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We arrive into Brisbane about 11, take a taxi to our motel, shower and straight to bed. We're back at the airport the next morning at 6 for the flight north to Mackay, it's a perfectly clear but cold morning. We fly on a propellor plane which gives a good view as the wings are above the fuselage, although there isn't much to look at except a very barren and rocky landscape as far as you can see.
Landing in Mackay, the weather is very pleasant, sunny and warm - not too hot. We pick up our little hire car and drive 150km north to Airlie Beach, the landscape is very lush which isn't that surprising as we're in the tropics but I hadn't really thought about it before we arrived. There are massive areas of sugar cane crops and little railways to cart the harvest about, the roads are quiet and we're having a great time.
Airlie Beach is the gateway to the Whitsunday Islands and a bit of a backpacker place. We go to a couple of agents and book a 2 day 2 night cruise on a sailing boat leaving the next day, we
specifically ask not to be on a party boat and are assured that this one isn't. We have lunch, I buy some new sunglasses as I seem to have lost my old ones in Melbourne, then we drive down the road to a cheap motel for a nap. Later on we drive back into Airlie and watch the sunset before dinner at a noodle place then back to the motel to watch Wimbledon and bed.
Next day we check out then I get my haircut (really badly) while Jenny gets a few supplies to take on the boat. We pack a small bag each then drive down to the pier to wait for the boat. Our skipper Locky is a pretty chilled out character and looks like he has spent a lot of time in the sun on boats (which he has). I generally get pretty seasick but fortunately it is very calm, so calm in fact that we don't get the sails out all day. I chat with 3 funny Norwegian guys who typically speak perfect English and make some amusing observations about our plumbing. After a couple of hours we pull on our wetsuits and go
for a snorkel although visibility isn't great. We then continue around to our mooring for the night on Hook Island when the engine packs in - first time in 8 years according to Locky. While he gets the spanners out and fixes it we have dinner, he then asks if there are any bananas onboard, when I produce the ones we have brought he screams, takes them off me and throws them overboard declaring them unlucky! When he finally gets it going we continue to the mooring then go on the little dinghy over to a resort where we have a hot shower and beers before back to the boat and bed. The sky is perfectly clear and we see the southern cross for the first time since we left New Zealand.
We are woken at 630 the next morning when Locky starts up the engine (our room is next to it) and we cruise around to the famous Whitehaven Beach with pure white sand and 98% silica content - great for exfoliating skin and polishing jewellery but very bad for cameras if any gets in. We spend a couple of hours there chilling out, walking around
and taking pictures. It is amazing and the weather is perfect, hot enough to lay in your shorts but not so hot that you have to run in the sea every 10 minutes. Thankfully it is a national park and development is banned so it will remain unspoilt for daytrippers only.
We get back on the boat, there is a bit of wind so we switch off the engine and put the sails up. I absolutely love it and ask loads of questions about what all the ropes do and how it all works, the skipper lets me pull some of the ropes too. Nobody else seems too bothered and just lay in the sun as we cruise along, which is what I do after the excitement has worn off. We arrive at tiny Dumbell island for a snorkel, the visibiliy isn't great again but there are some good fish including massive bat fish which come to the surface to eat bread from your hand (or mouth if you are a crazy Norwegian). We then do some rope swinging off the boat into the water the raise the anchor and sail around to South Molle island where we
moor up and go for a bush walk to watch the sunset on a little coral beach. We have a shower and beers on the island resort then head back to the boat for dinner and Norwegian driving songs. We all then sit out on deck under the moonlight and stars and discuss possible mutiny with me nominated as captain with my new sailing skills, in the end we just go to bed.
There is a good wind the next morning and we sail back to Airlie at a good pace, I decide that I'm definitely getting a boat when I get home although the weather and setting here is probably clouding my judgement. Back at Airlie we say goodbye to everyone and drive back to Mackay for our flight at 4pm to Brisbane.
We are lucky to stay with Kate's parents in Brisbane, we hire a car (big Toyota cruiser) and drive to their beautiful white wooden house close to the river where we have fish and chips and Pinot Noir before taking the ferry down the river to see the city. We're both knackered and fall asleep on the way back before bed and
an early flight to Tokyo!
Pictures at http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/phy7tes/Queensland#
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