Men’s Adventure Tour – Day 3

There’s nothing like saving up the adrenaline smashing activities until the last day is there! We’ve had a couple of days of really interesting things to do but nothing that really raises the heartbeat by more than about 20%.

Today however would be different. No more messing about, this is the stuff that sorts out the men from the boys – I mean it is supposed to be an adventure tour isn’t it!

First stop Skydiving. Skydive Cairns are to be our hosts for the stomach-churning adventure and we rock up to their office in the centre of Cairns for the pre-jump brief and to find out who we’ll be paired up with as our Jump Master.

My man of the morning is Max, a parachutist of 15 years who has made well over 15,000 jumps and obviously has an exemplary safety record (we just don’t talk about the five close shaves he’s also experienced!). He runs me through the procedures involved; how I should tuck my head back and my legs away when it’s our turn to sit in the door, when to spread-eagle in the air on the way down…and when it’s almost over – how to land.

I feel in a pretty privileged position really, having jumped a month ago with Skydive Airlie, but there’s a couple of pretty apprehensive faces wandering around the office!

We all get into our harnesses, sign our lives away and then make our way to the minibus waiting outside the office…sitting there like the vehicle which will take you to meet your maker!

As we pull onto the airfield our awaiting plane is already fired up and ready to go, there’s no going back now. I mean there’s pride at stake here. Forming an orderly, if bouncy-adrenaline-filled queue we await our fate…

One by one our Jump Masters load us into the plane, there are seven of us jumping so that’s 14 people in total. We clamber inside the plane and take our places between, the person in who our future now lies, thighs. This is all very cosy!

As we taxi down the runway some of the Korean media are talking to each other in Korean. I find out later that the editor of AB-ROAD magazine turned and told his cameraman “I love you!” Classic.

The scenery below is stunning as we make our way south-east, away from the city and out over the rainforest once more. We spot our some of our locations from the day before, landslides on the hills and churning waterfalls off in the distance. It’s a very different view to that of the Whitsundays, but equally as beautiful.

14,000 feet above the ground doesn’t take that long to get to and before we know it the roller door has been opened, the rush of the cold air fills the cabin and the first victim, sorry jumper, has their feet out of the door. Then before you can blink – GONE!

It’s surprisingly quick with these guys you know. No time to say you’re pulling out which is probably a damn good thing. I’m fourth up and before I can look down we’re falling down at terminal velocity towards the ground.

220 km/h of face distorting wind is rushing against my face and body and the only thing I can do is laugh and love it. The feeling never ever changes no matter how many times you do this – adrenaline is coursing through my veins and the natural high it causes is totally addictive.

This time there’s around a minute of freefall but it passes by oh so quickly when you’re tumbling at that speed. In fact it really does feel as though it’s over in a matter of seconds before that crutch-jerking tug on the harness and the entire freefall is over.

Once I’m hanging under canopy floating gently to the ground, Max offers me the controls of the parachute and I get a chance to steer this baby. Scary thought I know but it’s so cool being able to fly yourself down to the ground and towards the landing zone.

We pull full circles at speed and eventually come close to our landing site before Max takes over, gives the last instruction to lift my feet and with a fast approach we make it down onto terra firma once more.

Incredible – absolutely amazing – “can I go again please!”

Seeing the other guys come down to earth is wicked too, I can hear Juweon before I see his face – he’s had a great time too and shouts and screams as he approaches the ground.

The most incredible transformation has take place with another of the group too – Choong Keol Lee, the editor of GQ Korea, was a pretty quiet guy before this jump. This has brought him out of his shell totally. From total fear to total enjoyment and a huge number of very funny jokes too. I like this guy a lot.

Remember this is supposed to be an Adventure Tour so there’s no time for sitting about. No sooner are we through with our jump then it’s back to the office to collect our bags and onto the next activity…

Well strictly speaking we did have lunch first and it was back to one of my favourite haunts in the city, Café China and its ever-welcoming host Harry. Treated to his very special function room we all tucked in a spread worthy of the finest Chinese Emperor, finished off with a very different but tasty mango jelly. You have to try it!

With our final mouthful just about down the itinerary kicked in once more – we were off to the final installment. White-water Rafting.

Now I know it’s not the most impressive of all the rafting waters in Queensland, but with the rain the surrounding hills have had over the last few weeks, the Barron River is still putting down some serious white water. Enough to challenge those first time rafters amongst the group…and there are a few!

Raging Thunder are again our hosts for this our last adrenaline-filled activity and we jump in their minibus, complete with trailer and rafts, which takes us on the hour long drive up the valley.

The Korean media group all head off to one raft with their translator – there are certain things that you have to understand when rafting! I join up with another group of English speaking tourists led by Ash the guide. Once we’ve kitted ourselves out with lifejacket, helmet and slap on the sunscreen it’s down to the water’s edge to prove we can swim, float or at least not drown. The large yellow raft is big enough to fit eight paddlers and a guide in, there’s holes all over the bottom of it but fear not. They are there to let water out…not in.

The paddling drill is then given to us with a number of different instructions necessary to take on the rapids of varying intensity. They range from “paddle” to “PADDLE!!”, there’s “get down” and finally “GET DOWN, PADDLES UP”.

These are all in order of desperation as Ash our guide decides how we should be approaching, or attacking, the next rapid.

We do pretty well to start off with, riding the first and second of the falls with relative ease and then one of the big ones approaches – The Rooster Tail. So called when the water is flowing like it is, as the spouting water looks just like a chicken’s tail.

On approach it all looks pretty good, it’s only when we drop onto the beast that the raft is flung up in the air, all of us grab onto the centre ropes and get as low as possible. As we smash into the water below the raft almost flips but we just manage to hold on and save a wet ending happening.

Further downstream we’re not so lucky and get sucked back into one of the falls we’ve just dropped down. This is known as surfing! The raft is pulled right under the cascading water and immediately fills right up but these things are designed to do just that and instead of sinking, just sits there and with me being right at the front, I bear the brunt of the torrent!

We struggle to get free and in the end Ash has to jump out with a rope attached to him to act as a human-anchor, thereby giving enough resistance to pull the raft free from its temporary parking spot. No such luck.

So now it’s my turn to help out. In an effort to add more resistance Ash asks me to jump ship too, holding onto the line he’s clinging onto downstream. I take a leap of faith into the white water and join him gasping for breath 10 metres away on the end of the line. Eventually our efforts are rewarded as the raft breaks free from its watery pit-stop and we clamber back onboard.

Another fifteen minutes later and it’s all drawing to an end. The river levels out, the rapids disappear and we take the opportunity to bath in the waters, relaxing the tired muscles we’ve used all afternoon.

What a cracking way to finish the tour! It really was the activity I enjoyed the most and would love to do it all over again – but with some bigger rapids maybe!

The night was taken up with devouring one of the best steaks I’ve had in a long time courtesy of the Salt House Restaurant. Yum yum.

Let’s go sailing…

I must firstly offer my apologies for the fact that this blog has taken so long to get out. We took part in this fantastic day trip around the Whitsundays back in November but I’ve been waiting for some of the footage I have used in the blog to be released!

The Whitsundays – picture perfect location and a sailor’s dream for the weather. Add to the mix one of the most famous yachts in Australian maritime history and you’ve got the perfect ingredients for a superb day on the water.

It’s been a busy week, so far we’ve hosted media from three different countries and today is another one, not so bad when you think we’ll be out enjoying their company from the deck of an old time racing yacht.

We all make our way across the Whitsunday Passage onboard Fantasea’s fast boat. Arriving at Shute Harbour we disembark and make our way along the jetty to where Ragamuffin leaves from. As we arrive we spot her straight away, she’s an imposing figure in the marina and easily the largest of all the yachts moored here, measuring in at 24 metres long.

George the captain is equally as imposing – with a huge Merv Hughes-style moustache his tough exterior soon melts away as he welcomes us onboard. The rest of the crew run through the basics we all need to know, the shorelines are thrown off and we motor out into Shute Harbour ready for a day’s adventure.

