Getaway! The Chinese version

A few posts back I went on an incredibly fun, active sailing trip around the Whitsundays onboard Maxi yacht Ragamuffin. It was one of those awesome days with sun, sea, diving and a whole load of adventure!

Cameron and the guys from Getaway China joined us as we headed out for a days sailing. They were putting together a travel programme all about the Whitsundays. They’ve gone to air on China and have very kindly released the footage so I can show it to you here on islandreefjob.com

Enjoy

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.

Falling into the Whitsundays…

Location: Whitsunday Airport, Queensland

Weather: Puffy white clouds and blue skies with sunshine. Let’s skydive!! 32c

Skydiving over the Whitsundays

This was the BIG ONE – the one I’d been dreading for ages and had tried to put off for as long as possible. Bre however has been nagging like an old fishwife every since the offer was made back in August. I’d managed to deflect her requests to throw myself out of a plane with excuses of ‘too much wind’ or ‘the cloud cover means they won’t be running today’ but the day had arrived when nothing would stick.

Now it’s not that I really can’t do heights at all, I mean I climb mountains and I did do the worlds highest bungee jump last year. It’s just I seem to develop Frozen-Leg-Syndrome when I go close to the edge of cliffs, on suspended walkways etc and Bre knows this.

My contact over the last few weeks had been Sooz, the girl who seems to do everything and run the operation, and as we stomped up the ramp off the Fantasea ferry she was here to take us the short ten minute drive to the airport. The big sign welcoming us to the Whitsunday Airport loomed large with the words ‘SKYDIVE’ emblazoned across it…well here we go then.

My jumpmaster was called ‘Dawsey’ – abbreviated in the traditional Aussie way of course! (shorten it and add an ‘ie’, ‘y’ or ‘o’ on the end) First job of course was to sign my life away, if it all ended in disaster I would have no one to blame but myself.

Next to don the sexy looking jump trousers and harness, ball jerkingly tight but better that than to fall out I suppose, and run through the briefing on how to fall out of the plane’s door once we hit the ‘dropzone’. I’ve always loved that phrase – it just sounds so totally rad man, very Point Break!

So far I’m doing ok, no nerves, just a gun’ho attitude which Bre seems to adopt and does here ok. Maybe I’m learning from the Master here? If I can take this on and do it, it’s another personal challenge out of the way. I have completed a parachute jump before but I was 16 and that’s a seriously long time ago now and it was a static line jump.

A little explanation:

Static line parachute jump – you jump yourself from the plane with your own parachute which is attached to a point inside the plane by a small cord. As you exit the door the cord pulls out your chute automatically deploying it. Usually from about 3,500ft.

Tandam freefall – you’re strapped to a jumpmaster who deploys the parachute for you both after freefalling through the heavens for about a minute. Takes place from 8000ft + and we jumped from 14,000ft. THE way to do it!

Bre and I clamber into the rear of the little plane with Dawsey and Matty, our jumpmasters, handing out the instructions. There was no going back now. Sat between their legs we taxied down the runway and the plane climbed above the Whitsundays giving a superb view through clear skies below.

We reached our jump altitude of 14,000ft ten minutes later and suddenly the time was upon us, no chickening out, just a mad adrenaline ride all the way to the ground.

Bre was first up, Matty and her slid there way into the door and five seconds later were gone!

Me next – well here goes nothing. Hanging out of the door, feet tucked under the plane, the overpowering sound of the wind racing past my face as we travelled at over 150km/h forwards…and then we were out, dropping at over 200km/h straight down!

The G-forces were biting at my face forcing a huge teeth-filled grin across my face as we dropped like a rock towards terra firma far below – in fact not that far! We fell and fell for what seems like no time at all, the ground racing to meet us as we dropped through light cloud – the light mist cooling our faces as we fell.

And with a snatch akin to a trouser jerking wedgie, suddenly we were hanging there underneath the now deployed canopy, floating 3000ft above the airfield below. The sound of the rushing wind gone, replaced by a serene congratulatory silence, broken occasionally by Dawsey talking to me.

That was nothing short of incredible!!! As we slowly dropped towards the landing zone I took hold of the controls and steered us down in big twisting turns assisted by Dawsey of course until he gave the command to lift my feet and legs up in preparation for landing.

A final approach towards the awaiting team and we’d done it – my first freefall jump over and I’d actually loved virtually every moment of it!

As I turned around on the runway Bre was about to make her landing and I could hear her almost before anything, WAHOOO’ing as only she can, arms flailing and legs out wide.

Once unhooked we made our way back to the office and traded stories about the experience, you know quite how amazing something is when you’re literally stumbling over each other to get your side of the story out!

I didn’t think I’d actually enjoy throwing myself out of a plane but it was flippin amazing and I’d go straight back tomorrow if the chance was there – thank you to all at Airlie Skydive especially Sooz for making it all happen.

End of day location: Right back where I started – terra firma

Distance travelled: 14,000ft straight down!

Whizzing around the islands…

Location: Dent Island (Hamilton Island Golf Course)

Weather: The sun has come back out after a few days of wet, humid grey stuff! 32c

Well the fun has been continuing in full effect. I know it’s supposed to have finished in theory this wonderful Best Job in the World gig but there have been a few offers which have been made since July which Bre and I have had to take up before leaving Hamilton Island!

