Journey with Christina

Another “must do” on the east coast of Australia is to sail the opal-jade waters of the Whitsunday Islands. We chose a 2 day 2-night budget sailboat called the Mandrake that held 14 people plus 3 crew with a good reputation. Luckily three of the people we had done the Fraser Island Tour with were part of the 14 that joined us on the sail cruise. It was nice to know some familiar faces as it was tight quarters!

Our petite captain.

The joy of sailing through the Whitsunday’s is to take in the natural beauty of the area with the sun on your back, sea breeze whipping through your hair and the occasional sea spray to cool you down. What little did I know about sailing. Our first afternoon was bumpy, cold and wet. Those sea sprays I was longing for were bone chilling. The 14 of us sat hovering in the tiny space trying to keep warm. Two unfortunates stayed close to the edge where the couple got really close by spraying each other with regurgitated bodily fluids.

Rough seas with the beautiful Whitsunday Islands in the background.

Jon and I were assigned to top bunk beds directly on either side of a double bed shared by a married couple. To get into our beds we had to step on their bed, squeeze in, and then stare down at them sleeping. Jon could only stretch out one leg at a time as he was too tall for the bed. I did sleep like a baby through with the gentle rocking of the waves in the secluded coves the capital would seek out. However, the amazing food prepared by the crew more than made up for the 60 second shower and sleeping accommodations.

Our bunk beds.

The next day our visit to the famous Whitehaven beach was not much better. The beach is famous for its blinding white sand made up of 98% silica surrounded by tropical vegetation and a brilliant blue sea. The real draw is the ever-changing swirling pattern of the sand through turquoise and aquamarine waters. The pattern changes with the tide daily. Even the light drizzle and cold weather could not deter the magic of this place.

Whitehaven beach

We also had the opportunity to snorkel several times on the southern part of the Great Barrier Reef. The fish and the coral were vibrant and we met George, a giant fish the size of myself.

Snorkeling the southern great barrier reef.

Finally, the last day was what I had dreamed of. As we headed back to the mainland we had clear blue skies, a steady sea and plenty of sunshine.

Enjoying the beautiful day.

Our Whitsunday’s group.