With 25 other people on deck there’s load of room to enjoy the sunshine and the usual crew tasks are handed out to us. First thing and most important in order to propel us to our first destination of the day, is hauling up the sails and Cameron (the host of China’s Getaway holiday program) and I have been picked out as the likely candidates for bumping the sail.

On more modern racing yachts this operation is done using grinding winches to take up the slack of the sheets (ropes to the rest of us!) but here on Ragamuffin it’s those good old tools known as your own hands. We take it in turns to haul in as much as we can until the sail is right at the top of the mast and ready to fill with air. Now that’s one heck of a feeling – shoulders burning, heart racing and the satisfaction of providing the power for today’s sail. Well almost.

The sail across the Whitsunday Passage is awesome, the wind is right up, the sun is out and we are flying! Spray breaks over the bow of the boat and we’re heeling over dangling our feet over the side to provide ballast – just like every professional sailor does.

The wind is still pumping so we head to one of the more sheltered bays on the leeward side of Hook Island, the second largest of the Whitsundays, and drop anchor to check out the conditions. They’re virtually perfect.

Ragamuffin offers the chance to SCUBA dive, which is unique for a day trip sailing adventure out of the Whitsundays. We stop in Mackerel Bay and get dressed up ready to head overboard and down into the depths below. I’ve dived here before with Islandive and it’s a good introduction into what the fringing reef of these islands has on offer.

We spend 45 minutes filming for the Getaway program which is great, the idea of bringing the media out here is to showcase the spectacle that is the Whitsundays gaining publicity for the area and hopefully making people think about it a a holiday destination.

The afternoon draws to a close far too soon and before we know it the sail is flapping in the wind and our course has been set for home. The sound of the water lapping on the hull is one of those things that’s so perfect about sailing, a noisy diesel engine just doesn’t do the same for me!

Once we’re tied up at the marina we bid our farewells to the crew and thank the for a very memorable day out on the water. Time to head back to Hamilton Island.

Men’s Adventure Tour – Day 2

An early start in Cairns can only mean one thing…waking up on a park bench with a hangover after a BIG night (I saw a guy on the beach this morning doing exactly that!) or the other thing it means to me is HOT AIR BALLOONING!

The alarm call at 3.30am wasn’t the most welcome I’ve ever had but I dragged myself from my pit, met the Korean media guys and Michelle downstairs and staggered onto the Raging Thunder courtesy bus ready for the hour’s drive up to the Atherton Tablelands just inland from Cairns.

Dawn was yet to happen but the early signs of a colourful horizon were starting to appear out to the east as we arrived at Mareeba, the town close to the launch site for our trip up into the sky.

I’d been up to do this once before with my girlfriend Bre and we’d had the most incredible experience together as Jay our pilot flew us over the patchwork landscape of the area. To read about it click here.

This time I’m flying together with a few other people so the balloon is that much bigger – in fact it’s huge and to boot there’s a cute little Koala on the outside. As the ground crew prepare our balloon, filling it with fans and then eventually heat from the burners, our group desperately try to avoid the plagues of carnivorous mosquito’s hovering all around. This is a game in itself!

As the elegant balloon starts to fill it’s our time to go. There are three other balloons all launching from the same site and the sound of firing burners fills the otherwise quiet morning air. We clamber into our basket, take loads of photos of each other and wait…

One final burst on the gas and the basket starts to skip across the ground below – we’re off! The last of the tethering ropes are thrown clear and we gain height quickly as our super-warm ball of air heads up into the heavens above.

Below us the lay of the land becomes that much clearer, the swirling streams and rivers lined by their lush green banks of bushes and trees. The patchwork of agriculture disappears into the distance with crops and fields making up the bulk of the landscape. This is farming territory.

As the sun broke the horizon the light changed with warm orange and yellows beams thrown onto the other balloons, the clouds above us and the peaks of the surrounding hills. This is the way to witness sunrise.

Our pilot the told us it was time to find a suitable landing site, he’d spied one around half a kilometre away in some rough ground behind a residential block. The shifting winds at altitude can vary over the ascent/descent of just a few metres and it’s these that he used to bring us closer to the site. Until finally the basket dragged over a group of bushes, scraped along the wet grass for a few metres and unceremoniously popped us over on our side. All of us are now lying flat on our backs!

As we clambered out of the basket and swapped stories about how good it was, there was one more job to do – pack the entire balloon and basket back onto the trailer.

What a way to spend the very early hours of the day!

After a hearty breakfast back at the Heritage Museum we all jumped onto the courtesy bus back to the city and an hour later arrived at the car park of Skyrail.

Now Skyrail is something, which has intrigued me for months. I’ve been to a few awards ceremonies for the tourism industry and almost every time it’s the destination awarded the prize for ‘Sustainable Tourism’. I had to see this place…

Skyrail opened in 1995 and consists of 114 gondola cabins that travel along a cableway for 7.5kms, and is much like a ski lift, albeit over slightly warmer more tropical conditions! The cableway starts off at the base of the Red Peak Mountain and climbs up 545 metres to the first of the stations.

We’re lucky enough to have a special ride for our trip, there’s a ‘marketing cage’ that does away with the usual sides and roof and instead each rider wears a harness and is secured to the metal framework. It’s a little scarier travelling this way but for the sake of the unrestricted photos we can get it’s well worth it!

As we leave the lower station Skyway whisks us up and over Tjapukai Aboriginal Centre where I visited last year and steeply up the side of Red Peak – the start of the tropical rainforest.

It’s really quite beautiful travelling in near silence so close to the canopy of the forest. The sounds you’d expect from this sort of environment flood up to us and the humidity rising up from the trees below is really noticeable.

Over the last week there has been a serious amount of rain falling on this area but today we’re lucky to have blue skies and sunshine…what this does do though is evaporate the moisture from below and that’s what were feeling. Nature working!

We stop at Red Peak station and are met by Lance…the wealth of all knowledge here at Skyrail. He’s one of the rangers who takes groups around the boardwalk here, educating them about the rainforest and flora & fauna that call this place home. It’s one thing visiting somewhere like this and being amazed by the trees and landscape but I think it adds another element altogether when you’re actually learning loads about the whole eco-system too. The rangers who work here love what they do and you can tell by the way they present about it!

In the distance the Barron River cuts through the forest as it has been doing for thousands of years creating the steep sided gorge through which it runs. It’s really impressive seeing it from up high especially at this time of year as the recent cyclone that passed through dumped a good few inches on the surrounding mountains resulting in loads of water coming over the falls.

Once we’ve travelled along Skyrail to the next station at Barron Falls, it’s time to leave for the next destination…Rainforestation.

After wolfing down lunch (this is tiring you know moving about all of the time!) we had the time for a quick tour of what’s on offer here…and I wish we’d had more.

The whistle-stop tour introduced the Korean media to everything Australian in the hour we had. We held a koala and crocodile, learned how to play a didgeridoo, threw a boomerang, and tossed a spear. Once we’d cleared the animal park it was time to explore the rainforest from a very different angle…down on the floor!

The DUKW, or DUCK, is an ex-army amphibious vehicle that can move on both land and in the water. Rainforestation have a fleet of around 15 of them and they are so impressive.

A track runs from the centre out into the forest and Muzz our guide and driver talked to us all about the history of the forest and some of the interesting creatures and plants, which are found here.

My particular favourite (as it’s so horrible) is the Stinging Tree. Now it’s no a piddly little nettle which irritates the skin for a few minutes – this thing hurts and for ages! There are tiny spikes, almost like fibreglass, which are on every leaf and branch which should be avoided at all costs as the sting hurts like hell to start with and once that’s gone, irritates you for up to a year afterwards. Not very good!

Our tour takes us into the valley into a large wet area at the bottom…there’s no stopping this DUCK though, Muzz simply engages the propeller and our truck becomes a boat! We drive around the waterway seeing freshwater turtles and lizards on the banks that scurry away as we approach. We’re up close and personal with nature once more.

The clock is ticking on our afternoon and we have to make a rushed exit in time to catch our train from the town of Kuranda back to Cairns – we’re travelling Gold Class and it’d be terribly rude to turn up late you know.

