The Whitsundays has always been up there in the top three things I wanted to do in Australia but when I traveled down the East Coast originally, passing this area, not only was it cyclone season, but the exchange rate was horrendous and I was travelling on the pound. I wanted to experience the Whitsundays properly so in March I made the decision to skip them, and keep my fingers crossed that a better opportunity would present itself.
Before I even booked my flight out here a couple of mates from England said they intended to spend Christmas 2013 in Australia, and it was they who suggested the Whitsundays as the destination. Well, don't mind if I do!!
They didn't fancy one of the classic 'boat trips' that most people do so I traveled up a few days earlier and got on board the Kiana - a proper dive boat, and with only 14 passengers on board, it was pretty small in comparison to most boats. It's also one of the few that sail to the Great Barrier Reef from here. Most just stick around the Whitsunday Islands themselves, which are a lot closer to the mainland.
Before I even booked my flight out here a couple of mates from England said they intended to spend Christmas 2013 in Australia, and it was they who suggested the Whitsundays as the destination. Well, don't mind if I do!!
They didn't fancy one of the classic 'boat trips' that most people do so I traveled up a few days earlier and got on board the Kiana - a proper dive boat, and with only 14 passengers on board, it was pretty small in comparison to most boats. It's also one of the few that sail to the Great Barrier Reef from here. Most just stick around the Whitsunday Islands themselves, which are a lot closer to the mainland.
Congratulations John and Claire! xxxxx The very first place we visited was Whitehaven Beach which some say is Australia's most photographed. A prime location then for one of my fellow passengers to propose to his girlfriend! John and Claire are from England and were on holiday. Of course she said yes, and it provided a cracking start to a trip where a hugely diverse range of people got to know each other, without any irritation, even though we were cooped up in sailing dorms for two nights! When we arrived back on land EVERYBODY turned up to the pub, and that wasn't the last time certain members of our group were to frequent the drinking establishments of Airlie Beach....let's put it that way.
The funny thing about gorgeous Whitehaven Beach, and the area in general, is that at this time of year you can't swim without the full protection of a 'stinger suit'. It's so odd to see a group of people dressed head to toe in black just to go for a simple swim! But a brush with a Box or Irukandji jellyfish is a brush with death so the gear is pretty essential.
I quite like it because it means I can be a bit lazy when it comes to the application of sunscreen!
The funny thing about gorgeous Whitehaven Beach, and the area in general, is that at this time of year you can't swim without the full protection of a 'stinger suit'. It's so odd to see a group of people dressed head to toe in black just to go for a simple swim! But a brush with a Box or Irukandji jellyfish is a brush with death so the gear is pretty essential.
I quite like it because it means I can be a bit lazy when it comes to the application of sunscreen!
The food is ace on these boat trips! After all the excitement, we sailed off to Hook Island where we ate terrific food and had a glass of champagne for obvious reasons!
At first the size of the dorms made my breath feel rather shallow and I honestly didn't know how I would cope with a bed where I couldn't even lean up on my elbow, never mind sit up! I'm lucky to only be 5'6 because any taller and I wouldn't have been able to stretch out. But it was fine in the end. It's amazing what you can adapt to if you have no choice!
At first the size of the dorms made my breath feel rather shallow and I honestly didn't know how I would cope with a bed where I couldn't even lean up on my elbow, never mind sit up! I'm lucky to only be 5'6 because any taller and I wouldn't have been able to stretch out. But it was fine in the end. It's amazing what you can adapt to if you have no choice!
Copyright belongs to the Kiana. How nervous do I look here?!! Well, I was about to go on only my 6th scuba dive, and given that I was the world's worst diving student (I used to be scared of water, depths, big things underwater like ship wrecks, seaweed, the list goes on, and basically I cried in the POOL when I did my PADI course in March 2013 because I was so scared!!) I was a little apprehensive!
But there was no need. The stuff under the water in the tropics is just SO awesome. I ended up doing the maximum of four dives during the trip.
What I love about scuba diving is the same as what I love about skydiving...the ability to put your body into any position you like, and that feeling of being a spaceman! I also, of course, love the exposure to the different environments, and diving seems even more worthwhile because there are animals to look at!
But there was no need. The stuff under the water in the tropics is just SO awesome. I ended up doing the maximum of four dives during the trip.
What I love about scuba diving is the same as what I love about skydiving...the ability to put your body into any position you like, and that feeling of being a spaceman! I also, of course, love the exposure to the different environments, and diving seems even more worthwhile because there are animals to look at!
Thanks to my diving instructor Cindy for these snaps. It was so cool that she encouraged me to play around and get into silly positions. I find messing about a bit during a dive relaxes me, which I need at this stage. I've now done 9 dives and there are a LOT of improvements I need to make.
We saw loads of lovely things, including a type of nudibranch (top left), which I'm told is pretty rare. I spotted Mr Lobster, for which Cindy gave me an underwater high five! We saw a few turtles, lots of nemos and completely bizarrely coloured and patterned fish. These leopard print fish were quite common, but my favourite sea creature of all (bottom left) so far is the totally weird sea cucumber.
We saw loads of lovely things, including a type of nudibranch (top left), which I'm told is pretty rare. I spotted Mr Lobster, for which Cindy gave me an underwater high five! We saw a few turtles, lots of nemos and completely bizarrely coloured and patterned fish. These leopard print fish were quite common, but my favourite sea creature of all (bottom left) so far is the totally weird sea cucumber.
Sunset on the Great Barrier Reef
That night we slept on the Great Barrier Reef, 64 kilometres out from the mainland. We were treated to a cracking sunset, followed by a chance to lay on the deck and look at the stars, which are just like outback stars: no light pollution whatsoever.
I got up at about 4am to see the sunrise. I was joined by most of the people on the boat, and I was in the water on my final dive before 7am. I love how everything happens early on these adventure trips. Sunrise is my favourite time of day.
I got up at about 4am to see the sunrise. I was joined by most of the people on the boat, and I was in the water on my final dive before 7am. I love how everything happens early on these adventure trips. Sunrise is my favourite time of day.
I can't remember how long it took to sail back to shore, but it was in the region of five hours, with a stop near Hayman Island for lunch. Myself and a dutchman, Olivier, had our hands up first when they asked for volunteers to lift the main sail. I think they probably wished someone had beaten me to it - I don't think my little arms made much difference!
After my sailing trip it was then time to meet my friends on Long Island. I'd booked a self-catering bungalow for Christmas Day so we could do our own barbie and pretend to be Australian! But because Long Island consists of basically two resorts and absolutely no shops, if you self-cater, you have to ship it all from the mainland. So I single-handedly had to carry all the stuff I carry anyway, which is a nightmare in itself, plus a load of extra bags full of food and booze for three people for two days. Luckily I met a lovely family from Norwich of all places, who helped me onto the bus! The ferry wasn't too much of a drama to load onto, and then my mates were waiting at the other end to help me off the boat. So it could have been worse!
We spent the majority of Christmas Day in the pool, which was just glorious. In the tropics the water tends to heat up to a good 29 degrees or so. Even the bottom of the sea is in the mid 20s (well, the depths I can get to anyway...) so while I'm not much of a swimmer elsewhere I love it up there!
Of all the backpackers I'd met in the previous month, not one of them wasn't going to be in Sydney for New Year, and we were no different. So with great regret I had to leave the Whitsundays and follow the crowd. But we did have the privilege of a private rooftop party at the abode of former Anglia and Channel 7 journalist Laura Burns. And along with the top notch company, the view wasn't bad now was it?!!
Happy New Year from Sydney!
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