Friday 4th March - Whitsunday Islands


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Oceania » Australia
March 4th 2011
Published: March 4th 2011
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1: Whitsundays 13 secs
Up at 06:00 again. Di is this time worrying about me going snorkelling after seeing the sharks last night, and starts to ask where I keep the insurance policies!

We go for breakfast at 07:00, the special this morning is poached egg and bacon - really good!. Then it is off to get ready for snorkelling. We are dropped off on the beach and told to remain in a certain area. The snorkelling is good and I see a Stingray and a number of exotically coloured fish (there is a chart on the vessel for identifying fish and putting a name to them, but I am not too good at this - I'll never get my "fish-spotting" badge!). The snorkelling is not quite as good as yesterday, there are small particles in the water and a lot of people are saying that they are irritating the skin. I stay in a bit longer than yesterday, despite the sharks of last night being in the back of my mind.

We get back to the Pacific Sunrise and have morning tea and coffee. there is an opportunity to visit a beach, but I decide to stay on-board and get up-to-date with my blog and save myself for kayaking in the afternoon. Good lunch today -"Garlic and Basil Marinated Chicken Breast on a warm buttered pumpkin and Chorizo Salad in Balsamic honey mustard dressing" - Hmmmm!!.

After lunch we go Kayaking, Di does not fancy it so I go out with one of the female crew called Kelly. She seems to think that we are training for the Olympics and is saying things like "I wonder how fast this thing can go?" or "Maybe we can race the other passengers". I try explaining that my racing days are over and I am no longer built for speed!. It is good fun though and we see a Stingray and flying fish. It is amazing how fast these kayaks can actually go. The Captain has told us to initially paddle against the current so when we are tired we are able to get back - it is really amazing how fast the current is where we are kayaking.

We get back and a lot of the younger passengers spend the afternoon jumping and diving off the boat. We drink wine (for a change!) and eat the snacks that the chef keeps dishing up (banana cakes followed by potato skins with dips). I am waiting for the sunset for some more photographs. As we are sitting on deck the sea becomes alive with fish and the sea birds swoop for easy pickings. Apparently what is happening is that predators in the deep driving the fish to the surface where the seabirds pick them off - the poor buggers can't win!

Captain Shay gave me a rundown on the Pacific Sunrise's history. He says that it was originally built in Fiji and spent some time in New Zealand and then moved to Florida where it was own by the producers of "Miami Vice" and was used to entertain the actors and cast. Later it was used for running cocaine it South America, and was later used as a floating brothel. I am not too sure how much to belief as he has a wicked sense of humour. In the earlier episode when the birds are sweeping down on the fish, I say that I think that the birds are Terns. "Oh yes" he says "They always go around in pairs". "Do they" I say unsuspectingly. "Yeh" he replies "One good 'tern' deserves another"!!
Earlier on one of the passengers asked where do most people go diving, to which he replied "In the water"


We have dinner it is a real good steak, with prawn and chicken in a rice wrap to start and creme brulee for pud. We are then back fish watching with the Dolphins making a meal of the squid alongside the boat.
Di turns in early as she is very tired (Must be from all the food, wine and sunbathing - as she did not go snorkelling or kayaking). I stay up and have a few beers. The rest of the passengers start a massive poker game on the top deck that goes on all night. I occasionally pass and see what is going on, eventually there are two people left in and the Captain has volunteered to deal. But there seems to be no end to the game, with both player playing rather conservatively and stacking. Eventually the captain calls them a shower of c#?!'s and goes to bed.
I decide to turn in as well - another thoroughly enjoyable day - Awesome! (This is my - new word, the rest of the passengers seem to use it for anything that is slightly out of the norm - Awesome!)

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