaymaker and at some point you will be invited to pay up some cash to stroke an anaesthetised tiger, be blessed by an abused temple elephant or be entertained by a performing monkey. Keen for the likes on social media, many sightseers blindly go full steam ahead, forgetting that their Facebook selfie costs a living and breathing creature another few seconds of their life that they can never get back. A prime example of this occurred in 2017 when a small group of divers made a disturbing discovery just off the remote island of Kokoya in Indonesia. Diver, Delon Lim, was shocked when he was asked by a local fisherman if he and his friends wanted to see two dugongs, rare and elusive underwater animals that can only be found in warm coastal waters. Boasting of the mother and calf he had captured, the fisherman told the pair that he would charge them to take photos and videos in the cage in he had been keeping them in. The duo were initially reluctant to give the man any money, but decided to go down to see the dugongs to take some pictures as evidence to build a case against the fisherman. They knew already that the situation would be bad, but it seems they were unprepared for exactly what they were about to see. [[instagramwidget||https://www.instagram.com/p/BC4vM87wIMX/]] At the bottom of the ocean, the mother and calf were held in separate cages; the younger creature was able to swim inside its small enclosure, however, its mother's movement was restricted by a large rope and her skin was marred with scars and wounds. Although it was unclear how long they had been cruelly held captive, Lim suspected they had experienced weeks of suffering. In his own words: “The ropes are worn and torn. The scars and the wound on her tail are so deep. It was very heartbreaking.” When they returned to sea level, the outraged divers confronted the fisherman and attempted to persuade him to set the underwater animals free. Incredibly, he agreed. But the pair of divers refused to take him on his word, afterwards posting the video they had taken to social media with the hope it would cause a stir. They were right; immediately afterwards, there was uproar online and the footage caught the attention of animal welfare authorities who arrived on the island the following day. Unsurprisingly they discovered that the mother and her baby still trapped. But, with the help of the authorities, the protected species were finally set free to live what would hopefully be long and happy lives. According to reports, charges were later filed against the captor. [[twitterwidget||https://twitter.com/psdkp_lan5/status/709270349850914816]] Although it doesn't seem like it, these two animals were some of the lucky ones. This story has a happy ending but it doesn't negate the fact that the animal tourism sector is a billion-dollar industry built solely on the suffering of intelligent and social beings who are denied every basic right in life. Every year, thousands of tourists pay on average 700 baht ($20 USD) to pet a captive tiger cub in Thailand or $68 per head to ride an elephant in Bali, despite the conditions that they live in."

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As we speak, there are millions of creatures being held as prisoners across the world; the animal rights organisation People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has pulled back the curtain on controversial tourism attractions, bringing home the point that what might be a cool picture for us is often a living nightmare for the animals involved. Tigers are often drugged, mutilated and physically restrained in order to make them safe for the public to snap pictures with, while some elephant calves are torn away from their mothers and restrained for as long as 14 hours at a time, in order to train them into carrying tourists on their backs - which, for the record, can cause severe damage to their spines. Many animal rights activists also claim that even family-friendly zoos are morally redundant, the merits of their educational and conservation projects diminished by the many wild animals which are deeply frustrated in their restricted and unnatural environments. The animal tourism industry's success is perhaps partly down to naive travellers who remain unaware of the abuse that often goes on behind the scenes. Animal charity, World Animal Protection, called on tourists to think twice about their trips after research found that almost half of people pay for a wild animal experience because they love animals, but were unaware of the abuse that went on when they weren't looking. Mike Baker, chief executive of World Animal Protection said: “What we need to do is alert people to the wildlife suffering in this industry. We don’t want that once in a lifetime experience to be a lifetime of misery for the animal. If an animal is doing something it wouldn’t do in the wild then it’s probably not right and something has gone on to make them behave that way. Take elephant rides – you couldn’t just jump on a wild elephant’s back, there’s a process to get them there. They’re chained up, beaten. And what we’ve realised is most people don’t want that.” Ultimately, all over the world animals are neglected, mistreated and abused - and, whether we know it or not, we're funding it. Situations like the one with the mother and calf make it clear that, as tourists, we need to make ourselves more aware of what exactly is going on under our noses, because otherwise, we are just as bad as the fisherman who looks at two beautiful sea creatures with dollar bill symbols bulging from his eyes.

