Whitsunday Heaven, Qld

Wednesday morning the 12th of September began with a brisk walk through Airlie Beach, and our first look at the town. Set on the water with the Whitsunday Islands as a backdrop, it is such a beautiful spot.  
From our brisk walk, the pace for the day was set. Bags needed to be packed  and the caravan needed to be packed up for the week. 
Richard went into Airlie with the kids to have a look at our catamaran and sort out the finer details. When they arrived back everything was packed and ready to go so we made a load to the boat. 

The next  job, was to buy the groceries and by around 2ish we were back at the caravan park to store the van and car and catch a cab back to the Marina.

My first impression of the cat was "wow awesome - how exciting." 

Our cat, Seawindow

Bedrooms chosen and groceries packed we spent the afternoon looking through the boat, before heading to the marina restaurant for an afternoon drink and some dinner. We then bunked  down for the night in our new sleeping quarters.

Three excited kids

Three very excited kids

 Thursday morning the 13th of September, we woke early and headed off for another early morning walk around the beautiful Airlie. Rick, the man who would teach us how to operate the cat arrived around 8:30 and began the mammoth checklist. 

Luckily Richard knows a lot about boats or we would still be in the pen.

The marina, Airlie Beach

Rick shows Richard the ins and outs of the boat

After an hour and a half of showing us where everything was, he took us out of the marina, it was a beautiful sight being out on the water.....

In the Bay off Airlie Beach

In the Bay he taught us how to put up the sails... This we needed to learn because we've only every been out on power boats.

It was beautiful to watch the sails go up, this time Airlie Beach was the backdrop and by now we were very excited....

Richard pulls up a sail

Rick left us around 11ish after taking the sails back down....

Goodbye Rick, thanks for the cat lesson

 

We were now on our own. We decided to head for Nara Inlet off Hook Island which was two hours away. I made lunch and we sat and ate watching the passing islands while the boys had their rods out, trawling along the way.

We arrived in Nara Inlet around 3:30 and relaxed, in awe at the amazing views around us. Huge jutting rock faces delving deep into the pristine blue turquoise water, we really felt like we'd arrived in paradise.

Nina, Jack, Harry & Richard, Nara Inlet off Hook Is.

Me having an afternoon G & T

The boys continued to fish through the afternoon and into the evening and although they got a few big hits, they got away, sometimes with the entire rigs..

Jack & Richard fishing

The boys take the tender out for a fish and have a driving lesson as well

The boys also took the tender across the inlet to do some fishing over a reef. No luck there, Richard then gave the boys a lesson on how to drive the tender. Harry drove it back to the cat, very happy with himself.

We also had a visit from a friend, he was too cute and very friendly...

Our Major Mitchell friend enjoying some bread

Nina and I organized dinner, shepards pie and salad and we sat and ate dinner before heading out onto the front mats to look at the stars. Sparking like diamonds in the blackness, they looked like they were shining just for us... It was priceless.

Friday morning the 14th of September, it must have been around 4am when I opened my eyes and looked straight up through an open window over my bed to see that those stars were still shining brilliantly. I marvelled at them for a while and nodded off again. I woke around 7am to find I  had been sandwiched between Richard and Nina.  The only way to get out, without waking anyone, was to climb through the window and onto the roof of the cat, which is what I did.
I was greeted by the morning hues of every shade of turquoise blue glistening over the water and above me were bright blue skies.  I took a deep breath and smiled, what a spectacular good morning from mother nature.
I took my camera and began taking snapshots....

Looking out of Nara Inlet in the morning light

Looking into the inlet

 

Looking down the inlet, the colours were amazing

Everyone rose just before 8 and all commented on the amazing  colour  of the water.

Richard cooked pancakes for breakfast and we tidied up and started on our way.

 Again, I took more shots on the way out of Nara Inlet, including this shot of Richard in all his glory, it was to become his skippers uniform for the day....

Richard the skipper in his uniform, having a cuppa

Navigating the cat out of Nara Inlet

The views remained spectacular, I am going to stop using these words now for fear I will overuse them and they will lose their impact, but I am using them in their true sense, I am in awe of this place.

Bird Rock, off Hayman Island

Hayman Island

Around 10ish off Hayman Island , Jack spotted a school of tuna jumping. It was on... we got stuck into some serious trawling, they were jumping in all directions.
We followed them around for a good hour without a bite....

