19 - 21 September 2014 - Whitsunday Cruise

The day of the cruise arrived and we spent the morning packing and preparing for our adventure. At 2 PM we departed for the harbour where we had snacks and met our fellow passengers before heading off on board the "Whitsunday Getaway" which is a 43 foot sailing catamaran whith 4 ensuite cabins, so only 8 passengers and 2 crew are catered for. We left the harbour at 3 PM and slowly motored out until we passed the harbour limits and then set sail for Whitsunday Island. We were introduced to our cabins where we dropped off our gear and headed on deck to enjoy the sail across the Whitsundays Passage through which Captain Cook sailed in 1770.

We arrived at our overnight anchor point off Whitsunday Island in the Hook Passage where we were protected from the prevailing winds. We had drinks and snacks followed by a scrumptious meal. We got to know everyone a bit better before retiring to bed. Our cabin was big enough for a queen bed, a small cupboard and a miniscule bathroom with a toilet and shower hardly big enough to turn around in. Well it was comfortable enough and we had a large porthole in the ceiling through which we could see the stars and get a cool breeze.

In the morning we were up before dawn and all the others to see the sunrise with a metallic blue sea in the pre-dawn light. Turtles were surfacing all round us and some dolphins cruised by. We had breakfast and then set sail for the Hill Inlet just over a low hill from Whitehaven Beach. We climbed the hill to the lookouts for some stunning views of Whitehaven Beach and the Inlet. After the photo-shoot we headed down to the beach for a swim in the crystal clear water.

Back on board we had lunch while we sailed for Luncheon Bay on Hook Island where we had a snorkel on the fringing reef. The visibility was not great but we had a good time with some new fish. After the snorkel we headed for our second night's anchorage on the west side of Hook Island at a place called Baird Point.

In the morning we had a short sail to Langford Reef on the Langford Island sand spit. We saw numerous turtles but again the visibility was not great but the corals gardens were stunning. After the snorkel we sailed back to Airlie Beach while Keith developed some photos for other guests so they could see some of the fish we snorkelled with.

Back in Airlie Beach we bid our fairwells to our Irish, Spanish and German fellow passengers and headed back to the caravan park with our fellow Aussie caravaners to recuperate from our hectic but most enjoyable cruise.

Sailing to Whitsunday Island

Sunset in the Hook Passage

Pre-dawn light on the second day

Turtle surfacing for air

Whitehaven Beach from the Hill Inlet Lookout 

Whitehaven Beach and Inlet

Lunch

Parrot fish being cleaned by Cleaner Wrasse

Goldbarred Butterflyfish

Sunset from Baird Point

Langford Island sand spit

Soft Corals

Captain Phil at the helm

13 - 19 September 2014 - Airlie Beach

We arrived in Airlie Beach and decided to try the caravan park next to the airport which had been recommended by Wikicamps. The park is outside town in a lovely forested area so we checked in for three nights and setup the caravan. We went back to reception to see what activities were on offer in Airlie Beach. Now, this is the gateway to the Whitsunday Islands so there is a lot on offer! We ended up booking on a 2-day and 2-night sailing cruise around the islands. The only problem was we had to wait until Friday to go, today being Saturday, BUT we did get a 33% discount because of the last minute booking! To make things even sweeter, because we booked through the caravan park we were able to leave our caravan on site for NO charge while we were away - now that is what we call service.

Next morning we went into town to have breakfast out as a treat. We had a few days to kill so took the opportunity to get some chores done including shopping, washing and some things around the van. We bumped into a couple we were camped next to in Townsville and after chatting about what we had planned, they went off to see if there were any places available on our cruise. The cruise we selected takes a maximum of 4 couples in private ensuite cabins. Well, Rob and Val got the last cabin so we were all set for Friday.

After looking at pictures of the reef and the beaches on the islands we decided it would be lovely to do a sightseeing flight over the islands and the reef, so back to reception to book a flight for Tuesday, our anniversary. Well, this was really worth doing as we flew over the Whitsunday Islands and twice along Whitehaven Beach which is considered one of the best beaches in Australia. After the islands we headed to the outer reef and the Heart Reef in particular. The Great Barrier Reef from the air is spectacular and we had perfect weather for it. It was awesome to do this flight and a bonus to see the iconic Heart Reef on our anniversary.

After hearing about our flight, Rob and Val promptly booked the same flight for Thursday! We saw them off and had drinks that evening to compare notes and discuss the cruise the next day starting at 3 PM.

Friday arrived and we spent the morning packing and preparing for our adventure on the high seas - OK, island sailing then! As we booked through the caravan park they provided a lift to the jetty free of charge too!

Bush Stone-Curlew

One of the many Kookaburras that visited us

Ready to take off on our flight over the Whitsunday Islands and the Great Barrier Reef

Our lady pilot at the controls

Whitehaven Beach and the Inlet

The outer reef

Unusual coral formations

More reef formations

One of the smaller islands with a sand Spit with fringing coral reef

After the flight with the plane we flew in

The card Vlasta made for me