From Rags to Riches - The Magic of the "Wetsundays"

With plans of snorkeling through sparkling coral seas, lounging on white silica beaches and generally just enjoying a sunny tropical paradise, both Sidd and I were really looking forward to our week-long getaway in the Whitsundays over the Easter break. The Whitsundays is located midway on the Queensland Coast, approximately 1.5 hours north by plane from Brisbane. It is the largest group of islands offshore from Australia, comprised of 74 tropical islands nestled in crystal-clear azure waters and bordered by the Great Barrier Reef. The majority of the Whitsunday islands are national parks and only 8 are inhabited. As they are all within a short distance of each other, the only way to truly experience the Whitsundays is to join a sailing trip.

Unfortunately, the Whitsundays is not some secret Queensland gem that few people know about. Quite to the contrary, the only industry in the area other than sugar cane is tourism. In fact, the main gateway to the Whitsundays, Airlie Beach, began as a backpacker town and has now ballooned to enormous proportions, catering to both the budget-oriented and those with luxury in mind. There are hundreds of sailing trips ranging from Tall Ship Safaris, Classic Cruising, Performance Sailing, Island Reef and Dive and Sailing in Style. A bit bewildered by the vast array of choices, we made a list to narrow it down:

• No budget backpacker tours! (while we both admit to being a bit budget conscious, we agreed that we had no desire to spend three days with 18 year olds guzzling cases of XXXX, the cheap beer of OZ)
• Camp ashore in private tents (I suffer from terrible motion sickness. The options are normally to knock myself out with Gravol or spend a good chunk of time heaving over the side of the boat).
• A small number of passengers, preferably under 20.
• A boat with sails, not just a motor.
• A range of outdoor activities, including kayaking, snorkeling and the possibility of diving.

All in all, it seemed like a pretty easy list to satisfy. As I was off camping with Margaret on the Gold Coast, Sidd took charge of finding the perfect sailing trip and working in conjunction with a travel agent, found “Enid”, a three day, two night trip run by OZ Sailing. Glancing through the brochures and the website, Enid appeared to meet all of our criteria. We were also assured by the travel agent that this boat would be very comfortable and a class above the backpacker boats. It was advertised as “Classic Cruising” and “Sailing in Style”, with the following description:

This John G Alden 66ft ketch combines history with speed. A beautiful timber boat designed with timeless, classic lines. Launched in 1961 and meticulously restored in 2002/03. With her original timber fittings still intact, guests will enjoy the feel of a bygone era sailing around the Whitsundays. Join in the sailing or just sit back in the extremely comfortable outdoor lounge area. Enid is an Eco Accredited vessel, with a Camp Ashore option allowing guests to enjoy the comforts of sleeping on land at our secluded camp sites. Whatever you choose, you will enjoy the first class snorkeling and kayaking around secluded bays and fringing reefs.

The maximum number of passengers on Enid was advertised to be 17 (plus 3 crew) and hot showers, snorkeling gear, kayaks, linen and freshly prepared meals were promised. Planning the rest of our time in the Whitsundays, we decided to camp on a secluded island, “Robinson Crusoe” style, after the sailing trip.

The weather on the morning of our departure from Brisbane did not bode well, with sprinkling rain and gray clouds. Being optimistic, we hoped that the weather up north would be better. However, little did we know that a true Queenslander will tell you that it always rains heavily over the Easter week, regardless of your location. This proved to be true, as upon arriving in the Whitsundays, we noted ominous black clouds in every direction. Our shuttle driver cheerfully welcomed us to the “Wetsundays” and to our dismay, predicted that the rains would not lift for another month. At this point, all I could think was, “oh no”.

By the time we arrived at our caravan park, it was raining heavily and the thought of camping on the marshy ground was less than appealing. Luckily, we snagged the last cabin and spent the night watching bad TV while enjoying a bottle of wine. Much to my delight, the following morning was Easter Sunday, a day I had been looking forward to for the past 6 weeks as I could finally indulge in my beloved sweets (mmm...), which I had given up over the Lenten season! Sidd was also thrilled, claiming that I would be less irritable now that I could eat chocolate and sugar. And even better, the glorious sun came out!

After thoroughly enjoying the beautiful weather on Easter Sunday, we were certain that Lady Luck was shining upon us and we would have similar weather throughout our sailing trip. Arriving at the marina the next morning, after scouring the skies for a glimpse of fairer weather, we glumly accepted that it would a very wet day. The marina is the starting point for all of the sailing trips and upon arriving at the only sheltered spot, I was somewhat concerned by the large number of very young backpackers, sure enough, lugging cases of XXXX. I rejoiced when they all headed off to board the “Apollo”, a definite budget boat (and incidentally, advertised as such!).

They say first impressions are everything. Sadly, my first impression of Enid as we boarded the boat was somewhere near horror - “I have to what? Relinquish my flip flops for the entire trip?”… followed quickly by “you’ve got to be joking that I’m expected to use the washroom barefoot!!!!” As a side note, I abhor walking barefoot and take great lengths to ensure that my foot never touches the ground. Giving Sidd an accusing stare loaded with “you picked this boat?” my impressions of Enid did not get much better. For one, the descriptors that came to mind when you saw the inner quarters were “cramped”, “stuffy”, and “musty.” I laughed when I saw that a “private double” consisted of a bed perched on top of a triple bed, with another two bunks on the opposite side. I did not laugh, however, when I saw the washrooms. At that point, I decided that my body did not require any further hydration for the balance of the trip.