Harry does some fishing with chook by his side

It was then that Richard decided that the bananas I had brought on board were bringing us bad fishing luck. Richard is not superstitious at all, except when it comes to having bananas on boats, "crap", I say - but who was I to argue.
So we set about eating the bananas.

Within about 20minutes, Jack got a massive bite. Oh great, now the banana story was gaining credibility. This big fish, followed for a while and then lost interest, much to Jack's disgust. When the boys reeled in the line, they realized it had been a marlin. Oh well, maybe better luck next time, now that the bananas were gone;-)

Jack lands a big one that got away

Lunchtime, and we decided to moor in Manta Ray Bay off the top of Hook Island and go for a snorkel. 

The kids were excited but itching to put their rods in, when a giant trevally swam up to the boat and started putting on a show for us, followed by a golden trevally. I think they knew it was a marine sanctuary, they were so friendly and loved being fed bread by the kids...

A giant trivially says gidday

And stays a while

Wetsuits & snorkels on we were in the water watching the most colorful schools of reef fish swim around us and in between us, over their coral cities. The Bay was definitely a good choice...

I love this shot of Jack

A family snorkel

A very friendly but endangered, double hump headed Maori wrasse also stopped to say hello...

After an hour or so of snorkeling we continued around to the eastern side of Hook Island where we continued to do some trawling, but despite the bananas gone, still no luck.

Chook has a snooze while the boys have a trawl

We went back slowly to protected Butterfly Bay off the north end of Hook Island to spend the night out of the elements,  the boys took the tender out to have another fish, still nothing.

The boys head off for another fish

Nina in Butterfly Bay

For dinner, Jack cooked sausages on the Barbie while Richard  & I had a champas and took in the view of Butterfly Bay, named because it is shaped like butterfly wings.

Richard & I enjoy a drink and chat about the big day

After dinner we all sat out on the front of the boat & listened to music, chatted & laughed about the days adventures.

Saturday the 15th of September, we woke around 8 and started to pack up for our journey around to Whitehaven Bay which lies off Whitsunday Island.

We changed our mind along the way, the waters were rougher than the day before... me feeling green after cooking brekky down in the galley was good testament to that.
We decided we'd head towards Hamilton Island where we would moor for the night so we could go onto the island and watch the footy.

On our way, on the east side of Hook Island - Jack got a strike... His first marlin, something  both my keen fisherman sons have had at the top of their bucket list for a while.

We watched as Jack used all of his might & power to pull it in, and we were just as disappointed as he was when the line broke & the battle was lost.

This black marling breeches from afar while Jack works hard to bring it in

We turned around and went back over the spot and what would you know strike #2... This time we we all ready, Jack with his rod set, me with my camera....

We get closer the second time around

and closer

We all watched as Jack & Harry both took turns fighting with this beauty and I managed to take photos each time it breeched... I don't doubt that the squeals of delight coming from all off us could have been heard on the mainland.

Jack, working hard to bring in the big fish

Almost there...

 

45 minutes later, this majestic ocean battler or black marlin, was beside the boat ready to give in to two determined 8 and 10 year olds. The smiles on their faces says it all...

Jack gives a victory salute

Richard holds him up

More snapshots

The boys with their prize

Photo opportunities done it was time to say goodbye to our marlin friend. 
Richard held him in the water until he was ready to kick off, back into the deep blue yonder. 

Goodbye marlin, thanks for the battle

No doubt this marlin's above water encounter will live on in the memories of two little boys for years to come and no doubt the story will grow legs with time. But for the record and written in black and white for the purpose of preservation and not exaggeration... we believe our black marlin friend to be around 45kgs in weight and 5feet in length.

We contined on to Hamilton, recounting our encounter, enjoying the calmer waters and our view of the Whitsunday Islands, over a coffee.

Richard & I with Hamilton Island in the background

We did stop along the way to let the boys do some bottom bouncing before high tailing it (as fast as a catamaran can high tail) to Hamilton Island to watch the Eagles take on Collingwood. Hamilton is a special place for us ... It's where Richard & I got engaged 13 years ago. Where has the time gone?

We enjoyed a beautiful dinner after which chook lost her first tooth (which she was very excited about) before unfortunately watching the Eagles lose to Collingwood. Oh well, you can't win them all in a day.