The WETsundays

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Day 215: Friday 30th January - Upgraded to a better boat and a mad dash to get aboard in time

I get a call from the tour agency that’s dealing with my Whitsunday’s booking whilst I’m hanging around the hostel waiting for my bus from Mackay in the late morning. As there is only me booked on the Eureka II which sails tomorrow they are prepared to upgrade me for free to a better boat which sails today. Result! It sails at 3:30pm which is okay as my bus will arrive in Airlie Beach at 2:30pm giving me just about enough time to make it. My Greyhound bus is however an hour late leaving Mackay (entirely predictable) which means I’m not going to get to Airlie Beach until 3:30pm. I call the agency and they reassure me it will still be okay. I arrive in Airlie Beach just before 3:30pm after a two hour bus journey from Mackay. As I get off the bus, Ricky who I did Fraser Island with is waiting to get on. He’s just finished his Whitsunday’s trip and describes it as okay as he’s had a couple of days of bad weather. I’d love to spend longer speaking to him but I’ve got to get to the tour agency so I tell him I’ll catch up with him in Cairns. I walk past the agency, but thankfully Airlie Beach is only a one street town so I quickly recover my error. At the agency I hastily register for the sailing, leave some luggage behind and pick up a wetsuit before one of the girls takes me down to the marina. I have just about enough time to buy some snacks for the boat if I want but when I get to the marina I see Jan, who was on my boat the last time I went sailing in the Galapagos Islands, all of 5 months ago. This is seriously wierd! She barely recognises me at first.....me I can’t believe the coincidence of bumping into my roommate half way around the world from the last time I sailed. By the time I’ve finished talking to her there is no time to go to the shop - I just hope the food on the boat is good.

As a result of my upgrade I now have an extra night sailing the Whitsunday’s, 3 days and 3 nights instead of 2. The Whitsunday Island’s are a group of 74 Islands just off the coast of Airlie beach, in between the Great Barrier Reef and the coastline of Queensland. They were named by James Cook in 1770 when he sailed past them on Whitsunday. More than any other destination, this is the one which regularly seems to top traveller’s highlights of Australia’s east coast. The Whitsundays are continental islands - the tips of mountains exposed when the sea levels rose - and are fringed with coral. When the weather is cooperating it’s a dreamy location, azure seas, coral reefs, beautiful beaches. The problem for me at the moment is the weather - overcast and with heavy rains predicted for the duration of the voyage. Let’s hope that the weather forecasters have got this one wrong.

The Whitsunday Magic leaves Airlie Beach at 4pm, bound for the sheltered waters of Nara’s Inlet on Hook Island, which we reach 2 hours later. I am sharing the boat with 14 other people, largely couples and families. There is only one other backpacker on the boat, Brian from Seattle who I quickly befriend. I have a 4 bed bunk room to myself, including a small ensuite. The cabin must be 4 times bigger than the cabin I shared with Jan in the Galapagos Islands, and so far I’m happy with my upgrade. On the way to Nara’s inlet a plate of snacks is put out, the start of a food fest which continues the length of the voyage. The food is excellent and we must get fed every 2 hours. The boat too is very nice, it can hold well over 20 guests so it seems particularly spacious for our voyage despite the fact that we spend most of our time below deck due to the inclement weather. The Whitsunday Magic has a top sun deck fitted with sun loungers, a lower deck with a permanent cover to shelter from the sun and the rain and a dining room and bar area below deck. In addition there’s also the room I have to myself so I never feel claustrophobic on the boat. This is certainly a deluxe sailing boat and what’s even better is that I haven’t paid for this luxury. I’m shattered after my long, rushed day which began at Mackay at 4:30am so retire for bed at 9pm.

Day 216: Saturday 31st January - Seeing Whitehaven beach at its worst

I get up feeling much more refreshed after a decent sleep for breakfast at 7:30am. Every breakfast is cereal, fruit, yoghurt, toast and a cooked option so by the time I’ve worked my way through that I’m absolutely stuffed. After breakfast we sail 2 hours to Tongue Bay on Whitsunday Island the largest of the islands which make up the Whitsunday Islands. With strong winds, the sea is rough and there are a number of people who don’t make it to Whitsunday Island without feeding the fish! Thankfully I’d taken the precaution of a seasickness tablet and even then it doesn’t seem as bad as the trip on the catamaran from Heron Island. Once in Tongue Bay we get transferred by dinghy to Whitsunday Island for a bushwalk to a lookout over Whitehaven beach. What a disappointment it proves to be. Many people rate this 6km beach consisting of 99.89% pure silica as the best beach in Australia, some even say the world. However, in driving rain and at high tide, we are deprived of the view of both the famous sand swirls and the contrast of the pure white sands against the cerulean seas. The tide the crew could have done something about by landing us here later in the day but the weather we can do nothing about. Such a shame, it remains a beautiful image on a postcard rather than reality. On the way down to the beach from the lookout I spot a Gould’s Goanna, a huge lizard which must measure a metre long. I chase it off into the bush for a good picture and by the time I get to it I’m totally disorientated as to where the path is. I end up getting lost for a short while, eventually reuniting myself with the rest of the group about 15 minutes later on Whitehaven beach. I don’t hang about on the beach as the weather is just awful and I take cover under some trees in the pouring rain.