Number One – Riding a Segway machine!!

I think I first saw one of these awesome machines back in the UK about ten years ago and have always wanted to jump on to see what they’re all about. When we visited Tangalooma resort on Moreton Island a few weeks back there were a few of these futuristic looking contraptions racing up and down the sandy beach and the temptation increased…

Segway Green info

When a guy called Eric from Tours Plus contacted me and suggested having a trial run on one of their Segways I jumped at the chance. So yesterday morning Bre and I made our way down to the Fantasea ferry to meet Eric and Louise who’d made it across from the mainland with a fleet of four Segway X2’s – the off-road version of their commuter model.

Tours Plus offer eco friendly tours throughout the Whitsundays and these machines can go so many places I wouldn’t have imagined; over long grass, through pretty deep sand and up fairly steep slopes too. It was time for us to learn a new skill…

We run through the basics; how to stand on them, leaning into turns, tilting forwards and backwards and then we’re off – on a small patch of concrete just to make sure we can handle them (in ‘turtle’ mode – the slowest pace to start off with). It’s such an awesome feeling once you’ve got the hang of it and one which really does feel really natural.

Ok these things are superb but you can’t legally drive them on the roads in Queensland, in fact in any of Australia. They’re legal in all but four states of the USA and by all accounts as a means of transport they work – environmentally friendly, no need to jump in a huge car as one person in a city, simple to operate, great for a sunny climate and above all FUN!!

I’d love to see people commuting in a city on these things – imagine it people! The future is here. Bre did bring up a good point though…if people starting using these instead of walking/cycling to work then surely it’ll mean a lot less exercise and a therefore higher obesity rates!

After an hour of familiarising ourselves with the machines it’s time to turn the heat up a bit – ‘turtle’ mode is replaced by ‘rabbit’ mode and the fun really starts…these things move I tell you, all of a sudden were racing not riding. I could get to work so much quicker if I got one!

This is not a blatant sale for Segway – this is really a chance to say there’s a few places here in Queensland that offer the chance to trial out these machines by taking a tour with them. Their environmental footprint is close to nothing, they are virtually silent in operation and the mark they leave on sand is even less than my print from my foot.

If you’re here in Queensland then have a go at any of these places:

Tours Plus, The Whitsundays

Tangalooma Island Report, Moreton Island, Brisbane

Novotel Twin Waters Resort, Sunshine Coast

Couran Cove Resort, Gold Coast

Corporate Xperiences, Brisbane

The end result of this little experiment is that I now really want one, I also really want the people who can make the changes in positions of power to ride one of these to see quite how good they could be worldwide in reducing our reliance on the motor car, the direct use of fossil fuels, driving vehicles with one person in and even the long lines of traffic we see in cities far too often.

If, and it’s a big IF, rules and regulations change I’d love to ride one of these into the office in Brisbane!

End of day location: Hamilton Island after lapping Dent Island

Distance covered: 20kms on an electric Segway

Life on the ocean wave…

• Between the Devil and the Deep – in wooden ships, the “devil” was the longest seam of the ship. It ran from the bow to the stern. When at sea and the “devil” had to be caulked, the sailor sat in a bo’sun’s chair to do so. He was suspended between the “devil” and the sea the “deep” a very precarious position, especially when the ship was underway.
• Starboard – The Vikings called the side of their ship its board, and they placed the steering oar, the “star” on the right side of the ship, thus that side became known as the “star board.” It’s been that way ever since.
• Three Sheets to the Wind – We use the term “three sheets to the wind” to describe someone who has too much to drink. As such, they are often bedraggled with perhaps shirttails out, clothes a mess. The reference is to a sailing ship in disarray, that is with sheets (lines not “ropes” that adjust the angle at which a sail is set in relation to the wind ) flapping loosely in the breeze.
• Took the wind out of his sails – Often we use “took the wind out of his sails” to describe getting the best of an opponent in an argument. Originally it described a battle maneuver of sailing ships. One ship would pass close to its adversary and on its windward side. The ship and sails would block the wind from the second vessel, causing it to lose headway. Losing motion meant losing maneuverability and the ability to carry on a fight.

Location: Hamilton Island

Weather: Very light winds, blue skies and a few puffy clouds – lets go sailing!!

Mum and Dad were visiting me for the last few days of the Best Job in the World experience and I’d been harping on about sailing around the Whitsundays and how damn amazing it was when I did it back in August during Race Week here on the island.

So there was no better way to demonstrate exactly what I’d been going on about than to actually get them out onto the water to try it for themselves. Mum is known for being a little bit prone to seasickness so I prayed hard the night before for a calm ocean and sunshine…

Result! Perfect conditions for sailing – a mirror like ocean greeted me from the balcony of the Blue Pearl with ‘Simpsons’ clouds punctuating the otherwise infinite blue skyscape. I’m going to miss this view you know – it’s the biggest and best TV screen I’ve ever had and so much more rewarding than sitting in front of an actual television!