[caption id="attachment_4665" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Credit: Reddit / Robot_Spider[/caption] When this title landed on my screen with the plethora of visual "whatttttttt"s following shortly after, I resonated instantly. We've all stayed in some questionable places in our time - hotels, guest houses, and hostels - that defy all logic onto how they are even considered fit enough to house guests. I traveled throughout Australia and South East Asia and saw some sights to behold, many of which were of this list's level of the aforementioned "whatttttttt"s. Even in our own backyards so-to-speak, it's a common thing to have to spend the odd night somewhere thinking, "It will be ok, its just one night, its just one night", "It's ok, its just one week, its just one week" and so on. I once stayed in a hotel for a week while at an inner-city festival once and slept on a double-bed that was comprised of two separate mattresses of considerably varied size. Suffice it to say, I had a bad-back each day to pair with my colossal hangover. With sufficient context now provided and three images already preparing you for your own "whatttttttt"s, here we go, in no particular order! [post_page_title]#1 And This Is Why You Check The Hotel Coffee Maker Before You Use It[/post_page_title] Free tea and coffee are more often than not, regardless of quality, a wonderfully nice touch, and brilliant if you need to check out early on a colossal hangover. Which I have obviously never done. Imagine how this guest rejoiced at this up-market version of such. [caption id="attachment_4666" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Credit: Reddit / henryriver[/caption] Do your checks, kids. [post_page_title]#2 We Have A Really Nice Hotel Room[/post_page_title] "Steve, it says here that we have a garden view of the local flora and fauna, lets book this one!" [caption id="attachment_4667" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Credit: Reddit / wonderless2686[/caption] "Steve, the carpets alive!" [post_page_title]#3 Don't Stay In A Hotel With Bedbugs[/post_page_title] One of the first pieces of advice you often receive pre-traveling is to read reviews based around strange bedfellows. It's something many people scoff and laugh at and just assume that it's no more than a simple wind-up. [caption id="attachment_4668" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Credit: Reddit / MustacheEmperor[/caption] This is probably what this person thought. Truthfully this is one of the worst examples of someone being dinner that I've seen. *Shudder*. [post_page_title]#4 The Pool At My Hotel In Birmingham, Alabama. Yes, Those Are Toilet [/post_page_title] "POOL! THE HOTEL HAS A POOL"! These words are likely screamed from rooftops worldwide as people get excited about their soon-to-be holiday and vacation activities. I bet it looked great in the photos as well... [caption id="attachment_4669" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Credit: Reddit / jasonsmithatlanta[/caption] Not only is this utterly hilarious, but it's also a testament to how many online listings can, in reality, be a little dated. I wonder how long this prime-pool was in such a state of crap before this photo was taken? [post_page_title]#5 After A Beautiful Day At The Beach In Hawaii, My Cousin Went Back To Her Hotel Room To A Pleasant Surprise[/post_page_title] Hawaii is the token paradise for good reason! Idyllic views and wonderful hotels skirt the edge of gold beaches and paradise eternal. An overt description but a true one enough. Now, scroll, slowly. [caption id="attachment_4670" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Credit: Reddit / dom_corleone[/caption] I have SO many questions! Why is it so black? Did it come from the toilet? Did it fall from the ceiling? I need to know. Also, yes, this is not what you want either. [post_page_title]#6 Airbnb Description Said "View Of The Main Church From The Bedroom Window". Technically It Was Not A Lie[/post_page_title] Here we are again, misleading descriptions on online booking sites proving their ability to pre-emptively troll! [caption id="attachment_4671" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Credit: Reddit / Airazz[/caption] It's not a lie, but also what a ceiling height that is. I'm a tall man, and I've been to some rooms with small door frames, but this is incredible. [post_page_title]#7 My Hotel Room Has Such A Nice View! Wait A Minute[/post_page_title] When you see it. [caption id="attachment_4672" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Credit: Reddit / Nevoska[/caption] I hand a firm-clap to whoever did this, honestly, you have won the hotel-game utterly. [post_page_title]#8 Hotel Quality Is Now Measured As...