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Hello people!
Once again - it's been a while.
Last time you heard from me I was just leaving from cairns to head down to Airlie Beach I believe... Here's what happened.
After battling through the terrible 12 hour night time coach journey on Sunday night I eventually wound up in an incredibly rainy Airlie Beach, ready for my whitsundays adventure. Having arrived around 11am I was due to depart on the boat at 12 so I legged it to the boat office to check in. After at least an hour of waiting I was told that due to the fact that 4/21 people turned up... The boat was cancelled. So, fortunately for me... I got moved onto a boat called 'Spank Me' the following day. Great move!
That afternoon consisted of me aimlessly walking around town and being told by every hostel that they were full... So, the answer? Facebook.
Facebook being the saviour for everything resulted in me catching up with Fred and Phil from Fraser Island. They told me they were stuck, in Airlie, with nowhere to stay and a trip on Spank Me lined up for tomorrow. The next step involved us all chipping in and sharing a three bedroom motel room which was awesome and the same price of a hostel! Our own bathroom and kitchen was insane! Spent the rest of the day eating a subway, watching rugby and sleeping and come 6pm or so our room got invaded by a large portion of scandinavian girls. The motel room quickly turned into a mansion of drinking and the night eventually wound into a pretty good fun night! Fred definitely won on the drinks with 5 shots of tequila followed by three Russian Cocaine shots... Coffee, vodka, sugar and a lime... Yum.
Throughout the night I learnt that yet again more people I knew were on my boat. Carol and Clodaugh, two Irish girls from Noosa, made an appearance as did Beth, Rachel, Jamie, John, John and Noah from Fraser and my last few weeks of travelling! Happy days.
So... The next morrow. After spending a healthy sum on 2 nights worth of beer and goon we made the hike across to the Marina and jumped onto our 85ft Maxi yacht. I was a little bit hesitant about what 2 days of hardcore sailing in 30+kts of wind could do to me but I loved every second of it.
The first stop for us on the Whitsundays after our 4 hour crossing in high winds (so soaked) was a little creek. We anchored and I jumped straight in and immediately regretted my move! So, out I got, warm I got and beer I drank. Had a great first night with passed out Germans nearly falling into the rolling waves on several occasions!! Slightly surprised they allow unlimited alcohol in those conditions on a boat like that with no where safe to sit and drink!
Woke up the next morning after a wobbly sleep and headed to Whitehaven Beach. This is where you guys take part in my travel. GOOGLE IT. Voted the 2nd most awesome beach or something in the world it certainly lived up to that! Insane! Myself, fred, phil and Matt all headed to the beach first and went for a walk with gigantic sting-rays and little reef sharks! Crazy! The lookout then provided an amazing view of the beach and Whitsundays in general! We were advised by Neil, the captain, not to swim due to the large amount of Bull Sharks!! Ha!!
Next we moved across the sea towards Turtle Bay and had a great little snorkel before finally winding up at our last spot for that day. I got talking to the diving instructor/deckhand on the boat, a guy called Matt who went to Plymouth uni! I want his job!
Him, myself and Philip decided to go for a dive, off the beach (new experience) which was as good as the Cairns one I did previously! Within minuets we were surrounded by Bat Fish and Parrot fish with a giant Mauri Rass called Elvis and a turtle all getting involved. That dive over we had another great night getting drunk on the sea before waking up at 6am for our early morning dive, to 16m, at a new spot! Even better! Within 5 minuets of waking up I was breathing through my regulator and inflating my BCD. Win!
So I can now clarify that I am insanely in love with Diving and am seriously considering taking my PADI course further and doing something like Matt does on Spank Me for a while! Awesome.
On the way back it was really our turn to get stuck into the Sailing. The wind was peaking at about 35kts so myself and Philip, being the two biggest had to use the 'coffee grinder' to wind the sail up the mast! I've honestly never done anything thats been such hard work! Pumping your arms for about 3 minuets at full throttle killed me! We then sat back into our weight seats to keep the boat from capsizing and got smacked by the massive rolling waves! All the girls were screaming and thinking they were dying, whilst Germans and Canadians went pale with sea sickness, myself and the other guys loved it and made the most of it!
When it came to bringing the sail in, i had to help on the front one and got thrown around a lot, at the front of the boat, lifting it over the side!
After having made it back to dry land I had the best shower of my life, awesome McDonalds and another sleep before out after-party last night.
Spent the whole of today travelling to Cairns, again, where I am now.
Anyway.
Hope you're all well!
xxxx
- comments
Mum You are living a life most people can only dream of!!! Good for you!!!! Finally able to post a comment, laptop got rained on and ruined and many comments sent from iphone wouldn't stick to your blog... So happy for you and love reading your adventures. Can't wait to see you soon!!!!! All my love xxxxxxx
Mum Just Googled 'Whitehaven Beach'... absolutely amazing... awesome :-) ha! X
Mum Just Googled 'Whitehaven Beach'... absolutely amazing... awesome :-) ha! X
Bob Somehow it's lost on me that at the 2nd top-rated beach in the world you shouldn't swim due to sharks? How do they make up for that, in the rankings?
Tom Yeah thats a very good point Bob!! Think it's judged by the national geographic or something, based on appearance... Who knows! It's awesome though!
Dad That trip to the Whitsundays sounded really great and Whitehaven Beach looks beautiful. Just to keep your education going...its spelt minutes not minuets and the big sail at the front is the genoa or foresail! Have fun x
Grandma What an amazing time you are having Tom. We just love reading your blogs. Have a good journey to New Zealand and enjoy it. When you get to LA you will want to sleep for a week !! Lots of love xxx