Kuranda station has to be one of the most beautiful in the whole of Australia; the plants and flowers that fill the platform only add to the colonial feel, of this the last stop on the line.

We board our Gold Class cabin onboard the Kuranda Scenic Railway and settle in for a journey back down the dramatic valley the Barron River has carved out. Our Hostess Beth pampers us with drinks, nibbles as the commentary plays on the television screens mounted in the wall.

As we travel down the line we’re told stories of the construction back in 1891 when the early pioneers decided they needed a way of getting from the inland gold fields out to the coast. The line clings to the edge of the steep sided hills, with huge drop-offs, raging waterfalls and delicate-looking bridges built along its length.

My Mum and Dad would have loved this part of the adventure. It’s a very special way of seeing the gorge. We stop off at a couple of photo spots, both of which focus on the dramatic waterfalls that are full to capacity:

It’s been an exhausting but thoroughly entertaining day and as we make it back to the hotel, there are a few sleepy bodies waking up around me – and I’m one of them. It’s amazing how the heat takes it out of you!

We reconvene an hour later ready for dinner at another of Cairns famous eateries – Barnacle Bills Seafood Inn

. Owner Tony has been here for 27 years and loves what he does. Tonight he’s prepared a special menu for us – suits me as there’s no complicated choosing from the menu.

I love my seafood and am not disappointed; oysters, scallops, Moreton Bugs, prawns and Coral Trout grace the table and as ever I eat the very last one!

Waddling back to the hotel, much like a Moreton Bay Bug, I sleep particularly well.

Day Two of the adventure complete.

Men’s Adventure Tour, Cairns – Day 1

The title says it all – this was something I’d really been looking forward to and to add to the excitement Juweon, one of the Best Job in the World finalists, was flying out from Korea to join me for the experience!

Taking a week long break from his usual morning radio show Juweon has travelled out with some important people from the Korean media including:

• Mr Choong Keol Lee – editor of GQ Men’s magazine, Korea
• Mr Myung Hyo Chung – editor of AB-Road, one of Korea’s top travel magazines, and
• Hyun Woo Sun – a ‘power’ blogger from Korea

The aim of the trip is to introduce the adrenaline-filled adventures which are possible in tropical North Queensland to their markets and over the course of the next few days we’ll be lucky enough to trial some of the more exciting adventures out.

First stop however was to let the local press know our intentions so we met journalists from ABC Radio, Channel 7 News and The Cairns Post to give them a heads up of how our trip would inform the market back in Korea of the experiences which can be found here.

It was great to see Juweon again, I recently took part in an interview for him on his radio show and after chatting on the phone it was great to see him again in person.

No rest for the wicked though, this is going to be a seriously busy few days and our first appointment is with Sunlover Cruises, one of the tour operators who leave Cairns on a daily basis and head to the Great Barrier Reef to give holiday makers and tourists the experience of a lifetime. It doesn’t matter how many times I go out to enjoy the reef, I still get little butterflies of excitement in my stomach as I prepare to head out there. Today was no different!

We make our way down to the dock and after a few press photos make it onboard the custom built catamaran, which whisks us out to Moore Reef in just over 90 minutes. Sunlover are hugely popular with tourists from Korea, China and Japan and the entire boat is virtually full as it’s almost the Chinese New Year celebrations and lots of people visit Cairns at this time of year.

On the way out all of the options for things to do during the day are offered, accommodating all levels of experience and confidence in the water; there’s snorkelling, glass-bottom boat trips, touch-pools, underwater viewing chambers, SCUBA diving and the excellent Seawalker experience. It’s been nearly two months since I had my last dive on the reef and I’ve been missing it hugely. I think it’s one of those things that once you’ve tried it you just can’t stop wanting to do it – have I really become addicted to diving? There could be worse things I suppose…

As we arrive at the pontoon that the catamaran ties up against, the staff onboard go about their business looking after the excited customers all wanting to get off and get involved in their chosen activity. Most of the media crew I’m travelling with have never had the chance to dive before, so after very little persuasion they all decide to give it a go – bar the one unfortunate chap who can’t as he’s taking medication for high blood pressure. It’s good to see that the dive-master stops him from going due to the safety implications, much to his despair and infuriated protesting!

We make our way down to the pontoon and into the dive area, kit up and prepare to enter that hugely exciting underwater world once more. As I am the only certified diver onboard out of 243 passengers I get Vance, the dive master, all to myself! We make our way down the steps and into the warm (30 degrees C!!) tropical water. Cyclone Olga, which recently hit the coastline, came through this area only five days ago but there are no ill-effects visible on the reef, maybe the water has slightly less visibility than usual as the bottom’s been churned up, but there’s no damage to the coral or delicate sponges which are abundant here. It’s totally wicked getting back under the water again and within a few seconds I feel at home again, hovering above fish, watching Cleaner Wrasse at work and staring at the Anemone Fish close-up as they protect their bizarre stinging home.

After an hour of swimming around with my excellent divemaster Vance, we return to our entry point and surface on the steps of the pontoon. As ever I gush my story of what I’d seen to the nearest person – that being him. It’s the only disappointing thing to me about diving you know, not being able to speak to the person you’re down there with!

Meantime the Korean crew have been having some fun of their own, they’ve tried out SCUBA diving for themselves and spout their own reports of just how good it was. That’s the plan you see – tempt them with the good stuff so they return home and tell everyone about it.

We’ve all built up a bit of an appetite being part of the watery world below and head for the buffet to fill up on some food. The spread on offer is just what’s needed – pasta salads, cold meats, prawns and fresh fruit.

By the time 16:00hrs arrives we’re all ready to head home, the announcement comes over the speakers that were off and we bid farewell to the Sunlover pontoon. There are no Reef Rats living out here unlike the Fantasea one so all the staff who’ve become friends over the course of the day head home with us. We grab our photos from them and find a seat to fall asleep in. It’s been a long day…

Once we’ve had the chance to shower and freshen up the unrepentant itinerary kicks in again – this time with dinner at the Blue Sky Brewery just down the road. A short walk away we arrive at one of Cairns’ hotspots it seems as there’s loads going on!

The brewery was opened by a local Cairns family around two years ago and is one of the most successful micro-breweries in the country having scooped a handful of awards at the Australian Beer Awards in 2009. The bar and restaurant are wide, open and as you approach the bar a daunting line-up of barrels takes centre stage to greet you!

We all sat down and enjoyed a social dinner together and it was good to chat to another blogger, Mr Hyun, about his work, websites and interaction with social networking. Something that has become a big part of my job.

If the remaining three days of this adventure tour are anything to go by then we’re going to have an incredible time together – I just hope some others within the group have enough adrenaline reserves to get through it!

‘Best Job’ goes around the world, first stop the USA

I headed out of the Queensland summer on the 12th January aboard V Australia’s a flight from Brisbane to Los Angeles to start the first leg of my new role as the Global Ambassador representing the state of Queensland and the Islands of the Great Barrier Reef.

During the trip I’ll be making presentations to the travel industry and hopefully lots of excited customers all keen to find out more about the islands and the experiences I’ve had over the last few months. G’Day USA is an annual event introducing to Americans the experiences and everything that’s possible in Australia through trade and business. Tourism, being Queensland’s second biggest employer, is high on the agenda so together with Anna Bligh the Premier, we’ve been embarking on a media tour to tell New York, Los Angeles and beyond all about why Queensland is so good and discussing the options that are available for those people wishing to holiday in the state.

There are links below to the two appearances we’ve made on the Today Show and Fox & Friends, two of America’s biggest morning programmes.

I’ve since flown back to L.A. and over the weekend made a number of speeches to the public and representatives from the travel industry here, all about Queensland and the experiences I’ve had over the last few months as the Island Caretaker.

Having taken so many photos during that time it’s easy to choose the ones I need in order to make a good, light hearted presentation, and the reception I received was pretty good! Having a substantial prize to give away always helps to fill a room (not just the fact that I’m talking!) and Qantas had been kind enough to donate two return flights to Cairns as part of it along with two nights accommodation at Thala Beach Lodge, and a packed house awaited me in the theatre. The huge backdrop of the Great Barrier reef really enticed people to come and find out more about it and the children loved the touch pool with real life star fish in it!

