Australia Part 15 - Airlie Beach, Whitsundays

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Drumbeat, Carlos the donkey and the return of Pailey walley

Whilst Nath and I had had a few days in Rockhampton on our own with nothing to do –and I mean nothing, that place was like the Aussies version of New Plymouth; we did our usual free emailing etc and I was busy stressing about arranging our up and coming trip on this boat owned by a fellow couch surfer guy called Brian. Now way back in Brisbane I had contacted this guy out of many others as he was new to couch surfing too and thus didn’t require us to have huge credentials and reviews. He was offering us a trip on his boat around the Whitsunday islands for half the price of the commercial operators, and the opportunity was just too good to turn down even if we didn’t know this guy from Adam and he would be taking us out into the middle of the ocean. I’d asked Ben (From Brisbane) on his opinion of doing this sort of thing with people that were new and he said to be careful but considering this guy was suggesting he take a group of us it would be fairly safe.

I already had Amy coming back from a very cold Perth to join us and had mentioned it in passing to Emma and Dan and their mates that we had met for one night at our Fraser Island stay. I’d have loved for Emma and John to join us; we had really enjoyed their company and had left each other in Rockhampton knowing that they had a tight schedule that was running a few days ahead of us so we were unlikely to see them again. Anyway in a nut shell this was all getting very stressful as when I spoke to Brain the cs’er on the phone he had also said he would take out 3 other people he had been chatting to at the same time as us which meant that there wasn’t room for Emma and Dan’s mates (who they’d been travelling for months with) but luckily they were happy in the end to leave even though it meant there was a bit of an atmosphere between them for a while. Amy was also struggling to get back to us for the only date that Brian could now do which meant our timetable was messed up slightly, and to add to this all he was also asking for a little bit more money. So with all this going on via text and phone call etc I decided to meet up with him once we had got to Airlie beach and get it sorted.

We arrived in Airlie beach via good old train and then connecting bus at the most unreasonable time of 5.30am!! again the down side to this cheap rail pass meant this was the only connection we could use, so we arrived at the hostel hoping that it would be open or that it wouldn’t be long at least until reception would let us into our room. It was a warm and dark early morning in Airlie Beach and arriving into town I noticed it was just a small high street of beach wear, sports wear, food and souvenir shops. Pretty much like St Ives but with proper sunshine. Again we were in the more tropical north of Australia there were huge fruit bats hanging in the palm trees as we dragged our bags across the road to the open plan hostel. As suspected the reception area was closed till 8am so we made our way to the lounge looking area in the hope someone would let us in, but again no one was there either. I was just about to figure out which bush looked like it would be the most comfortable for a few hours when Nath did something unexpected –he tried the door - it was open!!

We made ourselves a cuppa, put our food bag and usual labelling into a spare cupboard space and settled down on a couple of sofas. Before long we were both asleep and it wasn’t until people started coming in to make their breakfast and sit around us that we figured we should get up and see if our room was ready. It was now bright sunshine and it all looked very promising for our trip out into the Whitsunday’s (which still needed finalising with only a few days to go). Unfortunately but not surprisingly we weren’t allowed in our room yet, I guess at 8am our beds were still being used. So we headed off for a wander around the town and beach area. Since Newcastle it was the first proper beachy town we’d been to and it was buzzing with an almost Miami kind of vibe with everyone looking the part- thus Nath and I in our unwashed state looked even more like travellers. We went for a walk along this great looking boardwalk by the sea but didn’t make it very far as it was now really hot already. On the way back I noticed a similarity between Airlie beach and Brighton beach, whilst we had knackered old donkeys giving rides here they had camels, and instead of a plastic bottle full of some hooligans piss there were bottles of vinegar specifically for jellyfish stings, of which this area was prevalent.

After checking out some of the overly priced designer surf shops and where we could burn some DVDs we made our way back to the hostel in time to be let in so we could have a shower-which was a little overdue I must say. Unfortunately because our two beds where the only ones due to be refreshed that day we both had a top bunk without sides, which after months of hostelling I’m beginning to get a bit sick of, normally we would try to get in early so we can choose bottom ones – never mind, it was a cleanish room with some people still snoring in their beds and clothes mounting the sides of their bunk, which we had learnt normally signalled that that person had been here a while. The good news was that there was a MacDonald’s close by (literally next door) and it was still early enough to get breakfast (high five) so we took Sammy with us and figured we would take advantage of their free wifi and sort out some more of our trip. As ever though the wifi in MacDonald’s was shit, so after sitting there for ages, watching everyone else seem to manage to get on line we gave up. I’d found out there was a library near by but on closer inspection of the scale of the map it was actually bloody miles and what with it now being the hottest part of the day Nath and I went back to bed for a siesta.