We’d caught the first Fantasea ferry of the day across the Whitsunday Passage and Vanessa from Whitsunday Rent a Yacht was there to whisk us the incredibly short 750 metres around to their offices and pontoon where we’d depart from. I’ve cruised into Shute Harbour on countless occasions and dreamily gazed across to the fleet of modern looking yachts with their telltale blue and red ensigns wondering exactly what goes on there…we were about to find out.

Having just a smidgeon of experience on the water before really didn’t fill me with the overwhelming confidence I’d need to take out one of the yachts for an overnight cruise. So we’d been given the option of having a skipper come out with us so we’d have a more relaxing time – this was just what we needed. Think about it – me in charge of a $750,000 boat really wasn’t the sort of responsibility I needed just yet.

Mike and Nancy would be our impeccable hosts for our ‘far-too-short’ trip – usually you’d need around a week to explore all of the hidden gems around the 74 islands of the Whitsundays but with Christmas just around the corner we only had an overnight trip. Well Mum and Dad were chuffed just to be onboard.

‘Chantilly’ – the pride of the fleet would be our home for the next day, she’s a pretty stunning looking catamaran from the outside and that’s before even climbing the stairs up her hull and into the luxurious cockpit living area.

Being a Beneteau she’s kitted out for a very comfortable lifestyle with an outside hospitality area right next to where the captain sits and behind the extensive glass windows is the smartest lounge area I’ve seen on a sailing boat. Why tip over on a mono-hull when you can cruise level on a catamaran?

Downstairs the smart theme continues and there’s space for my family and loads more, in fact ‘Chantilly’ has space for ten people to stay and each of the rooms even has an ensuite bathroom with shower and more than enough room to swing a cat too.

I’ve always wondered who would be cruel enough to actually swing a cat around just to size a room – bizarre words and phrases we use aren’t they!?

Back on deck its all about relaxing this time around, previously I’d been learning about sheets, grinding, knots etc but Mike has everything under control and can literally sail the yacht sat in his chair. The electric winches, jammers etc operated by the flick of a switch all within easy reach. Amazing.

From the moment we got on board I knew food wasn’t going to be a problem here; Nancy has been furiously working away in the kitchen with the vast array of gorgeously palatable food that Whitsunday Provisions have supplied for our mini-expedition and round after round of cheese, fruit, cakes and chocolate keeps appearing from nowhere. The time to diet is in the New Year – not now.

As we head across the Whitsunday Passage the wind starts to pick up just enough to fill the mainsail and after an hour or so of moving under motor the sound of the engine goes quiet and we’re finally cruising by perfectly natural means…that of the wind.

It totally transforms the experience and for the first time in a few weeks I grab my book and head to the foredeck to catch up on some vital reading. It’s times like these that have been few and far between over the last few months and with the backdrop of the Whitsundays on offer it really does feel like a holiday at last.

Mum and Dad are in their element too. Dad has taken the wheel for the past hour and under the watchful eye of Mike is carefully steering us into one of the many sheltered channels around Hook Island in time for lunch – another meal already.

We spend the afternoon cruising around the picturesque islands and decide, with the northerly winds, to head to Tongue Bay just short of Hill Inlet and Whitehaven Beach – ready for an early morning assault on the tourist destination. Our dinner under the stars is superb, the BBQ is fired up and we watch the glowing fiery orange ball drop behind the horizon as dinner is served. There is nowhere I’d rather be in the world right now…

Mum and dad haven’t had the pleasure of seeing the iconic sight of Whitehaven Beach from the viewing platform by Hill Inlet and so Mike drops us off in the rubber duck and we prepare to climb over the crest of the hill. Seeing the white silica sands from up high gives you an idea of why so many people walk this route every day – 350 on average.

With the morning disappearing fast we get back on board and start the final cruise around the southern tip of Whitsunday Island before turning north towards Hamilton Island and home. It also gives us a chance to see Blue Pearl just one more time from the water as we cruise by slowly, struggling to make headway against the strong tide which rips through Fitzalan Passage.

Mooring up in Hamilton Island marina we clamber onto the pontoon after a perfectly relaxing couple of days with Mike and Nancy; the perfect hosts onboard a perfect yacht….if I use any more ‘perfects’ I’ll turn into a cat. What I’m trying to say is I actually relaxed for once and loved it!

Next time around my sailing skills will be adequate enough to take one of these beauties out for myself – maybe not around the world but definitely around the Islands of the Whitsundays. Why not try it yourself?

End of day location: Hamilton Island
Distance covered: 107kms on the water

Merry Christmas to you all from Hamilton Island!

As the weather headlines from around the world hit the news with tales of floods, humungous snow storms, travel delays and Eurostar blockages I would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas from here on Hamilton Island as we bask in the glorious summer weather of Queensland! Goodness that almost sounded horribly smug didn’t it, sorry.

Santa has been already – in fact this year I helped him to deliver his presents but we left the reindeer at home as you can see from the photo below:

After what has been a truly amazing 2009 working in the Islands of the Great Barrier Reef as the Island Caretaker, next year looks to be equally as exciting and challenging as I promote this great state around the world and also try and get further under the skin of Queensland.

The ISLANDREEFJOB.COM website will continue to be updated to cover these travels so stay tuned in!

Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year from Ben, Bre and my Mum & Dad

Hamilton Island – what to do on a day off!

Now that we’ve been on Hamilton island for a few months we’ve had a chance to do loads and loads of the incredibly good fun things on offer. You have to have a sense of fun, adventure and love adrenaline to take full advantage of everything and here are just a few of our favourites:

Target Sports - Wanna feel like Dirty Harry? Fancy shooting Magnum PI’s gun? Well this is the place to come and do it! Bre and I headed to the far south side of Hamilton Island to enjoy one of the louder and more exhilarating activities. First thing ear defenders – there’s no way with two rifles and eight pistols going off I’m going to have my eardrums blown out and these things are damn loud!

Mark sets up the first target and it whizzes out to the far side of the shooting range ready to take some bullets, we load up the Ruger rifle and take aim…bang, bang, bang x 10 until the magazine is spent and, hopefully, the target looks like a colander. Once the target has been brought back it’s Bre’s turn – how will she fair against me…the pressure is on!

There are a range of weapons to fire here; Ruger pistols and rifles, a Glock, the Magnum  357 and the Big Boy…the Magnum 44!

A cracking morning doing something I never thought I’d do and actually ended up enjoying…oh and I beat Bre!

Quad Bike rally – When my friend Josh arrived on the island a few weeks ago we had to try and find something really exciting and interesting for him to do, I only met him a year ago for a few days at the Comrades Ultra Marathon in South Africa but from the moment we met we hit it off. He’s got a get up and go attitude that I like and so we thought we’d all head out and tear up the dusty back roads of the island….or should I say carefully investigate the other side of Hamo.

Jet boat ride – Every so often when I’m sat out on the balcony working away the sound of a roaring engine comes round the corner followed by a series of WAHOO’s and screams. Hamilton Island Watersports have one of the most awesome boats in the marina…a bright red jet boat! It leaves the calm waters of the harbour and races out into the Whitsunday Passage in the skilled hands of Mark, as he raises his right hands it’s time for the spins to start and the fun to begin. It’s bumpy, it’s exhilarating and it’s brilliant!

Koala Gallery – I’ve been down to this little zoo a few times now and never get bored of it at all, this morning I headed down to meet Barbie Defoe and her family (my Island Caretaker helper who’s been out in Australia for a few weeks now enjoying the delights of Queensland). ‘Breakfast with the Koalas’ is literally just that, whilst we sat and chatted about our adventures the happy Koalas (including my old friend Waldo) munched away on their favourite eucalyptus leaves preparing for the photo session they were about to be subjected to. The kids love them and to be honest so do I – Koalas are such an iconic part of Australian culture!

Go Karts - If you think that the Quads aren’t good enough and you need some closer wheel to wheel racing then drop into the Go-kart track for some superb tarmac action. Bre and I love a bit of competition and what better place to test each others’s mettle than with these single-engined little rocket-powered rollerskates. We’d spent the day filming with Beyond TV and ended it off with a quick head to head around the track…except that I’d been set up well and truly with the slowest accelerating car in the garage. Bre took the title.

Of course time back on the island, in between the trips up and down the reef, is also time to catch up on the blog and do the usual household chores….like doing the washing:

Back to backpacking…

Lets find some different Aussisms for you then:

• Muddie – A Queensland mud crab, also known as a mangrove crab and considered a culinary delicacy
• Earbash – To talk endlessly or boringly
• Have death adders in the pocket – A reason why someone is miserly with their money: it may be offered as an explanation or excuse

Location: Abel Point Marina, Airlie Beach, Queensland.

Weather: Blustery winds but sunshine as ever, 29c

“Don’t expect much” people had been telling me for ages about South Molle Island, or Koala Adventure Island as it has now been re-branded, “It’ll be an experience” they said…hmmm I want to go and see this one for myself I thought, could be interesting!

We’d just arrived at Abel Point marina on Descarada after a night away and on the way up the pontoon spotted the catamaran ‘Pride of Airlie’ from Adventure Island which would very soon be taking us across for some fun times with the backpackers – something I haven’t really done since arriving here in the Whitsundays and they make up a huge percentage of the market.

The crew welcomed us as we climbed onboard, ran through the safety briefing and most importantly made sure all of the alcohol was chilling in the Eskys at the back of the boat – this was going to be a drinking holiday I could tell! As we left the harbour I chatted to a few of my fellow passengers who were from far and wide across the planet; a couple of Brits, some Italian girls and a couple from Spain – this was going to be an international affair.

Our short sail across the Molle Channel brought us to the long jetty in the centre of bay onto which the resort looks. It’s a stunning location with a long sandy beach forming a half crescent lined by palm trees and the accommodation block peeks out from behind. The perfectly mowed grassy area hides on of the holes of the golf course – now that’s something I wasn’t expecting to find here.

We bump into some other people on the way to reception who stop and have a quick chat with us…I’d forgotten quite how friendly this scene is actually and arriving at reception the friendly Maria is there to issue our room keys, give us a quick run down of the resort and issue us with the standard Wednesday night uniform – coloured plastic bags, from which we have to make our clothes for tonight’s fun and games!

