The dreamy Whitsunday Islands

From Thursday, November 10th to Saturday, November 12th, we went on our sailing trip through the Whitsundays and what can I say: it was simply amazing!! The two days were so beautiful, we experienced so much, saw so much paradise, and met great people. It was an absolute highlight of our trip and I will never forget it!

The beginning of our tour didn't go smoothly because we were supposed to be at the meeting point at the harbor at 2:00 pm, and by 2:30 pm, no one was there yet. Andi and I were already so excited and didn't know what to do after checking out of the campsite at 10:00 am. We wanted to set off right away! So it was even more annoying that the crew was running late. Probably normal for Australian standards, but we paid a lot of money for it and we didn't want to be cheated out of an hour of precious time. Around 2:45 pm, someone finally arrived and checked our names off the list. Then we each had to pay $1 so that ice could be bought to cool our own alcohol in the coolers on the ship. I didn't really understand that either. With the price we paid, you would think there would be some money left for ice, right? But oh well, the one dollar didn't make much of a difference, we got the ice and walked to the ship with our luggage.

It was so exciting to see the ship for the first time and it felt amazing to step on board and know that we would be spending the next 2 days there. As we sailed out of the harbor and covered our first nautical miles on the sea, the 4-member crew introduced themselves, there was a safety briefing, and our beds were assigned to us. The cabins below deck were surprisingly spacious and really cozy. Andi and I even got a double bed and we couldn't complain. While we were bringing our stuff below deck, I also had my first encounter with seasickness. We were speeding across the sea and it was quite shaky. When you're in a closed room, it really makes you feel sick. It wasn't bad, but it was uncomfortable. It happened a few more times in the two days (which I really didn't expect!), but only when we were sailing and thank God not when I was lying in bed. The rocking motion in bed was actually quite pleasant :D

It actually took us 2.5 hours to get to our first spot on the islands. I really didn't think it would take that long! But the feeling on the ship was just beautiful, the sea was so wonderfully turquoise, we talked to a few people (I think almost half of them were Germans), and we observed the passing islands. I actually expected many beaches and flat islands, but most of the coasts of the Whitsunday Islands are densely covered with vegetation and made of rocks or cliffs, and each island is a mountain. It had something very wild and pristine. And that's exactly what it is, because the islands are a national park with only certain access points.

The place where we finally stopped and where we spent the night was a bay of Hook Island, the second largest island. The water there was very calm and as evening entertainment, we had springing and swimming. That means we could jump into the water from a plank on the ship and then swim around. That was really cool because you don't often jump into the sea from a real pirate plank :D We always wore wetsuits for swimming because jellyfish can be present in the shallow waters around the islands. But with the wetsuits, we didn't get cold quickly and we could swim comfortably because the suits had a bit of buoyancy. The bay was absolutely beautiful, we enjoyed swimming, and jumping in was pretty fun too. Unfortunately, it was getting late (the sun was just setting behind the island), so we couldn't do much more. We actually thought we would do something more exciting. But it was okay. After swimming, we quickly went to the shower (shower limit of 1-2 minutes per day per person), then changed clothes and went for the drinks. Andi and I had a few cans of cider and a bottle of white wine with us. Water, tea, and coffee were included on the ship, although the water was really disgusting. Up until now, I had no problems with Australian water, not even with the mega-chlorinated tap water, but this was really gross. Quite inconvenient when you're in the sun all day and should drink a lot. But it was fine for the 2 days somehow.

At 6:30 pm, we had dinner. It consisted of oven-baked fish fillets, freshly mashed potatoes, fresh salad, and bread. It was pretty delicious! After dinner, which we of course had outdoors and with plates on our laps because there were no tables for 32 people, the evening turned into a cozy get-together. We chatted with the other Germans on the ship (somehow you always have a special connection to your compatriots :D), had some drinks, and went to bed around 11:30 pm. The lights and music are turned off at midnight anyway, so it worked out well.

In our bed, Andi and I slept really well and at 6:15 am the next day, we were woken up by Jack, the cook. So we got up, got dressed, and went up for breakfast. There were cornflakes with milk, fruit salad (but with pineapple and mango, so not really my thing), and toast with peanut butter, jam, honey, butter, and Vegemite. We definitely didn't miss the chance to try the typical Australian spread and spread a little bit on a corner of the toast. That was enough because I don't know how you could eat a whole toast with it :D It didn't taste as bad as I expected, but it was extremely salty and yeasty and not good^^ But at least we tried it now.

While we were still having breakfast, the boat moved again and after about 1.5 hours, we arrived at Tongue Bay, in the north of Whitsunday Island (the largest island). It was crazy how hot it already was on the boat at 7:00 am! In the bay, a small dinghy brought us to the beach and once all 32 passengers plus Jack as the lookout were there, we went on a bushwalk. It was really nice and after a few minutes, we arrived at the famous Hill Inlet Lookout, which offers a magnificent view of Whitehaven Beach. According to Tripadvisor, this beach belongs to the most beautiful ones in the world and is also said to be the whitest. The view from the lookout was truly breathtaking. I have never seen such clear, turquoise water. Together with the white beach and the green of the islands, it was simply a paradise-like sight. We were there way too short before we had to go back to the beach. We had over 2 hours of free time there until we had to return, and we could do whatever we wanted. First of all, we enjoyed the softness of the fine sand and the fact that it doesn't heat up in the sun. Then we put on our wetsuits and went into the water. It was so wonderful! Unbelievably, it felt like being in a swimming pool because the water was so clear. After swimming and exploring a section of the beach separated by rocks, we took off the suits and went back in our swimsuits to take more photos. We couldn't miss that opportunity. On my camera, I saw that it was time to leave (we didn't have a watch with us), and from a distance, we saw that our group was already on their way back. Thankfully, we knew the way and walked back as stragglers with a few others.