Saturday night was The Gala Black Tie Dinner taking place at the Hollywood & Highland Grand Ballroom in Los Angeles, a celebration of all things Australian and what a fantastic night it was! With 900 people attending the room was filled with an electric atmosphere and kicked off with a presentation by the Qantas Children’s Choir with their rendition of “I still call Australia Home” – very uplifting and truly angelic voices all round.

The evening recognised and rewarded some of Australia’s best known Ambassadors who now live and work in the USA, Greg Norman was the first to be recognised and the speech presenting his award was made by none other than John Travolta! Wow I’m in the presence of greatness here!

As dinner was served the feeling across the room was one of expectation and excitement, what a start to the evening! The next award of the evening was to Simon Baker the actor who’s starred in movies such as The Devil wears Prada and the more recent CBS series The Mentalist, and the role-out of stars continued with Aussie legend Nicole Kidman giving the speech. Then when it couldn’t get any better she and her husband Keith Urban sang a ode to Simon himself….here it is below:

The final award of the night went to the actress Toni Collette whose movies include In Her Shoes and Little Miss Sunshine and the very amusing Cameron Diaz strutted on stage to make a very amusing speech and presentation. Things got even better for Toni last night as she collected a Golden Globe as the Best Actress in a Television Series for her role in United States of Tara. It appears the Aussies are taking the USA by storm right now!

After the awards had been made it was time to dive into the desserts and also time to take our chance socialising with the stars. Shana (Tourism Queensland’s US Director), Wendy (Tourism Queensland’s stand-in CEO) and I headed into the crowds to go and meet the celebs!

It may appear a huge amount of fun, and it was, but at the same time the event raises Australia’s profile in the US and opens lots of doors for trade and tourism alike. Please can I go back next year!?!

Hamilton Island Triathlon

I’ve just got back to the Blue Pearl after a fantastic inaugural Hamilton Island Triathlon which finished earlier this morning. It’s was the first such event on the island with some very famous names and around 100 people entering making it a superb morning’s work!

The week of sporting activities started off with a series of workshops hosted by some of the sporting world’s greats including:

I stupidly decided to go waterskiing last week and in the process caught a ski and ripped the abductor magnus muscle on the rear of my right leg resulting in some heavy bruising and making it almost impossible to walk up hills. This would obviously have massive repercussions for my triathlon event.

My friends invade from the UK – and I’m off to Paradise Bay!

Phrases to practice down at the pub:

Come good – 1. To recover – ‘I was crook last week, but I’ve come good now’ 2. To produce something especially in response to a request – Dad came good with the cash

Tinnie/Tinny - a can of beer. To crack a tinnie is to have a beer with a mate

Ocker – A stereotypical Australian, uncivilised and uncouth. Hence, ockerdom and ockerism denote any or all characteristics

Location: Hamilton Island

Weather: Clearing rain clouds and then bright sunshine! Almost English to start! 30c

With the arrival of a few friends from the UK (Alison, Sarah and Jon) came a day of catching up and showing them around the area. The girls having arrived a few days earlier had the chance to head across to Airlie Beach for some shopping and together we missed the last boat from Shute Harbour back onto Hamilton Island…big Ooops!

Struggling to find an easy solution, with no usual mobile phone contacts due to a broken battery and a dinner date at the Beach Club back on the island looming large, everything was looking just a little unachievable – until that is Keith Roberts from Islandive stepped in to save the day. A quick phone call and he’d secured a fast boat to take us back to the island ensuring we got home in time for the dinner appointment. Impeccable service once again and a massive thank you!

Jon and I had an early appointment for his first full day on Hamilton Island – one with the new golf course on Dent Island. Neither of us play golf but thought it’d be a great way to dust off the cobwebs and share some ‘men-time’ out on the course with the girls sunning themselves back at the house.

Suffice to say our round was not improved by the fact that Tiger Woods is on every television channel here right now as he’s playing in the Australian Open. We managed to loose around 20 balls between the two of us in the first nine holes. A superb course though and a really fun way to start Jon’s holiday.

There’s no rest for the wicked though (so I must be truly wicked) so leaving my friends behind in the house, Bre and I made our way down to Hamilton Island Aviation where our helicopter was waiting to lift us up into the air and whisk us the 19kms across the Whitsunday Passage to Paradise Bay Eco-Resort on Long Island.

Paradise Bay Eco-tourism and the way it should be done…

Long Island has three very different resorts on it, I visited Peppers Palm Bay a few weeks ago, we’ll be staying at Long Island Resort next week but for the next couple of nights we have the great pleasure of staying at the most luxurious of the lot – and coupled with that the most environmentally conscious too.

Now I know you’ll probably say “you arrived my helicopter, that’s not environmentally friendly” but the owner of the resort actually owns another property in the Northern Territory and at the end of every year the manager here calculates how many helicopter flights have been taken to the island and for how long i.e. the total flight time to the island, and the carbon footprint is then compensated by planting the relevant number of trees – last year 3500 of them!

We touched down onto the tiniest of landing pads nestled in amongst the palm trees, jumped out and were greeted by the Tapa and Jane, the managers of Paradise Bay – our location for the next couple of days. Making our way along the path we arrived at the main social area (there is only one as there’s so few people here it’s all that is needed!) and met a few of the other guests.

A maximum of 16 people can stay here at any one time, there are no children allowed and the lodge is environmentally sound in its power generation and use of water – nothing comes from the mainland. I was going to like this place you know as I’m very interested in this sort of tourism and hope to learn lots about the way that things should be done in the rest of the world.

The entire Lodge is powered by a large bank of 24-volt batteries which are charged by solar panels and backed up by a bio-diesel generator for cloudy days to provide power to all of the 10 accommodation units, social area and kitchen.. An inverter converts the electricity from 24-volts up to a 240v system so that normal appliances can be used. The electricity is used not only for lights and appliances but also to power the sewage treatment plant and fresh water system – but in total, the Lodge uses less electricity than an average suburban house.

Each bungalow has a separate solar panel and tank that provides hot water for showers. The tanks store enough hot water for normal use up to four days without sunshine. All water used on the site comes from the catchment areas provided the roofs of the cabins with 500,000 litres currently being stored here and a new tank taking the total to 1,000,000 litres planned for later in the year. The rain which fell extensively last week has replenished the reservoirs after a few months of drought here and the water which comes through the taps is filtered and as result is perfectly drinkable.

Any waste produced going into the sewerage system is organically broken down with a biological process and the liquid which is produced over time is then used as grey water for the gardens. Nothing goes to waste here! Paradise Bay is truly the most ‘eco’ (a word which is banded around far too easily these days) location I have visited. There are no hairdryers, televisions or radios and the lights are all low wattage power-saver bulbs whose dim light only add to the whole experience.
Our cabin was positioned right on the beach, literally fall out of the door and you’re touching it. There’s a hammock looking off the veranda and inside the comfiest and largest pillows for a long time – no pillow menu needed here! As the sun dropped into the ocean, the orange/red light floods the front of our cabin signalling dinner is almost ready to be served. We make our way along the boardwalk past the flickering oil lamps and into the divinely setup dinner table – one long table with all tonight’s guests around it waiting to start the feast.

This type of hosted accommodation is pretty special, you really feel although you’re being looked after on a different level here more than any other location so far with friendly attentive hosts who double up as chefs and experts on the different wines that are served with every course.

Seating everybody together enforces a social night where new friendships are struck and relationships built – you could come to a lodge like this and never have to talk to another soul…but that’s just not me and the formula works perfectly.
From the small kitchen area a gastronomic delight is produced and dining under the stars with the candlelights flickering creates a social, romantic atmosphere I haven’t yet found on my travels. We conclude the night with marshmallows cooked around the campfire, just what we need on a hot and balmy night!

I awake early to the sound of the high tide lapping just outside my door, throw on my running kit and make for walking track which runs around the island. I had tried to make for this end of the island when I stayed at Peppers Palm Bay a few weeks back, setting off on an track which looked as though it’d come this far down the island but after an hour of sweating it out realised that this lodge is truly cut off from the rest of the world as no tracks come here through the bush….access is only by the air or water.