After a big lunch we set sail to Stonehaven at the top of Hook Island, the second largest of the Whitsunday Islands which takes two and a half hours. One thing I have been surprised at so far is the relatively short distances between the islands, no journey seems to be more than 3 hours. With the heavy rain persisting everyone is below deck and we see nothing really of the islands we sail past. The pattern of the rest of the day is rather like that which the Koala enjoys - regular food every couple of hours, including a fantastic steak and then a nice long sleep at the end of the day to top it off. What a hard life! I entertain myself with a few games of chess and talking to Brian about South America where he will finish his trip.

In the middle of the night I am awoken by the noise of either the anchor being dropped or hoisted. I get dressed half expecting the alarm to sound to abandon ship. I’m too tired to investigate what is wrong but something is clearly not right. I dose off expecting to awake in the morning either run aground one of the islands or sheltering from a cyclone back in Airlie Beach. When I do wake the following day I discover that the anchor has snapped (fortunately we had a second) and we were drifted across the bay towards another boat, no more than 20 metres away when the captain woke up realising something was wrong!

Day 217: Sunday 1st February - Snorkelling in Blue Pearl Bay

Another wet and overcast morning awaits me when I awake. At least there are strawberry pancakes for breakfast - yummy! We sail north from Stonehaven at the top of Hook Island to Blue Pearl Bay at the northern end of Hayman Island. It’s a relatively short journey of no more than an hour and I’m still bloated from a big breakfast when it’s announced we are going to snorkel here. The snorkelling is disappointing, visibility is poor in the water and it’s raining. I still manage to see plenty of Humbug Damsels (I call them Toon Army fish as they’re the same colour as Newcastle United, Black and White stripes), Globe-head parrotfish and Talbot’s Demoiselle. There are also numerous types of coral - brain coral, needle coral, staghorn coral but they aren’t that colourful. We snorkel for almost an hour before returning to Whitsunday Magic for lunch.

After lunch we have the opportunity to snorkel again, which I force myself to do as I’m absolutely stuffed and more in need of a lie down than anything else. I’m so pleased that I snorkel the second time as it’s much better than this morning. The sun is threatening to put in an appearance and with clearer waters, myself and Brian the only people who snorkel this afternoon see abundant fish life and better and brighter corals. Amongst the fish I see are Bullethead Parrotfish, Globe-head parrotfish, black-belt hogfish, Highfin parrotfish, Forsten’s parrotfish, Lyretail hogfish, Chocolate dip damsels, Sixbar Wrasses, Picasso Triggerfish, Yellowtailed fusiliers, Whitelined Rockcod. The Bluestreak Cleaner Wrasse is interesting to watch as they eat parasites off other larger fish. At one point I even think I’ve spotted a jellyfish but when I return to the boat and describe what I’ve seen I find out that it is a Nudibranch, black with yellow spots and a silver lining which floats in the water similar to a small leaf. This may only be the fringing reef but it’s been impressive this afternoon.

For dinner me and Brian sit with two Chinese girls who have been living in Sydney for the last 8 years. One of them has a talent for reading palms so we get ours read. It’s hilarious because unlike most fortune teller’s I imagine, she just tells it exactly how she sees it without only telling you only the positive things. My future is a series of messy relationships and my career has already reached its peak! On the flip side I’m told I’m intelligent and that I will remain in good health. I joke with the girls and Brian that I am going to have a messy relationship with a shark tonight when I throw myself overboard if that’s what I’ve got to look forward to! We spend the night in the same place as night two, Nara’s inlet at the bottom of Hook Island, sheltering from the high winds and dreadful weather.

Day 218: Monday 2nd February - Returning to Airlie Beach

There is nothing much left of our 3 day sail today other than to sail back to Airlie Beach. The weather is probably at its worst of the last 3 days, it is absolutely tipping it down. Despite the weather I’ve enjoyed the last three days, but because of the weather it is far from a highlight of my time in Australia. To miss out on seeing the azure seas and Whitehaven beach ranks as one of the biggest disappointments of my trip to date. Who knows one day I may come back? If I do it will certainly not be in the wet season. Mark, the barman says the weather has probably been the worst in his 6 months out on the boat. The Whitsunday Magic is a great boat and the food has been first class, but it is a shame that the crew didn’t socialise more with the guests.

We arrive back to Airlie Beach in the late morning and with the latest weather forecast according to the captain saying that the next 3 days is going to be bad weather I set about changing my travel plans for the next few days. First, I cancel my skydive for tomorrow as I discover that it is indeed going to rain heavily all week. This is the fifth day I haven’t been able to skydive, and I’m questioning myself whether this is meant to be. On closer inspection it looks like a big storm is coming in tomorrow afternoon so I decide that I’m going to go north to Townsville tomorrow, a day earlier than I had planned. I cancel a night of my booking at the YHA in Airlie Beach which isn’t one of the better hostels I’ve stayed at in Australia and as for the town itself, it’s disappointing. After a walk along the main street I come to the conclusion that there is nothing to do here except drink!