As we sailed off from Airlie Beach, the crew gave us a briefing about the next three days, including not taking longer than one minute showers (as if I had any intention of spending time in the washroom). We were also cheerfully told that the “camp ashore” option had been changed to dorm accommodation at a backpacker resort. Shrugging my shoulders, I thought, “ah well, it could be worse - we could be stuck sleeping on Enid...” With the briefing done, all 21 passengers were encouraged to relax and enjoy the beauty of the Whitsundays. Hunched under the only sheltered spot on the deck of the boat, I noted that Enid’s bow was firmly directed straight towards grayer skies…

Miraculously, although we definitely had wet weather, we were blessed with some clearer skies on the first day. Taking advantage of the break in the rain, we were ferried over to Whitehaven Beach, known for its stunning views of white silica sand and blue-green waters at low tide. Despite the clouds, it truly was a beautiful sight. And I was thrilled that the anti-nauseant that Sidd gave me was working like a charm, with no drowsy side-effects. It was actually kind of fun to perch on the bow of the ship in a plastic poncho, flying up and down with the waves!

That night, the goon (cheap wine in plastic bags) was flowing freely and as there was a respite from the rain, we were all generally in a good mood - it’s pretty hard to ruin the beauty of the Whitsundays. After several hours of raucous fun, it was time for the “camp ashore” people to be ferried over to Hook Island Resort. Adrian, our deckhand, set about making the preparations to get the tender (zodiac) ready. I must mention now that Enid’s tender did not exactly inspire confidence. I couldn’t figure out if it was trying to sink itself by deflating or from the gallons of water it took on while in use. Either way, the tender sat very low in the water and no one was excited about getting in, including the crew. At any rate, after about an hour of Adrian attempting to get the motor started, it became apparent that the tender had gone on permanent strike and we were not getting to dry land. Given that Enid only had enough sleeping berths for 21 people and there were 24 on board, this was somewhat problematic!

Rummaging around Enid, the crew managed to unearth 2 sleeping bags and 3 soaking wet mats. After divvying up the sleeping gear, the next issue was trying to decide how to cram 4 people underneath the only sheltered spot on the deck. Deciding it was unfeasible, Sidd helped me set up my sleeping ensemble on one half of the bench (the other half taken up by one of the crew!) and decided to kit out under the stars on the exposed deck. This worked out fine… for about one hour. Then the heavens opened and it began to pour. Even underneath the sheltered area, it was raining. Giving up, Sidd squashed himself beside me on the narrow bench and I attempted to sleep with my head wedged against the steering wheel, covered by our plastic ponchos. Needless to say, it was a miserable night and even numerous glasses of goon did not make it better.

The morning dawned bright and clear, drying out the wet boat and the equally sodden passengers. The sun even made the memories of the torrential night fade away. To make matters even better, our skipper, Max, was so horrified by the night that he called in to the main office and convinced them that we absolutely needed to pick up a new tender! Things were definitely looking up! Although we were fed wieners and uncooked potato salad for lunch, the rest of Day 2 was fantastic, spent snorkeling with large schools of colorful fish and enjoying sailing (no motor!) through the sparkling coral seas.

As nighttime drew near, I became both excited and anxious that we would have to spend another night on board. But Lady Luck was back on our side and we were safely ferried over to Hook Island Resort in our shiny new, reliable tender. As mentioned, this is a “backpacker resort”, an oxymoron in itself. Arriving at the main area, which was crawling with enormous spiders, I thought, “I would be so pissed if I paid $150 per night for this!” This observation was further confirmed upon taking a lukewarm shower with a gigantic bright green grasshopper. Resort, indeed!

At any rate, the third day aboard Enid was much the same as before - rain, then sun, then rain… plus more fantastic snorkeling and wieners for lunch. I must confess that I was quite excited to get on dry land and absolutely ecstatic to take a long hot shower, absent the insects. Later that evening, we enjoyed some post-war drinks and stories with the rest of the Enid survivors. Some of my favorite comments included: “Enid was overpromised and undelivered” and “the advertising was at best misleading, but more likely, simply dishonest”. To put it succinctly in the words of our captain, Max, “Enid, this boat? It’s a zero star!”

Prior to docking back on Airlie Beach, Sidd and I re-evaluated our plans for the rest of our stay in the Whitsundays. To be quite honest, we tried to book an earlier flight back to Brisbane but fortunately, however, all flights were booked. Shifting gears completely, we decided to forego the bush camping and booked ourselves in for a little luxury at Hamilton Island. Some of you may have heard about the “World’s Greatest Job” contest that Queensland had to promote tourism. The winner of that contest is now the caretaker of Hamilton Island. It is one of the most developed of the Whitsunday Islands and boasts no accommodation less than 3.5 stars, as well as luxurious houses owned by John Travolta and the late George Harrison. It also has fantastic bush hikes and a range of water activities including board-paddling and sailing. I almost cried to be able to walk barefoot in our apartment (4 stars!), and to finally rehydrate myself! To cap things off, the weather finally cooperated and it was blissfully hot for the remainder of our stay, with the ocean the same temperature as the air, a cool 28°C.

All in all, while our trip in the Wetsundays had its ups and downs, it is a place of unparalleled natural beauty and we thoroughly enjoyed our vacation. It also didn’t hurt that we lodged complaints with OZ sailing and through our persistence, managed to get half our Enid trip refunded!

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