The siesta however lasted well into the early evening by which time it had cooled down a bit and we were ready for some dinner. The kitchen area was pretty clean considering but again had the same old “travelling staff” that whipped the sides and cleaned the crockery with the enthusiasm of a forward planner on death row. So we used our new gift from Emma and John (something we hadn’t considered carrying with us before) our own clothes and tea towel – both of which were to be an invaluable addition to our growing food/kitchen bag. That evening we spent most of our time, well I say we I mean I, on the internet whilst Nath sat in the lounge with a load of other hostellers and watched some lads film on the TV. The nicest thing about the hostel room we had was that it had a balcony which I sat out on in the heat of the night and enjoyed a relaxing evening listening to the ocean (and the odd screams from drunken passers by accompanied with the faint waft of vom from the same passers by).

Next morning I was awake fairly early (well for us anyway so yeah about 9am) to speak to my dad on the internet. Its always weird chatting with people back home and I’m sure they feel the same. What I mean is we do so much each day that it becomes a blur and a little bit blasé so I find myself having very little to talk about coz I also don’t want to seem like I’m boasting. From their end I figure their days are just the usual work, sleep and eat that they struggle to have news for us. I wonder what it will be like when we get home?? Will we have so much to talk about that we just don’t talk about anything and will anything back home have changed at all? Friends that have been travelling have often said that’s the weirdest thing about being away for a year is coming home and finding that everyone else has just been plodding along.

Anyway after chatting with dad, Brain called me on my mobile and suggested as he worked in the actual high street that I could meet him in a matter of moments to discuss the up and coming trip. So I went with Nath as of course there was still that chance that he was a weirdo, so I was a little nervous as what to expect. Having spoken with him on the phone and made polite chat and the odd jest he had already come across as quite short and as with our usual Aussies friends, lacking in a sense of humour. He wasn’t what I was expecting, a sliver haired guy who was still quite young and vibrant and as I suspected very tanned and in with the ocean crowd. We chatted briefly about how the boat trip would work and he was very honest with us saying that of course this was technically illegal what with him not being a charter boating company, especially as he was taking money from us, and that he was only doing it for a bit so he could keep his boat going as he wasn’t getting as much architecture work his way in the recent months. So although his profile said about how he loved the ocean and wanted to show it to people, it did really come down to the money which is what we had figured before hand. We had much more respect for him for being honest about it and agreed a time and place to meet in a few days time.

With the deal finalised I could finally call everyone and confirm the info and all that was left to do was wait for the arrival of our monopoly shark Amy (Dan and Emma were on their way up in the next few days in their van). It was another very hot day which we tried walking in a bit more but again gave up as it got very hot. We did however make it to the marina where Brain had said his boat Drumbeat was moored but we couldn’t see it. I was still unsure about how big it was gong to be and had images of us all laying above each other in hammocks. We were really pleased with the deal we were getting but I also wanted to check out the competition just to make sure so we ended up having a chat with the guy running hostel (and helping him eat his chips – really nice bloke) . People were often coming and going, staying for a few days before and after their trip so if you asked enough people you would always hear stories of good and bad trips. The guy running the hostel was really honest and even went online to check the deals that the boats send to him for last minute spots. Even with the deals of going in the 24 hours we still had a better deal by far. We had to pretend in the end that we would take the information away and think about it before getting back to him. I was hoping therefore to not bump into him again as he was starting to wonder why we were delaying in booking these great deals he was offering. Obviously we couldn’t say anything as we didn’t want to drop Brian in it.

Amy was due to arrive that lunchtime and we were going to have pancakes of course to celebrate. Whilst we were waiting for her to arrive the nice guy from the reception came looking for me and said he had someone at the desk to see me from the immigration board and said it was something about a work visa. I followed him gob smacked thinking shit what have I done? Turns out this guy did have a sense of humour, a very funny one as it wasn’t anyone official just Amy arriving and asking after us – I was gob smacked and threatened to get the guy back who was falling off of his chair!! It was great having our other musketeer with us again and soon we were all chatting about what had happened in our few weeks apart. We had a chilaxing afternoon showing Amy the board walk, once it was cool enough to go out. We also spent a good amount of time trying to find Amy a hat which she still hadn’t managed to do in Perth – not that there had been any need or it as it had been freezing down there apparently.

