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Published: December 12th 2006
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We arrived in Airlie Beach a day before our scheduled cruise, which we'd booked nearly two months earlier in Queenstown. On recommendations from Laura's friend Carolyn, we chose the Avatar vessel from the mass of available options, in an attempt to avoid the numerous booze cruises full of English & German, Club 18-30, lager lout types. According to a number of locals, we chose well (thanks Carolyn) - a fast, spacious trimaran was to be our sea-faring home for the next three days. Pre-sea sickness were alleviated, our yacht is apparently "very stable" we were told, so we arrived at check-in confident we were in for a great cruise.
Very few outings are completely hiccup-free and despite all our forward planning, we couldn't have foreseen the Avatar's owner having been tragically killed in a motorcycle accident just a few days before we were set to sail - our scheduled departure was put back a day to make way for a sea burial.
An extra day in Airlie was not particularly welcome since our stay coincided with "Schoolies", an Aussie phenomenon whereby school kids who've just finished exams, get wasted for a whole week at east coast beach towns, of
which Airlie is a favourite! Given our tight schedule, we deliberated over options to to take an alternative yacht but the choices were limited to inferior vessels, or a refund. In the end we stuck with our first choice deciding we would probably regret it, if we didn't go on the Avatar.
When the day finally came we were both really excited - a day of extra waiting having built the anticipation. Our first view of the Avatar immediately told us we'd made a good choice and the wait was worth it. It's a sleak, three hulled speed machine with huge netting between the hulls providing a large spacious deck area for all to sun themselves. This is in contrast to many of the other yachts sailing in these parts, were people are packed on like Sardines. We also bagged the best cabin at the front of the centre hull - a prize for early booking.
Our crew of three were skippered by a 20 year-old from Adelaide. Although only a couple of years past Schoolies days himself, his vast sailing knowledge and experience was obvious and his credentials included some big pro-sail races.
The first day
of sailing was in strong 30 knot winds across fairly open waters to Whitsunday Island. The sea was rough and the Avatar raced across it, planing at over 20 knots. There was only one casualty in the vom stakes but all who ventured below deck soon had to return to deck before turning green. Unfortunately for Laura and I, someone had left the ceiling hatch open in our cabin, so our bed got thoroughly soaked by the spray - that put a dampener on things (excuse the pun)!
The sailing was punctuated by some nice snorkelling on a colourful fringing reef and our first chance to don the pyjama-like stinger suits. In the Whitsunday waters it's the Irukandji stingers that pose the greatest risk - only 3cm in size and transparent, they are impossible to see and deliver a sting that gifts the unlucky recipient with an overwhelming feeling of doom coupled with nausea, vomiting and fever - not pleasant! Wearing the stinger suits "protects your vital organs" we were told, "what about your head?" we asked, apparently the brain is not a vital organ!!
Our evening's mooring was in a flat sheltered cove, exactly as we'd been
Elvis
A huge Maori Wrasse in Manta Ray Bay. promised and sleeping was comfortable except for the wet, smelly matress issue.
The next day the wind was calmer (only 20 knots), the sea was flatter (until we hit the open sea) and the sun was shinig. Everyone sprawled across the deck like seals and everyone seemed to make an effort to get to know one another better. The second day was certainly the highlight of the three with a stop near the Whitehaven beach with it's white silky sands and turqouise waters. We even spotted the shdows of rays and sharks, from the lookout and paddled amongst (non-man eating) baby reef sharks in the shallows. Both Laura and I thought it was incredibly beautiful and like many of the ship mates, would have loved to have stayed there all day but our skipper assured us that we had to move on for some top-class snorkelling at his favourite spot with his fishy friend, Elvis. The highlight of the snorkelling was indeed the aforementioned giant Maori Wrasse who we could feed by hand. A mass of Bombardier fish moved in vast swathes across the reef almost eclipsing the view at times.
For our second night we headed to
shelter once again, watched a beautiful sunset and then drank and chatted into the wee hours.
The next day, most people were tired and suffering from the previous evening's indulgence but it didn't stop another snorkelling trip where this time turtles were the main attraction. Once again our skipper made us a promise and once again we were not disappointed. We dived down to the sea bed to watch them feed.
The sail back to Airlie Beach saw the Avatar pitted against a same-fleet rival the Matador. The Matador, an America's Cup yacht was up ahead but with some clever sailing from our crew we soon caught up and even with the Matador using both sails and engines, we got alongside. Once we were in her wind and her sails began to flutter, the victory was ours - a few boistrous moonies and hand gestures, were gifted to those on board the Matador as a farewell as we surfed past triumphant!
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Impressive handstand!