The room is all you need as a backpacker – no frills, just a simple room with bed, wardrobe, TV and bathroom. It won’t win any awards for ‘Luxury Accommodation’ but then again it’s not trying to – the room serves a purpose very well, to provide the backpacker travelling on a tight budget with somewhere to rest their head after they’ve had a chaotic night out with their friends.

Bre and I wander out to explore and find out about what’s on offer here and arrive at the most impressive freshwater pool I’ve been to for a long while…a full 25m swimming pool surrounded by sun loungers, tables and chairs, perfect for soaking up the suns rays.

Adventure Island has some of the best walking tracks in the Whitsundays and as part of my attempted recovery in time for the Hamilton Island triathlon, I decide to head out to discover why. Crossing the golf course and practice green the path climbs up through the canopy of the forest and out along the headland giving stunning views across the island and beyond towards Hamilton Island in the distance.

We pass a famous old quarry from which local Aborigines made spearheads many years ago, some of which have been found hundreds of kilometres away. There are a number of tracks that wind their way along the island all well kept and exhilarating to finish.

Back at the resort the preparations are underway for the evenings entertainment. Wednesday night means ‘Plastic Fantastic’ and Bre (in her usual superb manner) sets about creating our costumes which, we hope, will wow the other backpackers….so what do you think, pretty good huh?

We sit down for dinner with the owner of the island, Craig, a brilliant, interesting man who’s been here for a few years and has recently decided to rename and revamp the island to make it appeal directly to the backpacking markets – and it works very well; there’s an exciting way to get across from the mainland, a great atmosphere on arrival and cheap, comfortable accommodation. If I’d have found this last year whilst travelling around Africa then I’d still be there I think!

As the evening progresses more people arrive all dressed up in fancy dress and the night takes on a party atmosphere – there’s games going off on the dance floor, banging tunes and plenty of shot being drunk at the bar! Bre even manages to win one of the competitions to pick up a box with her teeth from the floor – three nights free accommodation, not bad at all!

I head back to the room leaving Bre to dance the night away as only she can, her boundless energy perfect to motivate the other party-goers there. The need to do work overpowers my desire to stay and attempt to dance…I skulk off before anyone notices.

The dawn of the new day signals another attempt at golf for me, Adventure island has a superb nine-hole golf course which is immaculately looked after and together with Craig and Ben head to the first for some fun…nearly 90 minutes later we’ve finished digging our way around the course and arrive back at the most important one here – the tenth, or the watering hole as it’s more favourably known.

As the morning plods on I decide to sit by the pool and catch up on some work, the blog needs some serious attention and there’s a breakfast menu to try our too. Nothing too sophisticated just good old fashioned hearty grub – a bacon and egg muffin.

Ben the General Manager explains to me that a few months prior to our visit Coca Cola actually used the bay and the resort as the location for their latest Summer Advert as its such a picturesque place…have a look at the clip below to see why:

The hours fly by as I go between work and the cooling waters of the pool and before I know it its time to pack my things up and head back to Hamilton Island minus one important thing – Bre. She had so much during the previous evening that she decides to stay one more night to dress up, dance a bit and have some fun!

As I head down the jetty to catch the boat I realise that I miss the world of backpacking – the care free lifestyle, never knowing what the day of the week is, socialising until the sun comes up and having the best of times…Koala Adventure Island encapsulates this state of mind, bottles it and lets other people from around the planet taste it. Well done to all involved for location which serves its purpose perfectly. Oh I wish I was there for the full moon party later in the month!

End of day location: South Molle Island

Distance travelled: 20kms

Out on the water again…kayaks then cruising

Location: Long Island, Whitsundays
Weather: Sunrises, sunsets and sunshine

We made it back to the mainland for what would be Jon’s last morning before departing back to the UK but I had one more fun activity for us to do before he finally left. Kayaking.

Salty Dog Sea Kayaking operate out of Shute Harbour and with their fleet of brightly coloured sea kayaks they run trips around the Whitsundays from half to a few days on the water. Today we’d only be having a brief taster of what was on offer – perfect for Jon to go home raving about but just another teaser for me as I mentally prepare for my own kayaking expedition sometime next year.

Once we’ve had our PFD’s (Personal Flotation Device), paddles and dry bags issued we slide our sleek machines down and into the clam, blue waters of Shute harbour. My image of a harbour in the UK is one where there’s boats moving in and out the entire time on grey/brown water – this is very different, there’s fringing reef (coral reef that’s all around the Whitsundays) almost as soon as we leave the slipway, clear blue waters with the occasional turtle popping its head out of the water and beautiful islands dotting the horizon!

Our trip takes us out into the Whitsunday Passage with the destination being White Rock (after trying to find White Rock on Google Maps it appears that the photo which was taken actually has another group of kayakers there already!) a few kilometres to the southeast, the smooth waters making it easy progress for our group of novice kayakers, all of who seem to be having a great time. As we put the final few paddles in the sound of our hulls on the coral strewn beach signals our arrival, we clamber out of the kayaks and make our way up the beach for some shelter from the baking sunshine.