That evening we had decided to meet up with Dan and Emma, who were camping up the road, as Amy hadn’t met them yet and we felt everyone should at least know each other before we heeded off into the ocean. Their friends who they were still travelling with were still slightly pissed they couldn’t come with us so had decided not to join us for a few beers. It was a nice night and the first time even Nath and I were able to chat with Dan and Emma when we were all sober. Nath and I felt painfully old at time though with Amy being only 24 and Emma and Dan barely 21, but I think we held our drink well – I can’t really remember??? The next morning we decided to get up pretty early so we could at least get some stuff done before it got too hot. Amy still needed a hat and we needed to get some food and water etc ready for the boat. We had also had mixed reviews from people as to whether we still needed to hire/buy stinger suits as the season had only just finished. I didn’t want to take the chance what with my luck with insects etc but as Brian didn’t have any I also didn’t want to spend a fortune on one that I didn’t really need. In the end I hired one as we found a guy who would do them for only $10.

Walking to the supermarket was not a good idea and was miles away in the heat of the day so we headed back as quick as possible collecting our stinger suits on the way. As we walked past the marina for about the 5th time since arriving we finally got to see Drumbeat moored up. Now I have no sense of scale at the best of time and certainly not when it comes to boats in the distance but I was sure it wasn’t huge but both Nath and Amy (who sails with her boyfriend, Amy that is) said it was a very lush looking boat. I forgot to mention that Nath at this point in the early afternoon still hadn’t washed and only finally had a shower at 10pm that night. In fairness though he was burning DVDs for ages in the really rubbish internet café and luckily there was a fan in there so the smell was being blown out the door!! I guess he was getting into practice for being on Drumbeat which Brian had warned us meant the small amount of water on board would mean only one shower a day – am I doing something wrong, I only ever have one shower a day!!!

Well stupidly Amy and I had decided to sit up late and watch Anchorman on my bed whilst all the sensible people went to sleep. This meant that we were very tired for our early start the next day and late for our taxi. We said to Brian we’d be there by 9am so we could set sail for Hamilton Island where the Spanish crew were joining us from – stupid Spaniards making us get up early!! Dan and Emma were meeting us there having left their van with a mechanic to fix it whilst they were away. We got a text to say they were already there when we had only just left whoops! Anyway apart from the taxi driver taking us the wrong way (we only knew he’d missed the turning because we’d walked all that way the day before to the supermarket) we got there just in time to see Emma and Dan being taken across the water in the little tender to Drumbeat, who was now close up and did look bigger (although I still wasn’t sure where we were meant to be sleeping).

Whilst Nath, Amy and I were waiting with our bags a couple and their kids arrived also carrying arms full of coconuts etc to make their way back to their boat which was also moored near by. By this point we were still thinking we should keep our mouths shut about our trip with Brain but it turns out as much as I tried to hide it, when Brian came back over to collect us he knew them and they therefore knew full well that we weren’t friends of his – oh well we were still getting a trip our of it. They were really lovely though and wished us well and then headed off to their boat which looked indeed like they had been living on it a while – if you know what I mean.

We got onto drumbeat and were given the tour of the outside dining table, the lounge and kitchen and of course the bedrooms and bathroom. Yes one bathroom between 9 of us – good thing it was a one shower a day rule! I was super excited to find that the bedrooms were actually in the floating leg bits, which from the shore had looked therefore much smaller, but we all had a double bed however the ceiling was literally an inch or so above our heads so no sitting up for breakfast in bed for us. I did my usual of unpacking our few items of clothing and shoving tem in little port holes (don’t think they were meant for anything important). The bathroom was brilliant, it had a wet room style thing going on and a toilet but you couldn’t put the paper down the loo and you had to use some button when you went in to start the pump otherwise it wouldn’t flush. It also had lots of rules about it which I was sure I would get wrong at some point. The best bit about the bathroom though was the little port hole window that went under the boat (it was a catamaran style boat) and had the water sloshing around in it as we drove along (as Nath point out if you’re desperate for the loo and its in use you could always open the port hole and stick your bump out - nice).