[/post_page_title] Much of this list is very obvious and cliché yet still shocking nonetheless. Many of said entries are regardless of shock factor, are easy enough to explain in hindsight. MANY of them. [caption id="attachment_4673" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Credit: Reddit / airdanada[/caption] The caption under this image read as follows: "I generally gauge the quality of the hotel I'm staying at based on the number of bite marks on the toilet flusher." You mean, it's not just me? [post_page_title]#9 Shower At The Hostel My Brother Is Staying At In China[/post_page_title] As you scroll through this list, if you do so slowly you can see part of images that may not seem all that bad. Take this one, it looks like a relatively normal-looking shower head. You know the drill, scroll on! [caption id="attachment_4674" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Credit: Reddit / mortoson[/caption] Most people sing in the shower. In this hostel? You dance with death! [post_page_title]#10 Saw This In An Elevator Today In A Hotel. Took The Stairs Back Down[/post_page_title] In most countries, if something is somewhat on the broken side of operational the premises are required to notify guests of such a hazard. That surely absolves them of all blame, right? [caption id="attachment_4675" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Credit: Reddit / iJoyzilla[/caption] Imagine turning round to see this right as you look to get off the lift? I simply ADORE stairs. [post_page_title]#11 Found This Under The Sheets While Crawling Into Bed... Used Hair Extensions?[/post_page_title] If you're going to expect anything when you go away and pay for board overnight or for however long, it's a given that the room has been cleaned at the very least prior to your arrival... [caption id="attachment_4676" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Credit: Reddit / famousblinkadam[/caption] ... or not, I mean, PERHAPS that's unreasonable. [post_page_title]#12 Ah, Thanks For The Remark![/post_page_title] I've already laughed a great so far, choosing from the plethora of images at my disposal has been nothing short of fun and indeed quite disgusting. That said, this is a little tamer. [caption id="attachment_4677" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Credit: Reddit / pissedoffgc[/caption] Do you though? Do you? [post_page_title]#13 Heat Lamp Vs. Bathroom Door In My Hotel Room[/post_page_title] Wet rooms and heat lamps can be quite the luxury in the world of modern hotels. You start to dry as soon as you're done, and all the water seeps away - it's great! It's USUALLY great, usually. [caption id="attachment_4678" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Credit: Reddit / AkimboJuuls[/caption] It seems to me that this hotel may need to check the blueprints before making any hot new alterations. That's been there a while, and it also prompts a further question on whether the smoke alarm is actually working. [post_page_title]#14 The Fitness Room At The Hotel I Stayed At[/post_page_title] I stayed in a hotel in Sydney once that had a gym, I'd never really been to a gym before so I was actually quite excited. I should think that this is the case for many people, to go away on holiday and maintain a healthy level of exercise, I mean, why not, eh? [caption id="attachment_4679" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Credit: Reddit / PineBadger[/caption] Imagine me, and all those other people looking to break the sweat before going out for the evening and doing "a holiday", seeing this, gym-gear in hand. It's quite amusing, however. VERY amusing. [post_page_title]#15 Found This Under The Mattress In A Hotel[/post_page_title] This is one is a little more sinister and more proof that reviews and any feedback you can find is a must-read before you book ANYWHERE. [caption id="attachment_4680" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Credit: Reddit / mind_the_gap[/caption] That said, at least this person actually bothered to check upon arrival. Well done! [post_page_title]#16 It's So Humid In Nola, These Little Guys Are Growing In My Hotel Room[/post_page_title] "Ah, hello! Mr. Guest, how is your stay with us so far? Do you have enough room?" [caption id="attachment_4681" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Credit: Reddit / GermanFuckBot[/caption] "Yes, I do! Too-mushroom! Four-mushroom! THERE ARE MUSHROOMS IN MY ROOM!" I wonder if they were a good time? I heard the one on the right was a fun-guy. [post_page_title]#17 "Quality" Hotel Room. Moscow, A Month Ag [/post_page_title] In some parts of the world, due to high-mineral deposits or limited local infrastructure, you're advised to not drink from the taps and spouts that quite normally litter-your rooms and such. It's relatively normal outside of the first world nations of the world. I should that very thought process was the reason why this next example ended up in this list. [caption id="attachment_4682" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Credit: Reddit / sphilippou[/caption] "Ahhh! Sweet! The tap gives-out Ice Tea!" If only... [post_page_title]#18 Found This Waiting In The Bathroom Of My New Hotel Room[/post_page_title] My reaction to scrolling down to this next entry was a token example of how the initial pixels of these images can fool you quite effectively or, at the very, least be somewhat of a lackluster example anyway. [caption id="attachment_4683" align="aligncenter" width="700"] Credit: Reddit / LunaLoves[/caption] Needless to say, I was very, very wrong. I have questions that need to stay questions. [post_page_title]#19 Stayed At A Hotel For Cheap This Weekend. Wasn't Quite Prepared For This Level Of Sketch[/post_page_title] If you've booked a cheap hotel, it is often best to get into good humor about the situation you will be soon facing. It's best to joke about what you might find, so when you do, its easily dealt with. It works... sometimes. [caption id="attachment_4684" align="aligncenter" width="700"] Credit: Reddit / JMCSD[/caption] Fail to prepare and you prepare to fail! [post_page_title]#20 Walked Into My Hotel Room And...