Although the day starts wet and very windy we are hopeful that the weather will improve and the sailing will be good.
After breakfast we decide to check out Airlie Beach and walk all the way to the Marina where we would board the yacht for our trip around the Whitsundays. Weather a mixture of rain showers that seem worse because of the wind and next moment sunshine with blue skies. Airlie Beach has a beautiful waterfront, very undeveloped but the centre is geared for party time for those not sailing off to the islands.
Time to head back to the hotel after lunch on the way.
Back at the hotel we decide to check our emails for the last time, as once we sail we have no access for two days.
Disaster ........ AN EMAIL SAYING OUR TRIP IS CANCELLED
We ring the tour office and they confirm due to the weather conditions, which are forecast to get worse, the yacht will not be sailing; to say we were disappointed would be an under statement. This was going to be one of the highlights of the trip.
We finally drag ourselves down to the tour office where we are told it is highly unlikely any trip will go out before the end of the week. 35 knot winds are forecast and the charter companies insurance stops at 25 knots. We do get a full refund.
What to do now? Nothing to do in Airlie except sail or drink. The latter becomes very appealing to drown our disappointment.
Back to the hotel we moved our Wednesday booking to tonight and decide what to do now we have two unplanned days. The starting point is to get transport as currently we have no car until Thursday and all the car hire offices are closed as it is a public holiday for Australia Day. So onto the internet and confirm Avis who, we have booked with, have nothing available but Hertz come good and we can get a car for tomorrow so at least we have transport, a good starting point.
More good news, the hotel restaurant is open tonight so we don't have to go out again in the rain. Over dinner the manager suggests going to a Eco hotel in the Eungella National Park with the possibility of seeing platypus in the wild. Sounds a good start and takes us inland to part of the Great Dividing Range we would otherwise not have gone to.