I plodded into the lodge’s social area an hour after hitting the overgrown track around the south side of the island just as the clock hit 9 a.m., breakfast was just about over!

The lodge has its very own catamaran moored out in the bay that sails everyday (bar Sunday) to a different location around the islands. We decided to head out with the crew and a few other guests to discover some of the creeks and coves on the mainland just opposite the resort towing a few kayaks and a dinghy would allow us to get right into the heart of the mangrove systems which line the coast here.

An hour later we lay anchor outside ‘Wolf Creek’ – not the famous people slaying location made famous in the horror movie instead a pretty little backwater called ‘Woodcutter Bay’ that needed further exploration. Bre and I untied a kayak, slapped on the sunscreen and paddled off to find out more.

Winding our way through the mangrove trees we entered a peaceful watery world where nature was the only other thing around; the occasional ‘splosh’ or ‘plop’ into the water signalling something had sensed our arrival. As we patrolled the fringes of the estuary the high tide had covered some of the smaller mangrove trees creating perfect sunning platforms where small turtles park up and chill out.

The warm rays of the sun super-heating the surface of the ocean and as we cruised by we spotted three of them within 50 metres of each other. Their sleepy morning only disturbed as we got within a metre of them as at the last moment each of them scrambled into the deep water to escape the camera.

Back on the cat we sailed slowly up the coast stopping off at Cow and Calf Islands to head ashore for a beach lunch, our individual hampers and a beach towel all we needed to get away the group as we found a little area of sand where no on else would find us…except maybe the eight Shovel Nose Rays truffling around in the foreshore as they too prepared for lunch.

The full day of sunshine had taken its toll and as we sailed back to the lodge my head tilted like a nodding dog into my book and before long I was asleep, the sound of the anchor chain awaking me from my slumber as we prepared to moor up for the night.

With the last of the evening light still just about visible in the sky the announcement came that dinner was again on the way. Our single table had now been split into two as more guests had arrived and the evening’s feasting began once more.

The walk back to the room reminds you of quite how in the middle of nowhere you are, there is no light pollution from the lodge itself, bar the flickering oil lamps, the mainland onto which the lodge faces has no sign of life in fact the strongest light comes from the heavens as the Milky Way and the galaxy light the sky all around. I sat on the veranda before heading to bed to take it all in.

Of all the retreats I’ve been to this has to be the most unique of the lot. It is a single venture by Peter Spann who has created a one-off experience and wholly deserves its number one rank on www.tripadvisor.com
I really love the fact it makes an effort and succeeds in giving a sustainable holiday experience where virtually no impact is made on the environment. It heightens your awareness about the steps which we all could, and should, make to lessen our footprint on the planet which is creaking under the load of humankind right now.

I want to recycle more, I want to change all my light bulbs for energy efficient ones, I want to build my own sustainable house, I want to buy a Toyota Prius, I want to have a stack of solar panels outside my house which says “I do care, I am making a step to save the planet”.

If only more of the world’s politicians would come here and experience it…

End of day location: Long island

Distance covered: 25kms

Island hopping to the extreme….

I know you’ve been missing them, so here are some more Aussisms to get you in the mood:

• Whizzer – genitals or private parts
• Rack off - go away!
• The Don – Sir Donald Bradman, an Australian Test Cricketer of the 1920’s to 1940’s who remained a popular hero thereafter. The Dons on the other hand, refers to the Australian Football League team Essendon.
• King-hit – To hit or punch suddenly and forcefully, usually from behind

Location: Townsville – Orpheus island – Dunk island – Bedarra island – and back to Dunk again

Weather: Sunshine and squally showers, 30ºc

After spending some time on what islanders call ‘The Big Island’, or Australia to the rest of us, it was time to venture back out onto the Islands of the Great Barrier Reef for some self-indulgent relaxing and pampering…oh come on it’s what the job was meant to be about from the day it was advertised!

We’d finished our last trip on the Coral Princess in Townsville and to get to our first stopover meant meeting up with an old friend Hylton from Nautilus Aviation, who’d flown me a few months ago from Cardwell to Magnetic Island. These familiar faces are starting to pop up everywhere and I love it.

Out on the trailer at Townsville airport a silver bird awaiting us, an R44 Helicopter looking resplendent in the sunshine. Bre and I climbed on board, Hylton powered up the machine, radioed the control tower to make our flight plan known and took us away.

I can never tire of the feeling I get from a helicopter hovering, powering forwards and whisking across the tarmac – the stomach loves it!

Orpheus Island

As we descended onto the grassy landing spot at the end of the beach Bridget (one of the co-managers) was there to meet and greet us, we said our goodbyes to our pilot and immediately felt immersed in somewhere very special – the luxurious surroundings of Orpheus Island.

It’s a picture postcard island to say the least; the lush green of the rainforest extends right down to the long white sandy beach before slipping into the sheltered blue waters of the bay. Somewhere hidden from view there’s actually a resort but it’s almost impossible to tell from the air as all of the properties hide behind the beachfront palms, which just adds to the air of being in a tropical rainforest paradise.

After a tiring few days we just flopped out on the bed as soon as we got through the door, our spacious suite did have little surprise though – an outdoor shower nestled in amongst the plants of the rainforest, sweet! I threw myself under the cold water (Bre cannot understand why I do this at all?) and felt invigorated again…there’s things to do here and I don’t want to miss out.

Not a breath of wind greeted me as I walked along the beach but a few splashes in the foreshore did – the fish, rays and even reef sharks come all the way into the beach here and as the waters so clear you can see them all going about their business cruising about trying to find their next meal. Luckily for them fish-food is standard issue here and we grabbed a bag from reception and headed back down to feed them – this is better than hand feeding them at Daydream Island as they’re actually in the ocean!

Our trip to Orpheus Island had come when the annual coral spawning was supposed to be taking place – it’s a phenomenon of nature, which happens once a year a few days after the full moon in November…but only nature knows exactly when, sometimes two days after, sometimes seven.

The James Cook University have a research station on the island a short boat ride away from the resort and as we were bang on the time of year when ‘it all happens’ on the reef so it made sense to head down to see what the marine biologists and scientists could tell us.

Every time I’ve visited one of these island-based research stations I’m greeted by an array if tanks, pools, pipes, gadgets and machines all whirring and ticking away recording their unique data about some aspect of marine life – and an equally technical and sophisticated person running the experiment. It was no different here!

Coral Spawning

Coral bleaching due to increased global ocean temperatures is a (excuse the pun) ‘hot’ topic here, and our guide Brad, sneaked us into a few rooms to see how the different setups which had been constructed simulated varying conditions in the ocean.

This type of research can give us a much better picture of the future and the huge damage which could be caused globally to sensitive eco-systems such as the Great Barrier Reef…it’s all a little scary and I know there are numerous theories about thermal changes, ocean currents, recurring ice-ages etc etc but it can only be a good thing to try as a planet to reduce CO₂ levels for the benefit of all things living not just above the ocean but below too can’t it?

You’ve got to be really, really lucky to witness a coral polyp actually releasing its egg as it can happen over a number of nights and different types of coral release on different nights – on the day of our visit the biologists were hopeful that the specimens they had in their tanks would be releasing that night but unfortunately we wouldn’t be there to witness it.

We decided to head out to one of the local islands which is renowned for having 340 of the 350 different types of hard and soft coral to see them in their pre-spawning state…they look the same as any other time of year but it made for some great photos as you can see:

Aaron, the other resort manager and Bridget’s other half, drives the launch and took us for a cruise around the island imparting us with the knowledge he’s gained from working and living on Orpheus over the last four years. Both he and Bridget really do have their dream job and have poured love and effort into making the island one of the most intimate and personal places to stay of all romantic retreats I’ve been to so far.

Having Bre with me for this part of the trip is perfect – finally I get to have dinner in a totally romantic situation with her and not a journalist for a change!

