The best way to see the Whitsunday islands we were told was to take a cruise...so we did! With hundreds of boats to choose from (with names such as "Spank Me!") we decided to take a "Tall Ship" that was more luxurious and spacious (we've learned that as price goes up, the backpacker 18 year olds don't tag along). With palmtrees swaying in the soft wind, endless white sand beaches and sunkissed moments on the old sailboat with a chilled glas of Chardonney in mind we booked the "Derwin Hunter". With a crew of four and with 16 passengers we were in for a ride on the highseas. The storm started as we left the harbour and we were shown to our cabin which we shared with a young couple from the UK. The cabin was all in all the size of a Silja Line toilet with two bunkbeds. No air, no space...definately no romance nor chilled wine in hand as the boat slung itself on the waves (creating more nausea than relax among the most of us). We saw one of the "Top 10" beaches in the world, Whithaven.
The moment we arrived we were in luck as the sun amazingly appeared for a brief yet appreciated visit. The beach was very nice, but I must expose the truth behind the beautiful beaches in Australia. There are some basic rules:
#1 don't go in the water (you'll either get zapped by one of the 600 species of stingers, caught by a hungry crocodile or mistaken for a lazy turtle by the sharks)
#2 if you dare venture in you have to wear "stinger suits" which remind you of a big stocking more than a wetsuit. They also restrict movement which in water is not necessarily what you want
#3 the tides and currents are deadly. Every week people are swept off into the sea from shallow water in the currents...mostly tourists as the locals think it's madness to swin in the ocean. #4 any beach worth visiting (ie. those pictured in travelbooks and on postcards that make you wish you were far away from that office-space) are in remote locations which require lots of time, money, effort and just pure good luck so you actually can get there.
This is why most people hang around artificially created lagoons in the middle of towns. Small water holes with lots of screaming kids...not your reading-in-the-sunshine-and-relaxing-at-the-beach kind of thing.
The three day sailing trip was an experience and we did enjoy it, even with the sleepless nights, bad food and chilling cold water that drenched us (rain & waves). But we did it and never were we happier to see land than when we steered into Airlie Beach and on the road again.
The three day sailing trip was an experience and we did enjoy it, even with the sleepless nights, bad food and chilling cold water that drenched us (rain & waves). But we did it and never were we happier to see land than when we steered into Airlie Beach and on the road again.
Henkka and I were congratulated for our Finnish preparation having our own raingear with us!
Whitehaven beach lookout point...
Whitehaven beach lookout point...
On the boat again...
The little hatch u see goes to our "cabin"...
Enjoying the few sunrays at Whitehaven (which is only accessible for 1-2 hrs per day due to tides!)
The famous white sands of Whitehaven...
Henkka as far as he would go into the water...moments later we saw a small tiger shark where he stands in the picture...
The great looking stingersuit...I did swim though!
The bushwalk on a random island where the boat took shelter next to for the night... next to it was another island that had the most poisonous death adders on it in the world...
No comments:
Post a Comment