So it was on the Whitsunday coast that I discovered the true meaning of Queensland’s ‘Wet Season’! Rain was there to greet me when I stepped off the Greyhound bus at Airlie Beach and it sent me packing a few days later. It wasn’t all about the wet weather though as you will soon find out.

Airlie Beach is the gate-way to the Whitsunday Islands and after meeting up with Stuart and Rose, who I met on Maggie, we grabbed some goon and boarded our maxi sailing yacht, Matador, with 20 other sea-faring passengers and started our 2 night cruise around the islands. The Whitsundays are drowned mountains covered in coral and there are more than 90 of them sitting just off the mainland. On the trip out we cranked up the music, downed the goon and even helped raise the sail and steer the boat. We arrived at Hook Island in the afternoon were we had a look at the observatory before half the guests left the boat for their on shore dormitory accommodation. The rest of us stayed on board and played drinking games.

After picking up our dorm dwellers the next morning we went to Whitsunday Island, the largest of the Whitsundays. After viewing the island from Whitsunday peak we walked down to Whitehaven Beach. This 6km beach is the closest thing to paradise you will find in Australia with its stunning scenery and 97% silica white sand which never gets hot. It’s a shame it didn’t have a chance to get hot with black rain clouds hanging in the sky. We didn’t let it get us down though and had a 5-a-side game of beach rugby in which us English guys followed in the professionals footsteps by getting mauled (by Germans of all people). In the afternoon we did a spot of snorkelling (in the rain) and the evening was again filled with drinking games.

Before heading back to land the next morning the boys had a diving competition off the boat and that evening everyone met at Beaches for an after-cruise party. It was a great few days of sailing and meeting new people that was spoiled only slightly by the poor weather conditions.