I meet Brian for a few beers later in the afternoon. As we’re sat in the bar I spot Nat, who I shared the bus journey north from Noosa with and we go over and talk to her and her two friends, Debs and Hattie. They’ve also just got back from sailing the Whitsundays, and it sounds if anything that they’ve had a worse experience than us. I haven’t met one person in the last week who has really enjoyed the Whitsundays, but it has been the weather that’s spoilt it in every case. After a break for a few hours I go back to the pub in the evening for a few more beers with Brian and David, who was also on our boat. I catch up with the three girls again and agree to meet up with Hattie on Magnetic Island. I also donate my Guatemalan money to Nat and Debs - I’ve been trying to get rid of it for months now and I’ve finally found someone who is going there. I fall asleep with fingers crossed that I’m going to be able to get out of Airlie Beach tomorrow.

Day 219: Tuesday 3rd February - Stuck in Airlie Beach

The Greyhound bus never arrives. We find out from another bus driver from a different company that no buses are going north to Townsville as the road is blocked. Great stuff, Airlie Beach is about the last place on my travels through Australia that I would wish to be stuck in as there is nothing to do. I wander along the main street to look into the possibilities of the getting either the train or flying to Townsville. The next train is tomorrow and there are no flights from Proserpine the nearest decent sized town and Townsville. I accept that I’m stuck here for another day and go back to the YHA to see if they’ve got a room. They have, but I can’t get in until 1pm so I dump my bags before looking further into my options to escape the grasp of Airlie. I ring Greyhound first and they tell me that there are no buses going to Townsville until Thursday. The trains are even worse, the next train north may be next Tuesday. Depressed I hang about the hostel until I can get checked in. I see Matt, who I met in Noosa while I’m waiting around. Matt also gives me the idea getting a bus south to Mackay and then flying to Townsville. I don’t fancy hanging around here for two days hoping that the bus will go on Thursday so I look into it. No joy I'm afraid, although I can fly from Mackay to Townsville tomorrow it will cost me $327 (160 pounds) and will only get me there mid afternoon. I'll sit it out and hope that the weather improves, the road is clear and the bus goes on Thursday.

The rest of the afternoon I spend reading. I’ve managed to find one of the classics, Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights in the book exchange. Hopefully this will help to pass the next 48 hours, although it’s heavy going. Outside the rain is torrential, and has been most of the afternoon and early evening which is surely reducing the chances of me leaving Airlie Beach on Thursday. Matt and his friend from home, Mark, who he’s joined up with in the last week, invite me around to their dorm for a few beers after dinner. The three of us sit on the balcony drinking with a couple of German girls and two Swedes. One of the girls in their dorm is from Blaydon, which must rank as the person who lives closest to me back home that I’ve met on my travels. Part way through the evening I pop back to my dorm and a couple of the guys are out on the balcony watching a snake which is wrapped around the tree closest to the room. It must be the biggest snake I’ve seen in the wild, it’s quite chunky and must measure about 3 metres. Late in the evening we venture down the street to Magnum’s bar, one of the main bar’s in Airlie Beach and where I was last night also. The snake has moved further down the tree from where it was previously which is a bit disconcerting. We play a few drinking games to pass the time in Magnum’s before me and Matt head back to the hostel in the early hours. Thankfully, there’s no sign of the snake when we return.

Day 220: Wednesday 4th February - A relatively dry day gets my hopes up

With nothing to get up for I lie in nursing a hangover. After a late breakfast I join Matt and Mark for a stroll along to Airlie lagoon, a man made swimming hole behind the main street. Just about all the talk around here with whoever you meet concerns the weather and how it’s affecting peoples travelling plans and what to do next. It’s a difficult decision as nobody knows what the weather is going to do. I call Greyhound in the afternoon and they tell me they are still expecting to go to Townsville tomorrow. They can’t tell me whether the road to Townsville is open though and they do tell me that the problem area is around Bowen. I’m cautiously optimistic though, the last 24 hours have brought only a sprinkling of rain after a couple of days of downpours so if that is replicated further north then the road should have a good chance of clearing and therefore opening. Getting past Townsville could still be problematic, the road north to Cairns is still closed, making it about a week since it’s been open. I check flights from here to Townsville and Townsville to Cairns, and provided you book a couple of days in advance they are only around $125, which isn’t too bad.

With time to waste, I buy a guidebook for southeast Asia which will be the next leg of my journey. I read up on East Timor, which I’m hoping will be my next destination at the end of this month or early next. It only gets 1500 tourists a year, which makes me realize that it’s going to be quite a different experience from Australia. There must be at least 1500 tourists in Airlie Beach at the moment in comparison. I realise that I’m thankful for the good tourist infrastructure that exists in Australia, and that I’m going to make the most of the next month whatever the weather brings up in the tropics. At the same time, although southeast Asia is going to be very different, much more difficult to travel around, I’m excited about the fun times ahead. I get an early night as I’ll have to be up early for my bus tomorrow.

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