17th jan - we left dreary rockhampton early ...
Airlie Beach, Whitsundays,
Australia
Sunday, January 19, 2003
17th Jan - We left dreary Rockhampton early and caught the bus to Airlie Beach where we arrived mid-afternoon. Our aching bodies just about managed to cope with the uphill walk to the hostel. I knew I should have brought Speckles with me! In the evening we went out for a birthday meal for LJ to a seafood restaurant which was really good. For my main course I had bugs - fortunately not the wriggly type but Morton Bay bugs which are a bit like a crab but taste more like a prawn.
18th Jan - A much needed lazy day to get over our aches and pains. LJ did a great impression of John Wayne walking up the high street even if it wasn't on purpose. We caught up with our emails, washing etc and then booked in for our sailing trip which was leaving the next day. They gave us the lowdown and advised us to hire stinger suits which are like thin wetsuits to protect you from the jellyfish when you are in the sea. It may cheer you all up to know it was raining for most of the day but still really hot.
19th Jan - We were picked up by bus at 8.30 to take us to the marina. The first thing we had to do there before joining the boat was to get our beer rations - most important. We were then taken down to the boat by one of the deckhands (Toby) who then took everyone's shoes from them. We had to go barefoot everywhere for the next 3 days. We were told this was so that there were not loads of shoes flying about the boats but I think it was just a plan to spread athletes foot amongst the passengers. Our boat was called Boomerang and is an 83 ft maxi yacht which used to sail in lots of big races like the Sydney to Hobart race. For our trip there were 22 passengers and 4 crew. As we had booked early we were lucky enough to get a "private" double cabin. Now this term is used very loosely in estate agent fashion. What it meant was our mattress was in the aft of the boat and we had a curtain we could pull across to get a bit of privacy. All the other doubles were over singles and had about a foot and a half to the ceiling.
Once onboard Grace, our hosty (chief cook and bottle washer) told us the dos and don'ts about living on board and instructed us how to use the loos. We were also told that due to the lack of water onboard we could only have one 2 minute shower a day. I have never seen so many tanned female faces go white on hearing this! Up on deck we got a quick safety talk from the skipper (Reece) and then we were off and sailing. Sailing for a passenger like us meant lazing on the deck a lot and occasionally helping to hoist a sail or 2 while taking in the wonderful island scenery. Our first stop was Blue Pearl Bay on Hayman Island where we dropped anchor and were taken off in the dinghy for a bit of snorkeling. LJ took a deep breath and braved the water aided by a noodle(a long bit of foam). There were loads of fish which were all sorts of amazing colours. At one point we were totally surrounded by hundreds of fish only to find that the reason why was because Toby was throwing bits of bread at us. A big ugly brown fish kept coming along here for a snack too. After snorkeling we sailed on a bit further to Maureen's Cove where we were to spend the night. I went for another snorkel while LJ sunned herself. I'm glad I did because I got the chance to swim with a large turtle. It was really amazing. It allowed me to follow it for ages and seemed totally oblivious to the fact that I was close enough to touch it. In the evening we sat out on deck with a few beers chatting while the sun went down. Grace dished up huge platters of nachos to keep us going till a dinner of steak and salad. In time we went to bed but unfortunately not a lot of sleep due to the cabin being unbearably hot.
Next morning we awoke early and had breakfast on the deck before going snorkeling again. This time we found another turtle lying on the bottom. I kept pointing it out to LJ but she kept swimming in the opposite direction because she was afraid it was going to bite her. Must have been one of those man-eating turtles! Here we also saw a Moray Wrasse (I think this is how it is spelt) which is a big blue fish with big lips and looks like a cartoon! Sailing on we came to Tongue inlet where we moored up before going ashore. After a 20 minute walk in the searing heat we came to the most amazing lookout over Whitehaven beach. This is the type of beach you see in all the adverts. Brilliant white sand and perfectly clear water of many shades of blue. From our vantage point you could even see the rays and fish swimming near the beach. After lunch we sailed round to Whitehaven beach itself and went ashore for a laze about and splash in the sea. This was only spoiled slightly by a bit of rain, but in this heat it is quite a blessing sometimes. Another sail and another snorkel and we dropped anchor for the night. More wonderful food and beer. As the previous night had been so hot many people, LJ included, decided to sleep on the deck. I had to laugh when in the middle of the night it tipped it down with rain and they all had to run for cover.
Day 3 and guess what - we went for another snorkel! I found a very strange looking fish which we think was a deadly Stone fish. Luckily I didn't try and catch it for lunch! We then set sail for Airlie Beach stopping off for a short while at the Crocodile Club Resort on Long Island where we were able to swim in the safety of the pool - hurrah no stinger suits! As the wind had dropped, it took longer to get back, even with the spinnaker up (yeah, like we know the difference!) and we had to moor a way out of the marina which meant getting back by the dinghy, but I think we were all just relieved to be back on dry land, especially those who had felt sea sick!
In the evening we all met up again in Magnums which felt like a bit of a con as we had been told a table had been booked for us and there would be free beer and cheap food etc. When we arrived there were about 10 tables for all the various boats that had docked that day and the crew didn't turn up till gone 10pm. We did manage to win some free beer and champagne though, by playing the didgeridoo and the wobble board (no skill involved, our table just cheered the loudest!) Silly games followed and the drink flowed but soon we had had enough and felt we couldn't attend the advertised jelly wrestling in the bar area and retreated to a proper bed like the sleepy lightweights we are.