We set off pretty soon after the boys had taken on their roles as fellow seamen (hehehehe) and helped Brian disconnect us from our anchor point. The rest was pretty easy as his boat was all electric run and was deigned for him to sail on his own from his captain’s chair. It turned out that he had had the boat commissioned a few years prior, his family had spent a year sailing round the pacific island of Fiji etc home schooling the kids (how cool is that) and had cost him millions!! It was certainly luxury and from what we had heard from other people going on the tour boats it was 10 times the boats they had used (and half the price – good old couch surfing). I felt like, having been the couch surfer who had contacted him, that I should take charge of introducing everyone and spending time chatting with him, but now we were on the boat I struggled to find anything to chat about and with everyone else wanting to take turns to sit up on the skippers seat at his side I didn’t have much time either. It also didn’t help that as soon as we were off I pretty much felt sea sick straight away – here was me thinking that a catamaran would be better!!

There were so many places you could sit out on the boat and we all seemed to feel a little restless deciding where to sit. We all tried being out on the strapping at the front of the boat but because it was a bit rough we all got wet arses as the water hit the bottom of the boat. Us girls then sat up inside the wings of the boat on the outside sofa areas and got to know each other a bit more, but again before long I had to leave and go and sit at the end of the boat to stop myself feeling sick. I was getting to the point where I really thought I was gonna vomit and started to wish I’d stick to my new rule of not going on boats since feeling really sea sick in New Zealand. I wondered whether Brian would chuck me off the boat for decorating his decking??

Anyway we finally got to calmer waters around Hamilton Island where we were collecting the 3 Spanish amigos. This island was practically purpose made as a holiday resort and therefore had its own airport – I began to wonder how much money these Spanish people had to be able to afford 2 weeks in OZ and be able to fly in a small plane to a tropical island to go sailing!! After some phone calls and sitting around watching the planes going over guessing which one they were on, Brian went off to collect them in his little tender. As he sped away we all joked about setting sail with his boat but between us we would have probably crashed it into rock –plus he had my couch surfing details – dam it. We all had images of what the Spanish people would look like and whether they would be bringing their own donkey. Dan and Nath didn’t care as long as they were all female. As Brian approached we used his binoculars to see who was in the boat and Dan was still hopeful after seeing that one was a lady and the other a guy so there was still a chance the other person was a women too. I would have said from a distance they both looked like men, because the Spanish do often have dark hair which can mistakenly look like a moustache form a distance!!


Irmina and Pablo introduced themselves to us as Brian went off to get the other passenger and the rest of their luggage – the rest of their luggage, they’d already arrived with a boat load of bags and there was more. I was a little concerned the boat may sink if there was much more weight brought on board. Irmina was a quiet girl and not the Spanish hottie that Dan (and Nath) were hoping for. Pablo was on the other hand a pretty cute guy if it wasn’t for the fact he stood about 4 foot high and spent every second checking his hair when he passed reflective surfaces. He also had a weird Spanish/Canadian/American accent going on from when he spent a year abroad. So whilst these two went and unpacked the kitchen sink we waited with baited breath for what must have been the big busted blonde Spanish lady that Dan was still convinced was coming. All those holidays in Benidorm had fooled him though – Carlos a tall gangly Spaniard arrived with Brian and the rest of the cases. We didn’t know it at the time but Irmina and Pablo had even brought a donkey, it was named carols!!


I should mention at this point that Amy had fallen asleep in the lounge so hadn’t introduced herself and we decided to make it more embarrassing and left here there the whole time dribbling into the sofa whilst the Spaniards got themselves sorted. With one side of the boat now immersed in the water from all the luggage Brian made us some lunch of sandwiches and salad before we set sail again. Oh goody sea sickness and something to actually throw up this time – good times!! Irmina also was sea sick so we spent the time bonding and finding out about each other. I say we I asked her and she answered I waited and she didn’t ask a thing. It turned out that the three of them were just friends they had all met at school and she had a boyfriend back home. For the rest of the trip we heard no evidence of this boyfriend and enjoyed (I’m being sarcastic here by the way) her and Pablo fawning over each other whilst denying all knowledge of it. I guess it was like watching a Spanish soap only we could actually understand what they were saying. They were very good in not talking Spanish much in front of us, and we all had the usual communication conversations about how we all say things differently etc. I still find it amazing when people can switch from one language to the other. Pablo was brilliant at this and would chat quite easily with all of us. Irmina was also fairly fluent but Carlos lacked this ability and thus made “donkey” noises at us instead!


