15.-16.09.2018

We start our next long tour after a leisurely breakfast on Bruce Highway or Pacific Coast Way or the A1, all the same, heading north. The first gas station is ours, the gas station attendant is as old as his gas station and has probably never done anything else. He gives us a friendly 'drive safely' and we promise him. The 471 km take us through predominantly farmland and sugarcane plantations. The tour is easy to drive because it's always straight ahead, but not easy to cope with, considering the estimated 471 dead kangaroos on the roadside. That really gets to us. But when we look more closely, we realize that we're driving north and the sun is behind us. So the sun doesn't blind our view and we're not driving on the highway in the pitch-black night. The gas attendant's good wishes were surely sincere!

In the late afternoon, we reach Airlie Beach. The bustling seaside resort is at the same latitude as Tahiti and leaves nothing to be desired for water sports enthusiasts.

Karen and Malcolm show us to our room with a view of the bay. We quickly head out to book our trip to the Whitsunday Islands. Oh dear, tomorrow is Saturday and it's too short notice to book a sailing ship or catamaran - booked for wedding, so sorry. Finally, we manage to grab the last two spots with Ocean Rafting - okay, let's go sporty.

Equipped with swimwear, beach towel, snorkel, and wetsuit, we set off the next morning to the 74 islands offshore. Luckily, the sea is calm, the sails of the sailing ships are stowed away, and with the two powerful Yamaha outboard motors, we leave all other boats behind. Only the jet skiers follow us, enjoying our wake to perform their daring jumps. Paul the skipper brings excitement among the 25 participants with some steep driving maneuvers.

We reach Whitehaven Beach on Whitsunday Island, the largest island in the archipelago. The turquoise blue sea and the pearl white powder sand beach lie before us in breathtaking beauty.

 We get out and swim in the crystal clear water, while helicopters land and seaplanes take off on the beach. Time for a barbecue on the beach!

We continue in front of Hook Island, we stop in the middle of the sea, far from any beach, above the coral reef. Short briefing - who has no experience with snorkeling?, we're the only ones who raise our hand...

Can you swim?, then put on your mask and snorkel, jump from the boat into the sea, you can do it!!! Not everyone dares, some stay on board for safety reasons.

We plunge into the unknown and are richly rewarded. We see a reef with corals swaying softly in the rhythm of the waves, from small to gigantic in all the colors of the rainbow. The fish are also big or small, traveling alone or in schools, colorful like the rainbow, with dots or stripes, iridescent scales and fins depending on the angle of light. We are overwhelmed and humble - is this the origin of the world?

After an hour, we finally come out of the water because we have to go back to Airlie Beach.

In the evening, we quickly go shopping and process the impressions on our terrace in the sunset. Still captivated by the images of the dreamlike underwater world.

Unfortunately, no photos here.

Conclusion: 1 colorful paradise garden underwater and also 1 dead reef - save the reef! 1 sunfish, 1 sea turtle, 0 koalas

Tomorrow Magnetic Island in search of koalas