On the ship, we were counted to make sure no one was left on the beach and then it was time to move on. During the ride, we had lunch. It consisted of rolls, wraps, salad, corn, cucumber, tomato, ham, and pasta salad. It was pretty good again!

Next up was snorkeling. We went to another bay of Hook Island, but this time a bit further north. Normally, this bay is not easily accessible and snorkeling is not allowed there, but because the wind during our tour came from a different direction than usual, the waves were not too high and we could enter the bay. The special thing about this spot is that turtles are usually spotted there. So we were full of anticipation, put on our wetsuits again, and were taken to the reef around the island by the small dinghy. It was really amazing because there was such a huge reef around the island!! And much of it was only 30cm below the water's surface. It looked really cool. We were also given swim noodles for snorkeling because it was a bit more comfortable. There was no place where we could stand and take a rest or anything. If we needed a break or if it got too cold, we could sit on one of the two inflatable dinghies for a moment and then go back in the water. Two crew members were always nearby with the boats. Snorkeling itself was really cool! I already mentioned that the reef started so close to the water's surface, but then it went down so deep that you couldn't see the end. True reef cliffs. Absolutely amazing to look at. There were also many fish and we actually saw two turtles. It was very beautiful.

After some time, we were picked up from this snorkeling spot again and the ship set course towards the night resting place. It was supposed to be the same spot as the previous day because the sea there is so calm. On the way to the bay, we could watch a beautiful sunset and it felt like we were sailing directly into it. Dreamy. We also had an explanation of our cruising route so far and where we were still going based on a map. It was really interesting! The tour is not always the same and can only be roughly planned in advance because it changes depending on weather conditions. So it was great that they showed us exactly.

After dinner, which this time consisted of spaghetti bolognese and garlic baguette, the usual evening program of drinking and chatting started again. Very cozy. That evening, we went to bed an hour earlier than the day before because everyone was really exhausted from the day and we had also gotten up quite early.

The next morning, we were woken up again at 6:30 am and had the same breakfast as the day before. After a short ride, we stopped, the inflatable slide on the ship was set up, the plank was built, and the stand-up paddle boards were taken out. So we could spend this last morning on our sailing ship with some water activities! We had been looking forward to this the whole time. The sliding was pretty fun and jumping into the water from the plank was really enjoyable. I even dared to try something crazy: a backflip. I had never done it before, but since I was wearing a wetsuit and a belly or back flop wouldn't hurt, I just tried it. A few others also did it for the first time and we practiced together a bit. It was really cool and I tried the backflip a few times. The practice time wasn't enough to perfect the flip :D In between, we also tried the stand-up paddle boards. We had never done it before, but it worked out quite well and it's really a nice feeling. Standing on it together doesn't work that well though :D

All in all, it was a really fun and exciting conclusion to our sailing tour. I don't think I've ever released so much adrenaline at 9:00 am and been as exhausted as on that day :D At around 9:00 am, we headed back to the mainland. During the ride, we had our last meal, hot dogs, and we could enjoy the wind blowing in our faces again. On this last day, there was finally enough wind to unfurl 3 of the 5 sails, so we could also experience the true feeling of sailing. Absolutely beautiful.

It was so sad when Airlie Beach came into view and we knew: the journey is coming to an end. I was also a bit relieved because I started feeling sick again towards the end and I was looking forward to solid ground, but basically, I didn't want to leave. It was just a wonderful tour. When we disembarked, the crew said goodbye to us and we received wristbands for the after-boat party in a club in the evening. When we arrived at the harbor, it was about 12:00 pm and we sat down in a café with our German clique from the ship, exchanged contact information, and reminisced about the days. At around 2:30 pm, we spread out. Andi and I, like the others, considered going to the party, but unfortunately, something annoying happened: On the first day, when we carried the ice cream cones onto the ship, one of them accidentally fell on Andi's foot and by now, some of his toes were swollen and he could only limp. Unfortunately, he got caught with his other foot somewhere and had a small cut on the sole, so he could hardly walk. A place like a club, where many people gather and can step on your foot, was definitely not an option. Instead, on Saturday, we went further south and made a stop at a pharmacy to buy ointment for Andi. Equipped with ointment and ibuprofen, hopefully, the injury will heal in the next few days.

In the evening, we arrived in Mackay, a relatively big city about 150km south of Airlie Beach. There, we found a campsite and spent the evening in a cozy way. The next day, we wanted to explore the city a bit, although we couldn't walk much because of Andi's foot. But I will tell you about our experiences in Mackay in the next entry :)