It’s a great perspective on the islands travelling like this – moving along the shoreline closely and slowly which allows you to hear, smell and see everything up close in comparison to sailing or cruising past. The stable kayaks perform well in the hands of the beginners even when the waves start to get up as we join the windward side of the islands.

A morning session can fly by and before we know it we have to head back to the HQ at Shute Harbour, leave our kayaks behind and walk to the ferry. Jon’s part in my great adventure is over for now and we bid a sad farewell as he gets on the ferry back to Hamilton Island where he’ll catch a plane later today.

End of kayak location: Shute Harbour
Distance travelled: 10kms by kayak

…AND LATER THAT DAY…

Location: Abel Point Marina, Airlie Beach
Weather: Sunshine but the winds increasing! 28ºc

After a quick bit of shopping and my three-monthly haircut in Airlie Beach Bre and I raced down to Abel Point Marina (where we seem to have been a thousand times in the last few weeks) and prepared to board a very different type of vessel for a night away on the water.

Forget backpacking, forget 2* accommodation, forget bunk beds and hammocks – this is THE way to travel when on the ocean – The Descarada is a 70ft motor yacht spread across three levels of luxury living, there’s jetskis and kayaks strapped to the upper deck, a massively comfy double bedroom to stay in and staff who make you feel very at home from the moment you walk down the pontoon!

The Descarada was originally designed to cruise around the world by a very rich man who never ended up doing it – why would you build something like this then back out, very bizarre. As a result she has huge 14,000 litre fuel tanks which would have enabled her to travel from Australia to Canada without refuelling – can you imagine doing that journey, what fun!

After a quick RIB ride out of the marina to meet the Descarada Ken, Adrian and Heidi gave us a quick tour of the boat, everything’s so smartly trimmed and luxurious from the teak-look decking to the plush thick carpets which makes you feel like your riding a Rolls-Royce of the ocean.

DescaradA-Boat-Levels

The standard trip onboard goes wherever the client wishes throughout the Whitsundays and usually happens over either two or three days but we’ll only have a night to enjoy the pleasure it offers. Ken powered up the two 150hp engines and set a course due east towards Hook Island and as the sun went down Bre and I headed to the fly bridge to watch the it drop below the horizon feasting on the nibbles we’d been brought to enjoy.

What’s on offer here is a sedate, relaxing type of cruise which allows you to unwind, take in the natural beauty of the area and kick back – book reading, blog writing and sunbathing are the order of the day. However if you want something a little more energising then the kayaks can up the pace, or for the next step up there’s the jetskiis.

Heidi cooks up a storm in the kitchen sending smells through the lower reaches of the boat which entices us up from our room in time for dinner. On the menu tonight are nothing less than huge green-lipped New Zealand mussels in a white wine sauce, rib-eye fillet steak and to finish up crunchy-topped crème brulee! Again I have over eaten…

The wide screen TV provides Bre with the entertainment she’ll need for the night as ‘Blood Diamond’ becomes the focus of her attention as I battle with the latest script for the blog trying to summarise the last few day’s entertainment. As the credits roll so are my eyes in a battle to stay awake so we trudge downstairs to our perfect little room and bed.

Sunrise is just after 5am and as the first light penetrates the porthole I clamber down the ladder and out onto deck. This is the perfect start to the day, Ken the skipper silently cruised us into a sheltered inlet off Hook Island last night and dropped anchor and there’s a beautifully picturesque start to the day.
Breakfast is served on the rear deck consisting of a full fruit platter and Eggs Benedict. Our morning is to be horribly short as its time to head back to the mainland ready to head off on the next chapter of the Best Job adventure – can’t we please stay just another day here onboard?!

As we slowly cruise into Abel Point marina the end we say our goodbyes to the crew and once Ken has expertly guided the Descarada into its berth we make our way up the pontoon…the end of another luxurious experience.

End of day location: Abel Point Marina, Airlie Beach
Distance covered: 65kms through the Whitsundays

Busy times on Long Island…

Interesting Aussisms for the day:

• Woolloomooloo uppercut - A kick in the testicles!
• Esky – That essential of Australian accessories for food, bait or/and drink. Number One on the Australian male’s Christmas List. A portable cooler with insulated walls to keep things cold.
• Bundy - Bundaberg Rum. Bundaberg is the name of the brand and the Queensland city in which it is made. 95% of the rum is drunk in Australia…unsurprisingly!

Let’s also introduce you to some famous Australians:

• Rolf Harris – (entertainer) whose entertainment appeal has spanned a number of decades and whose art programs has been one of the most popular and influential art programs ever produced by the BBC. Responsible for classics such as ‘Jake the Peg‘ and ‘Tie me Kangaroo down sport‘. Rolf is an artistic genius – singer, songwriter, painter, animal saviour, inventor of instruments, tv presenter, comedian, is there no end to his talents! Legend
• Richie Benaud – (Cricketer/presenter) was a world class all-round cricketer during the late 1950’s and early 60’s. Sri Lankan cricket writer Harold de Andrado wrote: “Richie Benaud possibly next to Sir Don Bradman has been one of the greatest cricketing personalities as, player, researcher, writer, critic, author, organiser, adviser and student of the game.” He continues to commentate on the game today and I love his voice!
• Dame Edna Everage – (Comedian/Comedienne) Barry Humphries incredibly funny character dressed in drag. While Humphries freely states that Dame Edna is a character he plays, Dame Edna consistently denies being a fictional character or drag performer, and refers to Humphries as her “entrepreneur” or manager. Indeed, Dame Edna has frequently said that the thought of a man dressing up as a woman for entertainment purposes is repulsive.