‘Dining with the Tides’ offers something very unique – a jetty all to ourselves with a table for two laid out to receive some of the most sumptuous cuisine plucked from the ocean and lovingly prepared by the chef. It was just the two of us with gas flares flickering, the mullet below slurping the water and the full moon slowly rising above the outline of the island behind us – a romantic ideal that has to be hard to beat.

By the time we’d gorged our way through the assorted dishes that made up dinner we could just about lift ourselves from the chairs and back to our rooms. The seafood which Bre had really steered away from in the early part of this trip is starting to become her favourite and it’s not hard to understand why…

Waking with the sun streaming through the bedroom window kicked me into life…and quickly reminded me of quite how much I’d eaten the night before – this would call for some serious sport/action/workout to try and combat the ever-increasing waistline I was suffering from. The tennis court beckoned and in the heat of the morning sunshine Bre and I managed to knock the balls around for nearly two hours before it all became too much and we had to retire to the comfort of our suite. A token gesture to staying fit, but a gesture all the same.

Dinner with the Tides

All too quickly the morning of our departure arrived and the familiar ‘thud-thud’ sound of the incoming helicopter filled the air signalling it was time for us make for the heli-pad ready for the return flight. Our stay on Orpheus Island had been perfectly timed; at the end of a few manic days rushing about, and there’s no better way to unwind and forget about the world than to come here to do it.

Rising high above the beach we waved a sorry goodbye to the ever decreasing island, looked at each other and both knew it’d been a very special couple of days…oh well onto the next one!

Dunk Island

After an all-too-short stop at Mission Beach where we’d just about had enough time to get used to the lavishly, unique décor of the Elandra resort it was onto the Quickcat fast ferry across to Dunk Island. We’d been here the week before but not to stay on the island just to board the ‘Coral Princess’ for our cruise and this time were really looking forward to enjoying some of the many activities on offer.

Dunk is one of the Family Group of islands that Captain Cook named after George- Montague Dunk, he described it as a “tolerable high island” and sailed straight past! Prior to that the Aboriginal name was Coonanglebah meaning ‘The Island of Peace and Plenty’ as it had a high population of crayfish, dugong and turtles – which make particularly good eating.

Dunk Island was inhabited by the writer E J Banfield towards the end of the 1890’s where he lived with his wife Bertha and so became the island’s first white settlers…I was about to become just another one albeit temporarily…

Banfield said of the islands “Other islands and islets are in close proximity, a dozen or so within a radius of as many miles, but this, Dunk Island, is the chief of its group, the largest in area, the highest in altitude, the nearest the mainland, the fairest, the best”… E J Banfield – ‘Confessions of a Beachcomber’

As we wound our way through the resort it seemed to go on forever – there’s a deceivingly large number of units and accommodation types on the island all nestled away in the rainforest and it’s only when you have to walk from one end to the other that you realise where everybody stays.

This is a very different type of resort to Orpheus, it caters for families and has loads to do…that’s if you want to or of course you just laze on the beach and soak up the rays of the sun! Our Beachfront Suite opened out onto the wide, sheltered sandy bay with views across to Mound Island and once I’d setup my portable office decided it was time to explore a little further…

The Hamilton Island Triathlon is getting so close now (at the end of November) and my training has been close to nothing over the last few days, however Dunk does have a 9km walking trail around it, so I took the chance to climb Mt Kootaloo at 271 metres above sea level and head off to do a lap of the island…forgetting quite how challenging it is to run when the humidity is high.

I wound my way along the leaf covered path scaring the odd Brush Turkey along the way and once I’d gained some height had a great view back across towards to the mainland and the oncoming rain cloud which was about to engulf me. At the very top of Mt Kootaloo it hit me – perfect timing as I never run with a drink but this came as a welcome relief.

There are still the remains of the old radar station at the top which was used during the second World War as an early warning for enemy aircraft approaching, the track continues around the island through the lush green rainforest and out to Coconut Beach facing east. I set off thinking it’d be a short, simple run and an hour later returned to camp with tired legs – the hills are deceiving!

The Mission Beach Film Festival happened to be screening a few films on the island during our stay there and, after a hearty seafood buffet; we headed down to see the very amusing ‘Big River Man’ – a tale about a Slovenian man who swims the length of the Amazon River. He’s a champion and very amusing too – well worth watching if you get the chance.

Bre and I had been looking forward to the water sports available on the island – there’s wakeboarding, waterskiing, kayaking, dinghies…the works. However to do any of these activities requires the wind to calm down to anything below 20 knots…please just below 20 knots, come on is that really to much to ask? We left the water sports Centre frustrated…

So what was left to do, I’d done my run, we’d had a knock around on the tennis court, swam a few times, we’d had a superb massage in the spa, we’d watched a film…oh well back to the restaurant it is then!

Dunk and Bedarra Islands are both part of the same group of Family Islands and when the weather allows you can see Bedarra off in the distance – it has an air of intrigue about it, from researching it on the web I know it’s pretty damn luxurious and very exclusive and so couldn’t wait to get over there to find out more first hand.

Bedarra Island

As our launch arrived at the jetty we’d just completed the lumpiest sea crossing of the trip so far, the wind has been howling at 20 knots for the last 24 hours and the surface of the ocean was suitably whipped into a white-crested frenzy. Bre especially enjoyed our arrival at the resort…

Ali welcomed us into the reception area and gave us a quick tour of their setup. Luxurious dark wood lines every square metre of the restaurant and the same theme continues throughout the resort; around the pool, the bar, in the rooms and even the jetty. It feels although you’re arriving in a very grand, yet personal setting where it’s all about you.

Children are not allowed here – that’s a massive bonus of course if you’re there to relax as a couple, there’s been a few times on the Best Job adventure when I’m either settling down to work or trying to catch a few minutes shut-eye and the sound of a screaming kid breaks the silence. Not a chance here at all – solitude and peace are the order of the day.

As we make our way up through the rainforest that covers the island we pass the tennis court and beach water sports centre following the little track meandering through the resort’s accommodation. I’d done a little bit of research before and knew that The Pavilion was one of the most luxurious of all the places to stay within Bedarra and once we’d got to the door of our room realised we’d actually be staying there – how damn lucky are we! The hardwood door swung open and before me were the incredible surroundings of the Casuarina room, the pictures really don’t do it justice.

The room is nestled in the rainforest and looks out over the ocean with two separate living areas, one for sleeping and one for relaxing. There’s a huge double bed which has views out of the massive glass walls to the view over the bay, a big double headed shower, a Jacuzzi bath and double sinks to finish it all off. That’s without even moving across the hallway to the other room which houses a relaxing sofa, wide screen TV and day bed (basically a four poster outside).

I have to confess that the weather wasn’t perfect by any means while we stayed at Bedarra which left us a few less things to do than we’d hoped but the plunge pool got a thorough work-out, in fact I spent so long in there that my feet almost became wrinkly old prunes by the end of my stay there. Being able to unwind without internet reception (which of course means no work), a hamper which was supposed to be for our dinghy ride (which was cancelled due to the weather) and the run of somewhere as relaxing as The Pavilion made our stay there the perfect break from reality.

Our evenings were just as good. There’s only a maximum of 16 tables set up for dinner and you can rock up there whenever you feel the need, reclining in a chair so comfortable that it almost swallows you up. The bar experience is something else too – with a vast array of wines and spirits from around the world you can choose whatever you want and prepare it yourself so some exotic cocktails became the order of the day!

As we couldn’t get out on the water during our stay we had to find something else to do to keep ourselves amused and decided to follow up the rumour that on the other side of the island the old Hideaway resort was still just about visible in the heavy growth of the rainforest…we set off to investigate.

An hour later we’d broken through the undergrowth and found the old bricked driveway which led us down to the maintenance buildings which only a few years ago had serviced the resort here, sure enough as we followed the path along the beach front the outlines of the old villas started to appear from the trees. It’s amazing to think that only a few years ago people were staying here enjoying the view just as we’d been doing a few hours earlier but on the other side of the island.

