Yachting Life

Another tough day on the water.

Tongue Bay

First Mate swabbing the deck

A yachting no no!
With tidal changes of 3 to 3.5 metres and shallow submurged reefs anchoring properly takes special care.  The high and dry is not the way to spend your holiday. These guys spent several days ON White haven Beach.

The stunning White haven Beach.

eccentric? The Nude Sailor. He gave us a big smile and wave as we passed by.

Magical Miles

The stunning Pentecost Island (the only island of the Whitsundays that James Cook named himself). Lindermen Island off to the left.

The  Phantom (Shaw Island) is a batman shaped tunnel through a rock.

Island swing

Fellow Yachty with South Mole Island in back

 Vista out of Sawmill Beach -Whitsunday Island

Dugong Beach (Whitsunday Island)

The Alchemist- moored for the night (Whitsunday Island)

Sailor M @ the helm

Magical Miles

So the story goes that Lieutenant James Cook sailed along side the Whitsunday's shortly after Easter  which is know as White Sunday.  Add a bit of a Shakespearean accent to the word white  and you get the name The Whitsundays. The 90 plus islands off of Australia's North East coast lie just between the mainland and the Great Barrier reef.  Lush, green forests against emerald ,water and panoramic views of  the horizon makes for spectacular sea cruising. Snorkeling is priceless with a kaleidoscope of coloured  corals. Add tropical temperatures and you have a paradise.  Most of the islands are uninhabited and deemed National Park so a palm tree fringed secluded paradise is on the schedule.



The yachty learning curve for our crew was enormous as maps, navigation, knots, nautical miles, mooring, anchoring, sailing and understanding the complex gadgetry of a yacht was unfamiliar. On our final day, we confidently and proudly flew our sails as we voyaged back to Airle Beach on The Alchemist  feeling sure we earned titles of skippper, sailor, yachty, and first mate. No groundings, no dramas, a good suntan and a five star adventure with memories of some magical miles.

Whitsunday Yachties

This is the Alchemist. To yachty enthusiasts, it is the Seawind 1160.  It  is a sight to behold from outside and even more beautiful inside.. It has four bedrooms, two showers, two toilets, flat screen TV, GPS,  and heaps of other complicated gagetry (including Auto pilot,)
You don't have to be rich and famous to have a taste of the yachting lifestyle in Airlie Beach just a sense of adventure and a keen attitude to try something new. After a 4 hour  yacht breifing, and a short skipper lesson, we were set free for a full week to explore the magical Whitsunday Islands self skippering  our  38ft Seawind named The Alchemist.. .   No guts, no glory and we set sail.

First night out was spent at the stunning sawmill beach on the South end of Whitsunday Island.  

Sailing- Bowen

With a plan to sail the Whitsundays on a self skippered boat, we decided to belly on up to the bar at the local yacht club in Bowan with the intent of schmoozing our way on board a boat for a quick sailing lesson. It all went according to plan and we managed to divide and conquer.
 J and I crewed aboard The Endurance and M and C aboard the vessel, Tied Up.   The wind was howling as we set a sail. The crew, skipper, and owner, all cracked one stubby after another to wash down the salty air. After a few hours of jibing, tacking, and clamoring up the sides of the boat in between,The Endurance won the race.
When I mentioned to Paul, the owner, that I was unaware that we were racing, his comment was that  if there is another boat in the water, your racing:} Then he cracked open yet another stubby.

As for Bowen...it is a really nice place.

The Endurance.

Friendly Frog

Australia's Highest Falls

Who's Crabby?

Yasi's Voracious Appetite

When Yasi Came

On February 2, 2011, Northern Queensland was hit with a cyclone that was arguably the biggest and most destructive in 20 years. The center of the devastation was  Hull Head.  Today this seaside tropical town lined with holiday homes and palm trees is a grim reminder of the cyclone know as Yasi.  Like a deserted ghost town most houses in Hull head fashioned a For Sale sign out front. There is a eerie quietness here and , scaffolding, roofing materials and lumber piles attest to the ongoing repairs.  The palm trees here looked dazed and confused and plenty of branch pile around the place. Hull head was hit hard however not the solo victim of Yasi.  Dunk Island no longer supports tourism as there is no longer a resort.
If your looking for a cheap seaside holiday home...we know where you can purchase at a low.

Free fallin

.
Getting pumped for the jump. Behind me is Dave the expert skydive partner from Brissy.

Just out the door of the plane no doubt.

Once the chute was pulled the gentle drift downward was magic.

Safely and softly landing on the beach  both J and C were waiting under a palm tree waving.