Our flight out is from one of the islands here in the Whitsunday group and we have to get a water taxi out, a bit like Venice NOT. The Aussies have screwed up daylight saving, until this year the 1 hour back was last week in Mar, now its the 1st Sun in April. Well, many of the Airlines and phone companies didn't get the change sorted and their software did its auto thing last week - tales of woe were aplenty in the news. Our airline advised us of a one hour flight change - I don't know if they speak with forked tongue and I can't telephone them.
Lots of wild life here - 20 bites on my right leg - ants break out in swarms (is that the right collective?) as soon as there is a crumb of sustenance, aparently mouthwash is food to them, an animal turned up to join in our pre-dinner cocktails on the balcony. Can anyone identify it - the one of the left is Linda.
Its a small world ( anyone know the tune) When the animal turned up, our neighbours asked what it was as they don't have beasts like that back in England. This was Malachi and Frances from Loughton, came originally from the middle of London, M is a gooner, so not too happy about 1-1 with Liverpool. They're doing the same sort of trip as us, except it is over 6 months and they have given up their jobs
Airlie is a small seaside town, high street strip with all the usual types of shops, marinas and hotels. There are lots of backpackers here, they seem to delight in lazing during the day, getting sloshed in the evening and then nightclubbing. You can get BP accommodation for $15 per night if you are willing to slum in the dorm. We are in a a nice beach side motel that overlooks the public park and swim pool. Nice facility, shaded padling pools, filtered salt water pools, shallow lagoon style entry. Moched around the area and went to some out of the way beaches and the water fall. At Cedar Falls, I went to the loo, pretty clean, no flies. Linda went in after me and after some problems with the big drop inside the pan, about 8 foot down to the chemis, she noticed a great big hairy spider, probably 3 inches across, all black, very hairy and not at all spinly. Tarantula, maybe, anyway it explains why there were no flies. No one at all on the beach, except prawn fishermen netting the pools at low tide. There were armies of blue crabs marching up and down the beach, when you get near them they all frantically bury themseleves out of site in the sand. Bit like UK politicians!
Went out on the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) It is about a two hour boat trip. We were on large comfortable catamaran that was managing about 35-40 knots, so we were some way out to sea, nothing in site when we got there. The reef and sea were beautiful, stunning bue aand green sea. The reef was about 6 ft under at high tide and above water at low. The edge of the reef fell off to about 16m deep. I snorkelled for about 1.5hours, first with a guide that showed us all the fish, wild life and corals - stunning, then on my own. The boat moored up to a tethered platform that had, viewing areas below sea, 2 submarines, shwers, sun bathing etc etc. You scuba and take helicopter trips as well. There were about 50 of us, so it wasn't at all crowded. Lin did the subbing as she's not too keen on swimming in deep water. There were thousands of fish, coming right up to your mask and the big Maori Wrasse, 6ft and 100lb, was so tame it would come right up to you and let you touch him. His name was Wally, so a bit like me. Interesting fish, the wrasse, all born female, with one male in the shoal. When the male get sick or dies, the boss female changes sex and becomes the boss male - I believe I know some people who would like that deal! There was also a groper (sic), so you see fish are really like people. He was a big boy tho' - 3m long and 200+ kilos. No sharks, no jellyfish, although I had a nice skin tight stinger suit that revealed all my lumps and bumps, my knees are so embarassing. It wasn't only me, some of the suits had hoods and the plumper wearers look like TellyTubbies! You can tell Eevie that I met Nemo, he's not lost any more. There was quite a strong tidal run, so much so that when it ebbed, the re-filling of the lagoon formed by the exposed reef created water falls.
It was a very nice deal, not really expensive about £75 each, for which you got 3 meals, tea and coffee, a 4 hour journey through the beautiful Whitsunday Islands., air conditioned boat, sun screen bathing suits. I'dlike to do it again sometime, and maybe Scuba next time. That was £60 for divers with no experience, pretty reasonable, I thought.
Now sitting in Hamilton Island Airport, this is a bit different. Very small, 3 or 4 flights a day. You get a ferry to the airport terminal from Shute harbour on the mainland, its an hour trip. Goodness knows what happens when the weather is bad and the ferries are delayed, there's no other way to get to the airport. No securit restrictions as regards liquids. No air conditioning in the lounge, just big open windows overlooking the sea, nice cool breeze - smashing.
I'm not sure that all this is wasted on the BP's, who seem obsessed with drink and sex.
How are you getting on with our "modes of transport" question>?
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2 comments:
Back Packers. I'm too old for that drink-sex-party scene. Maybe always was!
Though I DO remember a time when I walked from Battle to Hastings because I objected to the hotel rates in Battle. With a back pack.
But then, that was when I was 22. Only, what...thirty years ago!
It all looks great and your enjoying it. We've just got back from the rugby tour. Great fun n great game.
Mark
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