Whitsunday Islands and Great Barrier Reef

Around the world with the Aqualunies
Jonathan & Gabrielle Lyne
Wed 9 Nov 2011 23:20
9th November, 2011

The day after our first attempt to head out to the Great Barrier Reef the wind dropped and the sea calmed.  Ideal conditions for picking up a buoy at the reef and being able to enjoy some snorkelling out there.  Our first buoy pick up was at the 'Stepping Stones'  a fairly easy area to get into.  We donned our 'Stinger suits' as we had been warmed about the Irikandi Jelly Fish (a small deadly jelly fish) that starts arriving in the Whitsundays around about now. Off we all set snorkelling around the various reef 'bommies' looking at all sorts of fish and corals.  There was a massive great Wrasse sitting under our yacht as well as some Jacks obviously waiting to be fed but we decided not to feed him just yet.  After lunch we set off to another part of the reef inside 'The Hook' reef where we picked our way carefully through all the coral heads and found good anchorage in sand and very calm water with no big current.  Swimming back to the yacht when we were at the Stepping Stones was very good exercise against a strong current.  Here the coral and fish were even better and we were miles away from any other boat.  This is where we spent the night bang in the middle of nowhere, just sea and and reef under the water. It was magical.  We left at midday as the wind started to get up and the following days forecast was for more wind.  We headed back to the islands and anchored in Butterfly Bay for the night.  Next morning we refuelled in Hamilton Island and picked up more food supplies before heading to Thumb Point on Lindamen Island.  We did a walk across the island through bush to a very dilapidated 'Club Med' resort where Jonathan picked us up from the pier to take us to the yacht which he had sailed around to the other side of the island.   We spent the afternoon in Plantation Bay which was lovely, Jonathan and Simon did another walk and we just all relaxed and had a lazy afternoon..  Unfortunately an onshore wind got up so when Jonathan and Simon got back we shifted across to Shaw Island to get some shelter.  It rained for the first time since everybody arrived! But not for long.

The following morning we sailed to 'Sawmill Bay' and 'the boys' and I did a hike up to Whitsunday Peak which was 434 metres above sea level with hundreds of steps about a foot high and very uneven, a great thigh burning exercise and very hot, thirsty work.  It was worth it though as the views from the top were amazing across all the islands and out to the Great Barrier Reef twenty miles away.
It was the last day of having the Davies and Saunders onboard.  It had been one huge laugh from beginning to end with lots of giggles, chat, teasing and introducing each other to our respective card games, 'Oh Bugger!' from us and a slightly different version called 'Oh Hell' from the Davies.  Cocktail hour always at 6 p.m, very relaxed atmosphere and just such friendly, genuine wonderful friends to have on board.  Jonathan managed to gain himself various nicknames such as 'Bugalugs'  which we all thought suited him well, Captain Zero (he was always bidding zero in cards) and Captain Awesome....... mustn't say too much about that last one he would get far too big headed.  We will miss them a lot and hope that it will not be the last time they come sailing with us.
  

David & Jenny Saunders, Jonathan, Jo & Simon Davies at the end of a hike.

 



Sunset from Aqualuna

 



The beach bottom left up to Whitsunday Peak for amazing views of the islands.

 



Hamilton Island from Whitsunday Peak

 



Hamilton Island through the heat haze

 



David Saunders, Jonathan Lyne & Simon Davies on Whitsunday Peak

 



Jonathan and Gabbie on Whitsunday Peak

 



Heading back to the yacht in the tender.