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Published: March 12th 2007
Great Barrier Reef
Check out our stinger suits! They were compulsory by the way!Hey there and G'day from Australia!!!!
Well I have been in the land down under for two and a half weeks and it has been eventful what with Bec and Racheal visiting.
We started off in Cairns two weeks ago and we have only just left Cairns again a few days ago, but there was a method in our madness as the girls had to return back here to get their flight back to Blightly last week (boo).
So Kelly, Emily and I met Bec and Racheal in Singapore airport and hopped on our flight to Cairns via Darwin with no hassle (infact it was quite pleasant as Emily and I managed to bag THREE seats each!) and made our way to our very suspicious sounding hostel called 'the Asylum'. Unfortunately this place was not even up to the standard of some of the guest houses in Asia but we had already paid a desposit so we decided to grin and bear it for the sake of a few nights. In four months I have come accoss various insects, bugs and creatures but this was the first time that I had had a coakroach crawling accoss the contents
of my backpack which was at the end of my bed!
As the girls only had a few weeks to cram all that they wanted to do in, we got on the case of booking some tours up straight away and organised a snorkelling trip to the Great Barrier Reef the following day which with better thinking we should have done for another day as that same evening we all went along to the hostels karaoke night where free fizz was being supplied. I have a vauge recolection of singing with Racheal on stage....... ask me the song name and I couldn't even tell you though.
Little did we know when we booked up to come to Oz all those months ago that the north of the country has their wet season about now-ish and that although it is still hot it makes the snorkelling conditions not very desirable so not only was the visibility terrible, but it also meant that the current made it nearly impossible to swim and the waves kept going over your head and into your snorkel making you choke!
On the boat we stopped twice to snorkel and on our second attempt
Whitehaven Beach
part of the Whitsunday Islands we were taken to a beachy island in the middle of the sea called Upollo Cay where we were able to snorkel again. Bec and I got quite far out over the reef at one point but as the waves were high again we decided to call it a day and swim back to the beach but due to the 'surfers current' we struggled and at one point I was swimming as hard as possible and looking at the sea bed and not going anywhere! After a minute or so trying to swim back we decided to admit defeat and stuck our hands in the air in order for a man in a motorised dingy to come along and drag us out of the water. Oh it made total sense!
A few days later we decided that we should really go and start seeing more of the country what with time becomming more limited so we booked an 8 seater people carrier, packed our bags and headed down the coast to see what trouble we could find.
Now, It's not until you actually start driving in Oz that you realise how bloody big this country is and after
Bilabong Sanctury
Big Croc - his name was jaws! about 5 hours driving down the coast we checked the country map only to find that we had moved about 1.5cm down the country - fabulous!
That night we found ourselves in a place called Townsville and for the next few days we just chilled out here and found ourselves in a wildlife park looking at some koalas, kangaroos and crocodiles. Unfortunately once again I found myself coming down with some ailment (a stinking cold courtessy of Emily!) so I spent the next few days dosing myself up with nurofen and coughing like a 40 a day smoker (before any of you comment I have actually gone over FIVE weeks without a fag now so it wasn't bacause of the ciggies!)
Before leaving Cairns we had booked up a sailing trip for the Whitsunday Islands which are 74 islands off the coast of Australia which are boardered by the Great Barrier Reef. On these trips you spend usually 3days/2 night on a sail boat and depending on the boat which you choose you can go to some amazing beaches, bush walks, scuba diving and snorkelling and just take in the beautiful scenery. On our first day we boarded
Townsville
On the barbie our boat to find that we had three crew members, including a cook (no older than 19), a deck hand (he was 23) and the boss of the boat (the skipper) who was 20 years old!!!! The rest of the 19 members of the boat were also no older than 22 so the five us were the oldest swingers!
On the first day the weather wasn't up to much which made it a little disappointing but we still gave the snorkelling a bash and as everyone was pretty shattered from a full day most people went to bed early which was a good job as we got woke up at 0700 for breakfast the following day.
Luckily for us the sun came out on our second day as were we heading to the beautiful Whitehaven Beach and we managed to catch some rays (some got too many eh Bec???). Now Whitehaven Beach is a pristine 9km stretch of of pure white sands and it is heralded as one of the worlds most beautiful beaches which is made up of 98% silica and it is fringed by crystal clear waters and lush rainforest. Due to it being a World
Whitsunday Cruising
Racheal and Emily (nice stinger suit Em!!!) Herritage site you are not allowed to take anything from the area and in the past NASSA have been the only people who have been granted to take some of the sand to be used as part of their scientific experiments.
After spending sometime on the beach we took a short trek upto a view point with the other members of our group where we able to take a look at the beach from a stunning angle. It was truly breathtaking as I am sure you will see from the pictures.
That afternoon we dropped anchor at Manta Ray Bay where we were told by the crew members that this was one of the best spots for snorkelling on the Whitsunday's and they were right. The coral here was the best that I have seen and you could really get a feel for the underwater world (reminded me of 'Finding Nemo'!). At one point one of the crew members came out in a dingy and started throwing food out to the fishes which made them go crazy and jump all over you (especially when he threw the food right where your face was!). Unfortunately we didn't get to
Whitsunday Islands
View from the viewpoint - stunning see any Rays but whilst swimming back to the boat we could see dolphins jumping out of the water whilst they were trying to feed which was really special.