It was a little creepy crawling through the undergrowth to find the buildings, which are in surprisingly good condition, slowly going back to nature. The main restaurant and reception building are huge and the swimming pool even has water in it still along with a few cane toads…but I don’t fancy swimming in it that’s for sure.

After mucking around like naughty kids from The Famous Five we retraced our steps back to the real Bedarra on the other side of the island avoiding the huge spiders webs along the way.

We’d only stayed for a couple of days but during that time had an incredible experience. I actually relaxed and didn’t feel I needed to be doing something every hour of the day for once – Bre really appreciated that I can tell you; the feeling of just kicking back with a good book is hard to beat and takes you away from the pace of everyday life. Highly recommended for any stressed businessmen out there.

As we clambered aboard the launch back to Dunk Island, where we were to fly out of, I wondered if I’d find anywhere else on the Best Job adventure where my heart beat would drop down to that sort of hibernation-level again…we all need to take some time out every so often and this was mine.

End of day location: Dunk Island after jumping between islands

Distance covered: 250kms

Moving inland, I’m off to the Outback…

Location: Hamilton Island

Weather: Blowy and sunshine on the coast, very hot and sunny in the Outback. 27 – 37c

Having been involved with a number of charity expeditions and adventures over the last few years of my life I was keen to do so over here in Australia too, so when the suggestion of a trip to the outback to get involved with the Outback Trailblazer 4×4 event to raise money for Angel Flight I was only to happy to jump onboard.

Angel Flight is a charity that co-ordinates non-emergency flights to help country people trying to deal with the triple trouble of bad health, poor finances and daunting distance. All flights are free and may involve patients travelling to medical facilities anywhere in Australia.
The Best Job has thrown up a few luxurious, exciting means of transport over the last few months but nothing could prepare me for the day I headed down to Hamilton Island Aviation with Bre and Bruce Wallace from Tourism Queensland ready to depart for a four day trip to the Outback.

Parked up outside the hangers was a mean looking machine, a silver and grey turbo-prop Pilatus PC-12 – one of the sexiest looking planes I’d ever seen…let alone been on. As we walked across the tarmac to meet the lucky owner Bill Bristow, I wondered just what one has to do in life in order to own something quite as stunning as this!

As I climbed on board and turned to look into the cabin area I realised this was exactly the way film and pop stars travel; lavished by acres of sumptuous leather and cooled to just around ‘comfortable’ by the air-con system – this is THE way to get around the place. I made myself comfortable in the co-pilots seat, adjusted my headset and listened intently as Bill made his flight plan clear to the control tower and we started the taxi to the northerly end of the runway turning into the brisk headwind readying for takeoff.

With a simple push forward of the throttles we powered down the runway, gaining speed with every metre until Bill pulled back on the controls and we rose silently and effortlessly from the runway and climbed sharply into the sky above. Ten minutes later we reached our cruising altitude of 10,000ft levelled out and steered a course due west of Hamilton Island heading for the outback town of Longreach some 700kms away.

Longreach has a famous past; it marks on the map the location of the home of Qantas (Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services Limited) Australia’s national airline, and it was here in 1920 that the company was founded and the first flights flown. The Stockman’s Hall of Fame is another major attraction here (opened in 1988 by my very own Queen Elizabeth) in the dry and dusty outback town, it provides the visitor with an insight into the history of the pioneers, the stock workers and the aborigines who shaped and worked the land over the centuries to make it was it is today. From the short time I had there it was easy to see quite how resilient and tough they would have to be in order to survive the conditions and to farm the land in order to survive.

We jumped onto the back of the Trailblazer event, joining the group of 25 four-wheel-drive vehicles a couple of days into their weeklong adventure challenge. Each day involved driving between 70 and 200kms between towns and whilst doing so taking part in some mental and physical challenges to earn, or loose, funny money – the only currency which is accepted ‘in these parts’. The teams are made up from local business, off-road fans, Angel Flight supporters and even a vehicle made up from Tourism Queensland representatives as the Outback’s a seriously enjoyable and interesting area for tourists which needs to be promoted more. Coming off the back of a trip around Africa it was particularly appealing to me and I couldn’t wait to get under its skin…

Before the convoy set off the next morning there was a chance to explore some of the tourist attractions here in town. First stop the “Stockman’s Hall of Fame” and a little lesson in whip-cracking for me…an essential skill that I’d be needing later in the day as I took to the saddle for the first time and tried my hand at ‘mustering’ – the art of herding cattle from horseback.

As we all sat down in front of the display area waiting for the show I sensed that my afternoon was about to get a little bit more interesting, the gaze that Tony gave me as he entered the arena indicated it wouldn’t be too long before I’d be out of my seat and up helping him out…sure enough once Tony had thrilled the crowd with his display in whip cracking making a noise akin to gunfire, it was my turn. I had the obligatory cowboy hat on my head, the very essential sunglasses covering my eyes (in case I wasn’t as good as he was expecting me to be) and a sense of fear at what I was about to try and do!

• Method number one: Aim for an object in front of you and try to hit it with the 3-metre long leather whip. Simple. Oh no it isn’t! Tony made it look far too easy, pulling sharply back on the handle forcing the whip back at break-neck speed creating an ear numbing ‘CRACK’

• Method number two: Twirl the whip around your head in a circular motion, suddenly reversing the direction again creating a massive noise.

• Outcome to number one and two – Ben makes no noise and nearly takes off the tops of his ears in the process…hence the safety sunglasses!

Next stop the Qantas museum to visit the largest thing in the town – a full size Boeing 747 that was flown onto the town’s runway back in 2002 and now dwarfs the original Qantas hanger. It could easily be seen from the air when we landed and in order to safely land it, on a runway, which is much shorter than the usual 747 landing strip, it had virtually everything stripped out of it to lighten its weight and give it a chance of stopping before the end of the runway – and a very dusty graveyard.

Having never been airside before at a major international airport it was an awesome sight seeing this graceful beast from right underneath it. During her lifetime, which spanned 23 years, she flew over 82 million kilometres and Longreach was made her final resting place as a fitting tribute to her service for the company. Today you can walk along her wing, climb into the cockpit and see inside the lining of the roof to get much better idea of what she is made of. I’ll know a lot more next time I climb onboard one!

We headed down to the local agricultural college for the last activity of the day….there were 26 head of cattle out in the field and it would be my job to get them back in with the help of Bre and a couple of the girls from the college.

Enter problem number one – I have not and cannot ride a horse. This could be very amusing for all watching. Tony very kindly finds me a easy going, well behaved ride and once I’ve put on the hard hat and boots I make my way to my steed, put my leg in the stirrup and throw my weight over saddle onto its back. Wow what a feeling – I’m actually on a horse!

After a few minutes familiarisation learning how to make my ride go forwards, backwards, sideways, turn and trot we (that’s Bre – whose damn good at riding it turns out, Tony and the two students) make our way out of the stables and into the bright sunshine. I’m actually really enjoying this newly acquired skill – now I’m not saying I mastered it by any means but it was damn good fun…apart from the part where we had to trot and I bashed my crown-jewels to pieces trying to time my bouncing!

With the help of my mustering team we herded the cows towards the gate and through into holding area where my next job was awaiting me. Separating the heifers from the steers (or girls from the boys for the rest of us). It takes a fair bit of courage and stupidity to jump around in an enclosed area with a load of hyperactive cows all trying to get out, but the job was to be done before we could finish for the day – Bre had the task of herding one out at a time into the next holding pen where I had to take over and make sure the beast was directed through the correct gate to gather all of the heifers in one side and all of the steers in the other. Simple.

The combination of confusion, dust and frantic arm waving resulted in the task being completed successfully with much amusement to all watching us…we really did come across as a couple of amateurs taking far too long, the cows even seemed to raise an eyebrow at our antics.

Up bright and early the next day was essential…today I was dressing up as one of the early pioneers of Australia and taking part in a race across along the famous Thomson River with Bre and I riding in an amazing replica stagecoach against a paddle steamer – could this trip and experience get any more interesting and unusual!?

