Whitsundays
Trip Start
Apr 16, 2008
1
19
33
Trip End
Aug 11, 2008
Whitsunday Islands,
Queensland,
Australia
Monday, June 23, 2008
After checking into the travel agency, we spend a few hours at Airley Beach before meeting our crew to board the Clipper @ 3.00pm. The Clipper's a rather big 34 meter boat with 51 holidayers on board! Expecting to be rather crammed on, we were supprised to find we were sharing our room with just one other guy, Ian. After meeting some of the others on the trip over a few glasses of goon, dinner was served, baked white fish, mash, bread + colesaw. Dinner was followed by some more goon before Sam & I crashed for the night, shattered after 2 nights of camping and an overnight travel.
We were woken bright and early @ 7 for breakfast of fresh fruit, cerial and toast and transported to 'White-Haven Beach', the most stunning of the Whitsunday beaches
Our cabin
. We did a short treck up to the view point (see pics) then headed down to the beach for a paddle, watching kite surfers and sting ray chasing - the tide was out so a group of us paddled knee deep in our stinger suits, and were surrounded by stingers. We were taxied back to the boat for lunch of rolls, ham, salad and tuna pasta while the ship moved on to the north of 'Hook Island' where we dived the Great Barrier Reef - woohoo!! While the visability wasn't the best and the water quite cold (even for Christina who doubled up on wet suits, to be expected this time of year tho, the dive was spectacular! We saw a Green Turtle, nemo's (clown fish) and so much life everywhere you looked. A great experience :-) On returning to the boat for a much appriciated hot shower, tea and cookies we chilled out, drank some more goon and played cards with some (more) Irish guy's we met, before dinner of Sam's fav. Spag Bol and garlic bread.
We finished off the evening with more goon, card and boat racing drinking games and lying on top deck all wrapped up watching the stars. A lovely evening :-)
Monday 28th was another early start, those of us who weren't hung over - that includes Sam + I had breakfast and were transported to another beach where Sam snorkled (as the visability was worse than yesterday) while I strolled along the beach
White Haven Beach
. We were then given lunch and relaxed and slept in the sun on top deck as bur boat returned back to the marina by Airley Beach @ 1.30pm.This was such a lovely trip, well worth the money and we've fansastic memories :-)
We spent the next 5 hours around Airley Beach, where we went for fish and chips, and in MacCaff for cake and hot chocolate (MacDonalds Caffee which is rather common over in the East, we're missing out at home!).
We boarded the Greyhound bus @ 7pm for the 12 hour drive back to Hervey Bay, where we were picked up by the lovely people @ Fraser Coast Backpackers, where we spent the day relaxing - oh, and making ourselves an awesome BBQ of corn on the cob, jacket potato, salad and .... Kangeroo Steak =)
Tomorrow we're off to Brisban where we intend to meet up with 'Welshy' (Sam's friend from Uni), Ricky and Claire, go to Steve Irwain's Zoo and surfers paradise.
Love and thoughts with all back home,
XxXxX
