Bundaberg

 

 

 

Raglan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Whipcracking

Line dancing

Airlie Beach

 

 

 

Whitsunday Islands

The Camira was an impressive 85 feet catamaran fitting 60 people and seemingly unlimited amounts of food and drink. As we set off on our sail, our first activity was a snorkelling session in the clear waters of the sparkling Coral Sea. We had to wear stinger suits as it was jellyfish season, and although I fortunately didn’t spot any of these stinging creatures, I did see an abundance of beautiful sea life below us.

We boarded the catamaran once more and it sped us past Daydream, Hamilton and Hook islands en route to the largest of the 74 islands, Whitsunday Island itself, which boasts the incredible Whitehaven Beach (with seven kilometres of dazzling white sand, it is regularly voted Australia’s best beach). Here we hiked to the lookout over the breathtaking Hill Inlet with stunning views of the azure waters below.

Click here to view my 360° tour of Whitehaven Beach from the Hill Inlet lookout.

We also learnt the Aboriginal story of the Whitsunday Islands, explaining the Ngaro people’s (who inhabited the area originally) view as to why the islands exist. Long ago, in the time of the Dreamtime, there were no islands, only the vast blue of the sea. Then one day, the Rainbow Serpent passed through the water, laying her eggs as she went. These eggs were the first observers of the rising sun and the setting moon and they remain in place today, now more commonly known as the Whitsunday Islands.

We then left our footprints in the sand of the famous Whitehaven Beach and went for a swim, where we witnessed stingrays and baby sharks gliding alongside us.

Back on the boat, we had a bottomless BBQ lunch and made the rocky return journey to the Port of Airlie. Once in Airlie, we ventured out for dinner and drinks, determined not to be beaten by the heat and played some beer pong whilst listening to the bar’s live music.

 

 

 

Cairns

We arrived at our accommodation, the infamous Gilligans Party Hostel in Cairns, that would be home for our final three nights in Queensland.

We went out for dinner and many of us opted to try kangaroo (interestingly there are three million more kangaroos than people in Australia). It’s supposed to be one of the leanest and healthiest meats, but I found it very chewy.

The next day we were boarding a boat on the Great Barrier Reef; the only living organism that one can see from space. We snorkelled and I was also really excited to try my first ever introductory scuba dive.

I saw clown fish, parrot fish, stingrays and a blacktip reef shark, amongst other fascinating sea life.

I also saw a green sea turtle when in a glass-bottomed boat, a beautiful, large and gentle-looking creature. Then on our second snorkel trip we saw a barracuda!

The opportunity to visit the Great Barrier Reef was obviously amazing, but it’s plain to see that it is not what it once was. Human intervention and rising water temperatures caused by climate change are bleaching the coral and damaging large parts of the reef. Small ways we can try and help this cause and be responsible tourists include never touching the coral as this can cause irreversible damage, and leaving only bubbles and taking only pictures when in the ocean. This wikiHow article is really interesting in explaining ways in which we can protect coral reefs.

The reef next to the Great Barrier Reef is called the Arlington Reef and I was intrigued to hear an interesting use of my surname! A quick swim in the hostel’s pool ended a thrilling and sun-filled day spent in one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World.