Dressed in the glad rags of the era we climbed aboard Rob’s stagecoach and prepared ourselves for the ride of our lives. With the sun beating down the open-sided trailer towed by four horses was not a place to rest and relax, the steel-springed suspension offering little in the way of comfort and protection from the elements but ‘oh’ how much fun we had careering along the bumpy track alongside the river…and in the end we lost out, just, to the paddle steamer taking a valiant second place – out of two.

Being in the outback means a number of things; serious dry and dusty heat, vast expanses of featureless, barren land desperate for a drop of rain, extremely hospitable and friendly locals and livestock. Generally cattle and sheep – and where there’s sheep there’s shearing!

Enter Ben’s latest role and another new job to try out – sheep shearing. My experience with this amounts to one afternoon in a shed in Wales with my Aunty around 20 years ago so my skills aren’t exactly what the property owner would be looking for in a potential shearer for the season. When the heat is on and the blades sharpened and oiled a professional can complete nearly 400 sheep in a day, now that’s moving I can tell you.

Counting the flock is another skill I really didn’t have much knowledge or experience with but essential if your working out how many of them you’re taking to market so when presented with a massive gaggle of fast moving sheep you need to have your wits about you. My test came as the herder opened the gate and let them all ran at me at once…I tried so hard to count them as the jumped past (isn’t counting sheep supposed to put you to sleep) and when we compared totals I was miles out…somehow imagining 20 more sheep than there actually were. Ooops.

The final drive of the day took us to Muttaburra where we’d be sleeping for the night, a dusty little town of around 150 people with one of the major tourist claims for the area – the site of Australia’s largest dinosaur discovery back in 1963 by Doug Landon. The Muttaburrasaurus was about seven metres long and walked about on its hind legs spending most of its time foraging and resting on all fours. This giant was a plant eater and belonged to the ornithopod group of dinosaurs.

Everything in the town relates to this incredible discovery; the pub, the community centre and even the murals on the school walls! My nephews would love to come here and you almost feel as though one could walk right through the town centre and no one would blink an eyelid such is the belief in the area!

Muttaburrasaurus

Accommodation that night was suitably exotic but hugely fun, whereas the other Trailblazer competitors had been given tents to bed down in, Bre and I had been given the penthouse suite of the town – a converted bus with double bed and air-con. It was perfect and a cracking place to wake up the next morning…if a little confusing to start off with.

The local children at the school only come together every few months due to the vast distances between homesteads, some live nearly 700kms away from the school and so most lessons are carried out using a radio system at the school. The headmistress conducts the lessons across the internet and short-wave radio network to her class of 20 students. Once every term the pupils all come together to see each other and we were lucky enough to be there for the reunion. One thing they do very well however is perform and sing…a song about dinosaurs of course!

The trip into the great unknown had drawn to a close and our lift out of here was ready, courtesy of Marjorie – another of Angel Flights big guns, a pilot who has flown many sorties to help people less fortunate than herself. Today however she would instead have the more usual task of flying us back to Proserpine and it was with sorrow that we had to leave the convoy as it wound its way further into the big beyond.

My time in the Outback was a real treat and hugely good fun, the people we’d been lucky enough to meet (however briefly) all showed us great hospitality and it was fascinating looking into their lives for just a short period of time learning how they survive and live in this harsh part of Queensland.

The feeling of community and perseverance when up against it is overwhelming – some of the farms haven’t seen rain for seven months but there’s always a freshly watered lawn and immaculate garden outside every house. Pride in their town and property is seen across the board.

After seeing Africa from the road last year this trip in another 4×4 (albeit not a Land Rover) into an area as unique and special as this has totally re-ignited my passion and desire to travel across the rest of Australia once the Best Job adventure is over – the Outback is a hypnotic and beautiful place.

End of trip location: Muttabarra, Queensland
Distance travelled: 700kms by private jet, 250kms by car and 700kms back by light aircraft.

Cruising south aboard the Coral Princess

Location: Dunk Island

Weather: Sunshine with scattered cloud…windy though and a rough ocean. 28c

I’ve flown places, I’ve driven places…I’ve even kayaked places but so far on this crazy Best Job adventure not been lucky enough to cruise anywhere and to be honest in the past I’d never really given it much thought.

As we flew in low over Dunk Island our vessel ‘Coral Princess’ was moored up in the bay overlooking the island. Bre and I were about to jump onboard a day into the three day cruise down the Queensland coast from Cairns to Townsville. Coral Princess Expedition Cruises offer a huge variety of different experiences around the coast of Australia, and far beyond on their fleet of luxury ships.

Dunk Island’s launch ferried us out to meet our floating palace and as we jumped onboard an air of excitement filled my body – this was going to be very different from the usual hotel room, much more like the view from my Land Rover’s tent last year with every day changing!

The friendly crew welcomed us aboard and a very familiar face popped up, Brittany who we’d met back in July in Palm Cove was now working here. Our room was a delightful little double cabin with perfect ocean views and even a little ensuite bathroom complete with shower – the lap of luxury again!

As our fellow passengers started to come back onboard from their afternoon exploring Dunk Island I sat down and chatted to a few of them. They were from all over the world and a wide range of ages and backgrounds too, with people from South Africa, Germany, USA and the UK enjoying the relaxing environment away from the hectic pace of life on the mainland.

As the sun descended into the ocean the engines were fired up and we started our cruise south heading out into less protected waters and the waves started to build, the number of people enjoying the social lounge decreased as the consequences of the swell started to take effect and seasickness took its toll!

We finally moored up alongside Pelorus Island and entered the sheltered waters of the bay just in time to witness a very colourful sunset – the passengers all gathered in the upper bar for the complimentary drinks and nibbles which was a great way to meet other people and to familiarise myself with the crew.

Josh, the cruise manager, was a particularly knowledgeable guy and told us all stories about the surrounding islands then ran through the itinerary for the evening and following day. Dinner was then announced and we all made our way downstairs to the dining hall.

Each couple on the cruise has a chance to dine with the Captain and tonight was to be our lucky night! The food was great, really well made and presented good old fashioned home-style cooking with vegetables – no over-the-top presentation here, just classic simple cooking. Full marks.

I had some catching up to do on the blog so made my excuses and headed back to the room to work away, the gentle rocking of the boat adding to my already tired head.

Sunrise is one of those great times of the day when colours just erupt like an artist’s palette, and being so close to Pelorus Island just amplified it even further. Once breakfast was out of the way I had a quick chat with Matt, the dive master, and discussed the plans for our dive later in the day. We’d head off the shore of the island to explore some of the coral and clams which line the rocky coast, excellent news another chance to get under the water to investigate. The tender was prepared and we all headed ashore for a day of relaxing and eating – more of it!

The gorgeous sandy beach on this side of the island acts as the hospitality area for the cruise guests and the staff from the boat were busy preparing our lunch by the time we’d returned from our guided walk around the island – Josh again imparting the guests with his knowledge in a very unique way.

After a 40 minute dive navigating our way along the coastline I broke the surface of the ocean to find Bre still there sunbathing away – this Canadian will never learn, her slightly pink skin testament to the strength of the lunchtime sun. Slip, slop, slap is definitely the order of the day here.

Back on board we all met up on deck for sundowners and as we socialised preparations were underway for our evening’s activity, the Coral Princess quiz – a test of our knowledge and fact recollection from all of the information Josh had fed us over the last 48hrs.

With dinner out of the way it was down to the hard work, ten quick fire questions followed by a drawing competition to try and portray our cruise assistant Brittany in the best light possible and once all of the marks had been given we found ourselves in a very respectable third place out of four!

After a long night at the computer I hit the pillow heavily and before I knew it the alarm was ringing again announcing the start of another day…our last onboard. We’d cruised down the Queensland coastline all the way to Townsville and as breakfast was dispatched the familiar sight of the foreshore came into view.

What a relaxing few days we’d had at sea, a thoroughly enjoyable time getting to know lots of different people and learning lots about the geography and coastline of the area. This experience would suit the ‘less-active’ traveller looking for a chance to travel at a more sedate pace whilst stopping off at a number of different remote locations along the way – the comfort and fine dining adding to the cruise-like encounter.

End of cruise location: Townsville, Queensland

Distance covered: 190kms onboard