[/post_page_title] ... stood dumfounded. [caption id="attachment_4685" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Credit: Reddit / paroslaya[/caption] ... promptly executed a swift 180-degree spin. ... and left. [post_page_title]#21 Checked In To A Hotel And Promptly Checked Out[/post_page_title] There isn't a huge amount I can say about this one. [caption id="attachment_4686" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Credit: Reddit / gravityblast10[/caption] I'm sure they had a heated discussion with the manager after this. In fact, I would assume that they were in quite a temperature. [post_page_title]#22 My Hotel's TV![/post_page_title] The quality of electricals in establishments on both the cheaper end of guest houses and hotels is often left much to be desired. We've all seen it. What is also quite often the case, is the quality of such appliances, or their size... [caption id="attachment_4687" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Credit: Reddit / Luxnoctiss[/caption] Let us take the best from this one, shall we? The room is clean, as are towels and, that isn't even the worst wiring I've seen. [post_page_title]#23 My Hotel Offers A Kettle And Glasses To Use, But Has A Folder In A Drawer With Rules. One Of Them Says You Have To Pay A Fine If You Use The Kettle[/post_page_title] You really can't make any of this up. [caption id="attachment_4689" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Credit: Reddit / Feelsave[/caption] No, really! They levy a fine if you do... [post_page_title]#24 In A Fancy Hotel Restaurant And Found This In The Mixed Nuts They Bring To Your Table While You Wait For Your Food[/post_page_title] And, not for the first time on this list of woeful and questionable occurrences in high-class establishments, we have a prime example of going the extra mile. In the wrong direction! [caption id="attachment_4690" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Credit: Reddit / kaylaisabel[/caption] "Don't have the energy to go out after a long day? We have you covered! Come downstairs to our wonderful restaurant, where will not only fill you up but we will f**k you up with who knows what!" [post_page_title]#25 Flat Screen TV Mounted To An Old Box TV With Packing Tape In A Flea Bag Motel[/post_page_title] Is it not plugged in? Does it not work? [caption id="attachment_4691" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Credit: Reddit / jaakobola[/caption] Why would you even be annoyed at this? [post_page_title]#26 Sinkhole Just Developed In My Hotel Room[/post_page_title] Sinkholes are something we are all likely aware of via Hollywood silver-screen dangers but something, we USUALLY manage to avoid in our daily lives. What a time to be alive! [caption id="attachment_4692" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Credit: Reddit / cobbers83[/caption] Usually. Run. [post_page_title]#27 The Jacuzzi At My Hotel[/post_page_title] This next one is nothing short of impressive. If you look around the photo, the place looks relatively clean and the pool in the righthand top corner even itself looks clean enough itself. So how did this happen? [caption id="attachment_4693" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Credit: Reddit / tha_real_slim_shady[/caption] How long has this water been in here? The water almost looks vicious and near solid, I say impressed in a more disgusted manner. I really don't think that sparkly clean white float no the back wall is going to really and realistically save anyone from that Jacuzzi of quite possibly sentient ooze. [post_page_title]#28 This Is In My Hostel, Next To My Bed. Thanks For The Warning, I Guess...[/post_page_title] And so, we enter the final three of a list that was incredibly hard to compile. I've endeavored to wholly do the asbestos I can, much inspired by these hostel proprietors. [caption id="attachment_4694" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Credit: Reddit / chronos42[/caption] Thanks indeed! [post_page_title]#29 This Is What I Saw When I Checked Into My Hotel Last Night[/post_page_title] To say that I was exuberantly filled with anticipation prior to compiling this list is an understatement. In all honesty, I find instances such as the ones on this list more than hilarious, does that make me a bad person, maybe, but it is what it is. And what this next one is, is funny, very funny. [caption id="attachment_4695" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Credit: Reddit / TheMostLegendary[/caption] How would you even react? Imagine, you've just traveled God-knows how far and you find your hotel, your warm bed at the end of a long and possibly perilous journey, in the process of becoming a waterpark. Remember, you're not allowed to make this up, you'll be fined! [post_page_title]#30 Got Excited From Far Away About The Motel Having A Swimming Pool[/post_page_title] And to close, we have perhaps the best swimming pool featured on this list and from the source material I was privy too. [caption id="attachment_4696" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Credit: Reddit / scrane122[/caption] I would hazard a guess to say that this not only took some effort to fill-in but its deliberate placement on the add for this motel as a serviceable pool is very much that. Brilliant. Going somewhere nice? Take a copy of this list and do your research!