With Brian pretty much able to go where ever he liked (unlike the charted boats) we all chatted about where would like to go and were all happy for him to advise as we had no frame of reference and he had sailed these islands loads before so knew them all backwards. He had suggested we may be able to go far out to sea and see the beginning of some of the barrier reef as there wouldn’t be anyone out there (all the chartered boats go out further up the coast) so we were very excited about this. For the mean time he took us to the main beach that all boats stop at Whitehaven – it’s on all of the brochures and is the main image of the Whitsunday’s. We got there early enough to be the only ones there it was stunning and the water looked so blue it was like being back in Fiji but for the constant worry of death awaiting for us in the water in the shape of sharks/jellyfish/salt water crocs etc etc etc. Brian immediately turned into Bo Derek and dived in the water showing us his swimming prowess. None of us were that convinced that getting in the water would be safe or warm but we were desperate to give it a try at least. In the end Pablo decided that he needed to exert his manhood (he was only about 4 foot tall) so had to be the first to jump in off the top of the boat. Dan bless him, not to be out done by the European stallion (Shetland pony) dove in for the UK!! Brian was right the water was really warm considering the day hadn’t been that sunny. Dan and Emma had already said (given mine and naths luck on Fraser island) that they weren’t expecting sun coz we were with them!!

In the end brain took us to the shore in the tender so we could have a walk along the beach as other boats were beginning to appear and we wanted to enjoy the serenity (hehehehe). It was getting dusky as we all strolled along, Carlos tailing behind us carrying the biggest camera I’ve ever seen and anything else Irmina and Pablo thought they may require. It was a beautiful evening and the sand was so soft it was like being back in Fiji or something. So we all walked along, sometimes jumping, sometimes running and generally just fooling around in the sand. Nath disappeared down a sand bank at one point after not noticing it was there, we all laughed instead of helping and then of course Pablo had to show us all (aka Irmina) that he was a big boy too and could jump over the gap!! Anyway we weren’t there for long before it got too dark to go any further so we all headed back to the spot where Brian had dropped us off, hesitant but glad that the boat was still there and he hadn’t left us. As we had no phone coverage etc we did what any stranded group would do to get attention, we all shouted “Brian” in one go and jumped around waving our arms like loons. I think he heard us the first time but it took about 3 goes – stupid poms!!


When we got back to the boat Brian had already prepared his famous (or so he said) “sundowners” which were brochette and cheeses and other sorts of canapés. By the time I had eaten a load of those I was already stuffed. Good thing we had Dan with us, I’ve never know anyone to eat as much as him. But as he liked to remind us we were a good 10 years older so didn’t need it to grow anymore –cheeky git! Anyway out came lamb curry followed by many a beer and card games. Irmina, who was allergic to fun, went to bed feeling sick (I think she actually was sick so we must have been having loads of fun). With Irmina out of the way Pablo turned his attention to the rest of us girls chatting away and flirting like made with his weird Spanish /Canadian accent. Brian started to relax a bit more and the old 70’s rocker started to appear as he put his music collection on in the background and sat there singing into the night – it was like watching your dad re live his youth. I began to wonder if Brain was one of those guys who never grew up or thought by hangingin with the “kids” it would make him cool and happening – you can see form that sentence that perhaps I need to do that to be a bit more withit myself!!

So after hours of playing shit head and only finally getting the hang of it at the end, we all went to our bedrooms for our first nights sleep. We had thought it might be a bit cold of an evening in the little cabins but with the ceiling so close to our faces it was keeping all of our hot breath inside, and with three of us in our cabin, Nath, Amy and I were boiling. The gentle roll of the boat was nice though and the sound of the odd bird/bat. I did get up at one point though and need the toilet and believe me I tried my very best to remember what I had been told about the pump thing- I don’t know what I did wrong but after turning the pump button on then off (as it was bloody nosy) I turned round briefly to wash my hands and realised I could still hear the pumping noise of the bowl refilling. Turns out I hadn’t switched it off again and bowl was now filling up very close to over flowing onto the floor. Everything I tried didn’t work and after deciding all I could do was grab Nath and see if he could help he finally did something to stop us all from drowning as I sunk the boat in the middle of the night. This thought stayed with me all night and I made the decision to not use the bathroom gain without a grown ups supervision!!

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Photos

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The wonderful Drumbeat

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Look how big she is!!

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A wander along the marina before it got to hot.

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I hope the jelly fish, crocs and sharks have already eaten.

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Enjoying the view as we head out on our first day on Drumbeat.

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The boys "helping out"

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Trying not to feel sea sick - although looking at my feet would make most people vomit!

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El capitan

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Women - know your place!

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Sleepy weepy paley waley

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Still feeling sea sick!

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Boys.......

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Emma and Dan

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Whitsunday Island beach -our first mooring

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The whole sea voyaging gang (except Carlos who had to walk 10 meters behind everyone else)

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Relaxing after our first dinner and a busy day of doing nothing