Qualia Hamilton Island

... towel that it took off.
All in all a fun trip I would not have wanted to miss.

You won't read anything for a few days because I will head to Airlie beach tonight with the Greyhound as I have booked myself on a 3 day/2 night sailing boat to cruise the Whitsunday Islands. Just after that I will head to Fraser Island for 3 day self drive tour across the island with 8 other people (which I haven't met yet).

Take care.
xxx

... buggies.

The rest of the week consisited of racing in no wind, saw some whales, no wind, no wind, no wind....a protest to keep things exciting after the first day, a fantastic support shore crew, a few great nights at the pub and a lovely presentation dinner. Then it was off the island first thing Sunday morning for Kate to fly out of Mackay.

Oh, we came ...

... ruppig auf See. Trotzdem konnte ich dort richtig gut schlafen. Nach Ankunft in Cairns sind wir dann mit der ganzen Truppe inklusive Crew zum Chillout Abend ins Rattle and Hum. Sehr leckeres und preiswertes Essen. Und die Crew war Trinksicher. 090209 Eigentlich war heute Abreise geplant aber da der Regen in den letzten Tagen so heftig war sind die Strassen Richtung Sueden seit Tagen nicht passierbar. Daher hab ich erst einmal einen Waschtag eingelegt und den Block aktualisiert. Und ...

Sorry I havent been blogging, but loads to talk about so no more delay... Flying to Hamilton Island from Brisbane was fine, the usual no frills airline where you have to pay for everything, even to check your bags in. After landing I was picked up by Dave who took me to the apartment where we were staying. Mum and Dad were already there and after a slightly emotional "hello, wheres my ipod?" we went off to meet everyone else who was there. The point of us being at ...

... Unfortunately, visibility was poor due to recent wind and weather. The fish were awesome, but the coral wasn't as good as I had seen in Thailand, perhaps due to the visibility conditions. The ride back is beautiful as the clouds clear up in time for sunset. I feel like this is an experience I'll have to try again as it certainly did not live up to the hype and is probably also enjoyed best with company!

... and had a few beers and something to eat. On the 20th, I just had a day wandering around the sights of Brisbane. On the 21st, I booked another day tour to Mount Tambourine and Lamington NP. Great views from Mt Tambourine of the valley below. Today, I left Brisbane and headed for Hamilton Island for Christnas. That's all for now. Merry Christmas to you all. Cheers. Duncan

... and within walking distance to the city center and beaches. Like most tourist destinations, Surfers Paradise offers a vibrant and varied nightlife that caters to all crowds. To start, Melba's Restaurant and Nightclub is a great place to dine and dance, with a clientele of all ages. The Rose & Crown, Cocktails & Dreams and The Drink are recommended places for people who love to dance ...

... this enchanting world below. IvanandFiona also joined an excursion to a set of islands called Frankland for a day of snorkeling and sunbathing. These islands were surrounded by segments of reef, which to be honest delivered almost as much beautiful coral and fish as the Great Barrier Reef itself. Due to it being stinger (jellyfish) season up here in the NE of Oz, tourists are made to wear stinger suits whenever they enter the water (even if just for a toe dip at the ...

Mon October 18th - Day 174 The midday courtesy bus dropped us right in the centre of Cairns and following a little world wide webbing we had a wander round. The wind had dropped somewhat and the sun was hot and high. Our Barrier Reef trip is booked for tomorrow when the wind is forecast to be still. Onward travel plans have changed a little. We had planned to fly from Cairns to Perth but that flight is completely full for the next week or so. Now we're going via ...