Location: Hamilton Island

Weather: The rain appears to have disappeared and the good stuff is here to stay! Sunshine and no wind, 31ºc

Long Island is exactly that. At around 9kms in length it sits on the opposite side of the Whitsunday Passage to Hamilton Island lying from north to south looking rather like the Loch Ness monster as its height above the water rises and drops in a series of humps.

The islands of the Whitsundays bear an uncanny resemblance to the islands around Canada with dark green pine trees extending down to the crystal clear blue waters of the ocean – except everything here is probably about 30ºc warmer at this time of year!

I’ve had a few trips across to this island now previously staying at Peppers Palm Bay and Paradise Bay Eco-Resort and each of them have provided me with a new, different and fresh experience on what the Whitsundays offer.

‘The Best Value in the Whitsundays’ is what the slogan claims for the Long Island Resort; it’s a statement which filled me with a little bit of fear as it could be read as ‘A cheap holiday destination’ but from the moment Jon (my friend from the UK whose visiting for a few days) and I arrived at the jetty and made our way to the resort we knew it was going to be massively better than that!

The big map on the wall in the reception area proudly displays the islands of the Whitsundays with little pics of things to do including the Cruise Whitsundays tour out to the reef onboard Seaflight which we’ll be heading out on very soon.

Over the last day I’ve been shadowed by the film crew from Sanlih E-TV from Taiwan and together we’ve done loads of activities to give them exciting footage for their show which goes to air sometime in January – first stop a quick bushwalk around the island – the best way to explore any new location I get to.

Now I’m not in the best of condition to be heading out on a walk at the moment, with the Hamilton Island Triathlon in a few days time I should be feeling at the top of my game but a freak waterskiing accident which saw me doing the splits and as a result straining the hamstrings in my right leg has meant that preparation has been less than ideal. A walk through the bush was the first test I’d given it…

Climbing the circular track to the east of the resort took us into the humid canopy of the trees and once we’d sweated it out for half an hour arrived at one of the lookouts on the route giving us a clear view across the Whitsunday Passage to Pentecost Island in the distance. This was the only island in the Whitsunday group that Captain Cook named as he passed through here in 1770 as he’d arrived here during the religious festival so named.

How the cameraman and soundman managed to haul all of their kit around the track I have no idea but at various points on the walk they rushed past us to film the next scene for the program!

An hour later we’d completed the course and the views back across Happy Bay to the Long Island Resort were classic and spectacular. We’d had a great time plodding the tracks of the island – my leg felt slightly better and the film crew all got a good work out

The schedule for the afternoon is jam-packed and as soon as we’d got back to the resort it was straight off again for a quick blast around the Whitsundays with a scenic helicopter ride, Jon and I boarded and waved goodbye to the Taiwanese crew temporarily as we soared above the gorgeous blue water snapping away like new tourists to the area.

This has to be the best perspective of the area, seeing the islands far off in the distance makes you realise the sheer size of the Whitsundays…let alone the Great Barrier Reef…let alone the eastern seaboard of Australia!

All too quickly we were swopping back in for the final approach to the helipad but it did allow me to get a great photo of the resort from the air:

Next on the agenda – feeding some of the local wildlife. It’s maybe not the best thing to do morally, artificially providing food for creatures above and below the water but it drags in the tourists and provides an afternoon’s entertainment. We started off at the end of the jetty with the resident Bat fish who were more than happy to slurp away at the bread we’d brought down for them. Once the amusement here was over it was a quick dash back to the resort to collect some apple smoothie (the favourite of the next of our receipients) to feed to the Purple Crowned Lorikeets. These little things make more noise than any other bird on the island with a constant squarking.

As the afternoon drew on it was time to bid farewell to our friends from Taiwan and time for Jon and I to sample the delights of the buffet here, there’s a plethora of choice including meats, fish, pastas and vegetables – another delightful excuse to loosen my belt and squeeze in another huge meal.

Long Island Resort work hand in hand with other companies around the Whitsundays to provide good value, fun filled holidays for people who don’t want to or need to spend a fortune on having a good time. They’ve got a great relationship with other tourism service providers in the area including Cruise Whitsundays who operate a tour and ferry service around the islands. Jon and I headed out on one of their larger vessels, Seaflight, to visit the Great Barrier Reef.

An early race down the jetty in order to get to the waiting boat was the start of our day, we just about made the connecting boat which would take us across to Daydream Island where we’d catch our ride out to the reef. I’ve been on a very similar trip to this before with Fantasea, both companies offering an introductory day’s adventure out on the Great Barrier Reef for young and old alike.

The Seaflight came powering around the headland from Abel Point Marina and we jumped onboard the impressive looking catamaran along with several other excited travellers. The weather conditions were perfect with virtually no breeze, waves or swell – shame, Bre would have loved this trip with no chance of sea sickness here.

