Whitsundays

  Airlie Beach, Queensland, Australia
Friday, June 6, 2008

Whitehaven beach

Tuesday - Dad's birthday. So 9am (12am UK time - I like to be first!) a quick birthday wake up call before I disappear out of contact on the boat. Powerplay crew and other passengers all ready and waiting for us when we get there - oops! It's a pleasant boat and I get to share a little cabin with Jenna, Emma and Christine. This is quite spacious compared to Panama to Colombia! Then up on desk for lunch and we are off cruising by 12pm. We are heading straight for the legendary Whitehaven beach on Whitsunday Island. This is the biggest island and the most famous beach with its pure white sands. Amazingly we are the only ones on this vast white beach - almost unheard of! Apparently if we are caught taking sand we are fined $25k and the boat fined $125!! It's totally forbidden and the sand is worth a mint. The boys set up some football so we join in. Then its time for a photo shoot!

Whitehaven beach photo shoot

We try a pyramid, then jumping etc...its tough the life of  model! A little relaxing, a walk down our long private beach and then we are taken on a barefoot (the crew forgot our shoes) muddy, stoney trail through the forest to a  lookout pint to see the swirly sands. We lick green ants on the way up - which surprisingly really do taste like limes..

Sunset in the Whitsundays.jpg

The sun is setting and the beach looks beautiful with pink swirls. Then in the dusk we have to retrace our bare footsteps through the forest.
1) Ow
2) Hope no Snakes/Bugs on the path
Wow - the sand is beautifully soft as we remerge onto the beach.
We wade back out to the small boat to take us back to Powerplay, slight cocern we might be here all night as the boat wont start, but eventually we are off back to the boat where snacks are awaiting us. I could get used to this! Then time for a delicious dinner. We aren't allowed the hot tub though as driving at night L
 

Diving in whitsundays

Wednesday and I'm up at 6am for the first dive of the day. So much for my resolve to save my diving for Cairns! It's a good refresher as haven't been since Hondurus. When we get back breakfast is waiting followed by the Hot tub! The boat is a catamaran with 2 nets and hot tub at the front, perfect for sunbathing and relaxing as the boat cruises. The weather is still fantastic, couldn't ask for more. Next stop I enjoy some excellent snorkelling before a fantastic lunch. I don't know how we get such good meals from such limited space. 2pm and its time for dive 2 - Pricilla time.

Precilla

Pricilla is a huge Maori Bass or something. She is in the process of changing into a male as her predecessor died! She's like the BFG as she swims up to us to see what's going on and lets us stroke her. She's' amazingly friendly and follows us for a bit as we swim off to explore, and she's still there when we return. More snack time, tea and cake, we are looked after. More Hot tub and snorkelling and then its time fore our night dive at 6pm. There are 3 of us, plus Karla the instructor. The lights are bright so slightly less fearful than my last night dive, however not a great deal appeared before our torches and us as we explored along the coral. There is something so eerie about being out in the ocean in the pitch black. Apparently all on the boat could see our torches moving around the black ocean - pretty cool! Guess what next - more fantastic food! Not until after we had managed to get me plus 7 guys in the tiny hot tub!!!.
 
Thursday, its 6.15am and Techno music is blaring throughout the boat to wake us up! Time to get ready for my final dive of the trip. Kitted up - its cold! Then breakfast and chilling as we cruise back through the islands making our way towards Airlee beach to drop us off back on the mainland. It's the 'after party' for the boat tonight as well as Rowan, the dive masters leaving party. Friday is a much-needed free day in Airlee as no bus running. I have a walk around the bay and meet Sean at the Lagoon to catch a few rays before gate crashing her 'after party'!.