That evening was spent getting to know some of our fellow passengers on board and being ropped into some drinking games with the crazy kids we were sharing with (I think we showed them a thing or two thoiugh).
The following day were woken by the crew members at 0630 to see if we wanted to go for another snorkel before heading back to the port but due to the previous late night I passed and decided to kip most of the morning away. On arriving back at the the port Emily and Kelly decided to go back to bed for the day whilst Bec, Rach and I went to the resorts lagoon to chill out and cool off for the afternoon as this is the only place to swim as Airlie Beach doesn't actually have a beach - how parculiar!
As Bec and Rach had to head back up to Cairns to get their flight we spent the next two days making our way back up the
Whitsunday Islands
Our ship - SV Whitehaven coast and bidded the girls goodbye last Tuesday.
Our plan was then to decide what we wanted to do and then do it but once again we got sucked in by Cairns and stayed there another five nights. Luckily this time was spent productively (!) as we decided what our plan would be over the next month. Staying there a little longer also gave us the opportunity to drive up to Cape Tribulation which is about 2 hours North of Cairns and is the only place in the world where the rainforrest and reef meet.
Now the weather in Cains last week was beautiful but typically the day that we decided to take a trip and move away from the internet cafe was the day that the heavens opened..... and boy did they open!
Kelly decided that she didn't want to join us on our adventure so Emily and I went with two lads who were on the same ship as us on the Whitsunday's and although it was lovley to see I think we were all a bit disappointed about the weather conditions and as soon as we got to the beach we all wanted to
Whitsunday Islands
sunset from the ship leave as we were getting soaked. Ah well, at lest we got to see it???!!!
The following day was my birthday (don't worry guys, I will collect all of the PILES of cards and presents on my return home!!!) and the girls really pulled out all the stops for me and made me a breakfast of croisants, scrambled eggs and smoked salmon (how posh???) and then told me that I had to be ready for 12 noon sharp.... well I know what these little tinkers that I am travelling with can be like and nearing the hour of 12 I started to get a tad nervous, especially when in the taxi we started heading towards the air field (they aren't going to make me do a sky dive are they????) but luckily what they had done was charter a four seater plane for us all to take a flight over the Great Barrier Reef and being the birthday girl I was allowed to sit next to the pilot!!!
Well this was spectaculor and although I was a bit nervous to start with (the pilot said when giving us instructions about our life jackets "here is the whistle..... not
Cairns
girls last night that it will do much to ward off the sharks!!!) I was able to relax and take in the amazing views. At one point we flew over one of the islands that we went snorkelling from two weeks previous which was awesome to see from a different perspective.
That afternoon, still on a high, we decided it would be rude not to head to the pub for some birthday beers and after the obligatory blowing of the candles (I haven't had a birthday cake since I was 21!) we headed out for our final night in Cairns.
Strangely enough I was the one that went home early that night (on my own birthday!) but it was a good job as the other girls rocked back into our dorm at 0445 so there had to be one sober person to start our journey down the coast that same morning!
That day saw us driving to Mission Beach which is one of only two places in Oz where you can throw yourself out of a plane skydiving and land on the beach and as Emily has always had a burning desire to do this (crazy) we stopped here for
Cairns Dorm
Man, I live in style don't I???? a night in order for the hurling yourself out of a plane to commence.
On sunday we woke up bright and early to watch Emily do this (she made it in one piece) and then spent the whole day yesterday driving to our furthest point South so far to the town of Mackay.
As we didn't arrive here until 2000 last night we checked the guide book and just decided to stop at the first place that had a spare room which turned out to be a pub called McGuire's which is comparable to the Bate's Motel but it's cheap (I wouldn't go as far as saying cheerful though) and we managed to bag a ten berth dorm just for us three. Well, it was for the three of us but Kelly hated it so much that she packed her bags and found a more desirable location for her to rest her head. Emily and I however couldn't be bothered as we kind of like the fact there there is no glass in some of the windows, that there was a coakroach in the bathroom last night and that there is always a feint whiff of chips in
Cape Tribulation
Wet but smiling! Nice ponchos eh??? the bedroom - it feels just like home!
Today, feeling white and pasty as we are all loosing our tans at the rate of knots, we went to the nearest beach, but I tell you, two hours in the sun here is more than enough. Emily and I walked up and down the beach for an hour and then sat in it for about 30 mins with factor 15 on and I can see that my arm is burnt. It's crazy and I have never felt the suns intensity like this anywhere before and unfortunately as it's stinger season (jelly fish) it isn't advisable to go into the water as between October and May the waters North of Brisbane are full of the little blighters so you can't even cool off......... which is why I am in an internet shop again as the aircon is sooooo goooood!
Tomorrow it's up for an early start and I think we are heading to a cattle station to ride a mechanical bull and ride some horses so goodbye for now y'all!
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Kim
non-member comment
G'day Mate!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MATE!! Oz looks amazing, I am very jealous Whitsunday Islands looks fantastic. That is a really great birthday present they got you, sounds like you had a great day. PS Like the hair cut! x x