As we left the inshore waters of the Whitsundays the staff on board set about their work making the passengers feel at home and briefing us all on what exactly we’d expect to find a couple of hours later when we arrived at the Knuckle Reef Pontoon.

The vessel itself is fully catered specifically for this trip, it’s large and comfy, has staff which provide a constant supply of food and drink, and really moves. Our destination being Knuckle Reef which lies around 90kms from the mainland and slightly further north-east than both Bait and Black reef’s which we’d been diving on with Islandive the week before.

The massively exciting thing about visiting the reef is that every trip seems to throw up something new with different locations on every trip so far giving an ever changing experience and that’s before you take into account the different tides, currents, weather conditions which all effect what you get under the water.

In just over two hours we cover the distance to the reef and arrive at the pontoon where there’s a hive of activity already happening; a helicopter is just landing, the semi-submersible is moving around and the reef-rats (the name given to the people who stay onboard the pontoon once the customers have gone home) are milling about ready for the onslaught of nearly 200 people!

As we’re both certified divers who love the water having the chance to dive here is quickly snapped up. We’re to be in the first group of the day and as soon as the boat touches the pontoon are chomping at the bit to get our equipment ready.

We make our way to the kitting-up area, grab what we need and start putting everything on, there seems to be a sense of urgency here and we’re very quickly ushered down the steps to the platform where we’ll dive from  – there’s not even enough time for a buddy check and when I get down to the platform and as I prepare to check Jon’s equipment over one of the instructors tells me “there’s no need for you to do a buddy-check, we’ve already done that!” – I’m sorry but as someone who has lost a best friend to diving I’m not going to suddenly drop my safety procedures for anyone and find two things badly adjusted anyway; a strap not done up and my second regulator is caught up in my belly strap. It’s exactly the reason a buddy-check is needed!

With that little problem out of the way it’s back to the diving and with almost perfect conditions above the water I’m optimistic that it’ll be reflected below but with big tidal movements this week the bottom has been stirred up and the resulting visibility isn’t amazing…well it’s good, just not amazing!

Being in a group of four divers allows us all a chance to swim about and take everything in about this brilliant underwater world – the corals look really good here with lots of colour and variety but as with other pontoons in the area the sheer level of traffic passing through means that unfortunately slight damage has occurred to some of the hard corals and a few broken pieces litter the ocean floor.

Being a shallow water dive with very low stress levels and no camera for once means that I’m able to concentrate on having a good time and I love cruising about the bottom, hovering over fish and corals adjusting my buoyancy by inhaling and exhaling alone.

All too quickly our dive master is hurrying us along, it’s obviously taking too long this dive when there’s other people on the surface who are waiting for their chance to get underwater. It’s a shame as I really was enjoying myself and had 100bar of air in the tank. It just felt as though I was one of many in the production line that is diving at the pontoon and I just hope it’s not at the expense of safety. Sorry to have to say that!

Back on the dry land of the pontoon there’s loads to do. The end of term signals ‘Schoolie week’ meaning there’s 16 year old running about everywhere – snorkelling, swimming, diving and using the huge water slide into the ocean but it never feels crowded on the pontoon with plenty of space to relax and enjoy the day.

You’d think there’s a dedicated chef on board as lunch is superb and I cram down fresh prawns, home cooked ham and salads from the buffet out on the sun deck and then get the nod that I’ll be heading up in a helicopter for a flight over the reef in a few minutes – awesome x 10! It really give you a totally different perspective of the reef and the sheer size and vast array of blue colours only become apparent up there.

An entertaining afternoon draws to an end four hours after we arrived out here at the pontoon, the engines are fired up and the PA system announces that we’ll be off very soon. The families I’ve spoken to all seem to have had a great time as have the Schoolies who seem slightly sunburnt and tired but happy to have spent all day in and out of the water. One more photo is needed of course – the one with all the kids on board!

The trip back to the Whitsundays doesn’t seem to take nearly as long as the journey out probably as the staff are chatting to everyone about their day’s experiences and showing off the slide-show which has been shot throughout the day. It’s always the highlight seeing quite how stupid you look underwater!

The atmosphere back at the resort was building to say the least, more Schoolies have arrived and there’s beach volleyball, boules, and other games going on – the place is alive with people! Long Island resort has this sort of atmosphere the whole time though, people are here for exactly that – some fun and good times.

Happy hour seems to continually run throughout the afternoon from 2-3pm, 4.30-5.30pm and again from 7-8pm…that’s more than a happy hour isn’t it! To finish off our experience and night there the karaoke machine is rolled out but with my distinct lack of vocal ability it’s something I steer well clear off – there’s no point in insulting the locals is there.

Long Island has three places to stay, each offering a very different experience with the Long Island Resort catering for the holiday-maker looking for a great value means of enjoying activities in a sandy bay on a tropical island. The accommodation sits right on the beach, exactly where you want to be, the food is great and comes in a continual buffet-stream with only yourself to regulate it and the experience feels good.

End of day location: Long Island resort, Long Island

Distance covered: 20kms on Fantasea, 200kms on Cruise Whitsundays