Whitsunday Islands

10 September 2011

Filled with child like excitement we awaited our "Ocean Rafting" bus to collect us from the campsites reception.We pliled on and an unusually short drive later pilled off again into a swanky hotel and out the back down the long peer.We exchanged our purchase receipt for a rather pathetic boarding card before being measured up for wetsuits.There was no way I was getting in the 23 degree water without one!Wetsuits also work as a protector against any stray stingers - although stinger season hasn't reached us quite yet there is always the chance a few early ones have travelled over for some tasty ginger girl.

We took a seat at the back of the boat, I was a little unsure just how much adrenelin you would really be wacked with at the front of the boat - our tour guide had reccomeneded we sat there for "MORE ADRENELIN!" The boat began, our very humourous, whitty and comical guide Will told us we were entering Phase 1.... it was fast but fairly calm, already loving it!Phase 2 came along with some speed... a little more daring but still having a blast!We collected a few other rafters from Daydream Island before we began on our Northern Tour.Before I knew it we were entering "God's Washing Machine"!This is where two different ocean currents meet, causing very rough waves!I was squeeling!The boat was leaping over the waves, ducking and diving, swishing and swaying!We were flying so high before crashing rihgt back down!Literally white water rafting - on the ocean!My hair was all over the place - gushes of water smacked us both in the face and we laughed with glee!

When we reached our first snorkling stop I was pretty chilly.Zipping my wetsuit up I enjoyed the warm rays of the sun beating down on my back.The coral beach was quite sharp, but we wern't there long.My breath was sucked out of my as soon as my heart dipped into the water.The cold was phenominal!(I must add - nothing like the Irish Sea, but in comparision to my previous destinations it was teeth chattering!)

And there it was.The great barrier reef.The colours of the coral beamed up at me.I floated on my 'snorkle floataion aid' to take the effort out of the swimming and gazed down in ore.The hundres of different coloured fish, some stripy, spotty and shimmering.Then a beast appeared.I beleive its called Nepolian Fish - approximately a whole metre long and 1/2 tall, and fairly thin!They had beedy little eyes and kept thier distance fairly well - I'm not going to lie I was quite pleased!As I bobbed around the top of the ocean Sam had vanished god knows where.He came back all excited - he had managed to dive down under the water and listen to the Whale Song our guide had told us about.What an invaluable experiance.

Back on the boat (and so so cold) Sam lept on teeth shattering - he had decided not to wear his wet suit as he hadn't needed one in Thailand, oh bless the fool.With great speed he was rolling one up his body trying to conserve what heat he did have left.

The second snorkle was more phenominal than the first.Right next to the boat were hundres of yellow and white fish!I lingered around encapsulated by the numbers and how close they were to me!Four very large fish appeared, a couple similar to the ones from the first snorkle, and one just like a very very large fish fish!They wern't keeping their distance this time!Swimming all around me along with the yellow ones!

Suddenly there was a burst of activity - all the fish I could see were swimming up towards me, they were hitting my mask and my body!With shreeeks of laughter and shock my head bolted out of the water!My laughter had let water into my mask!In an effor to get my head back under the water I looked up to the sky to empty the water - there was Will, our guide, throwing fish food in on my head!As soon as I had my head back in the water, I was back out again!One of the big fish had hit my foot, the yellow ones were hitting my mask and the big fish fish was right under my tummy!!!!The food soon ran out and it calmed down, but I couldn't calm my laughter!What an amazing experiance - I was bubbling with happiness.Sam reappeared and Will performed the same trick - not quite so many fish, but still sooo exciting! ahhhhh what a perfect day this was turning out to be.

Back on the boat we tucked into some cake-e treats provided by the driver and hedded off to the famous White Haven Beach and our bush walk.Off the boat we marched up through the rainforest, spotting a very large goanna lizard on the way, until we reached a clearing.Once again my breath was taken away and I was stunned.The true natural beauty I have been so lucky to experiance on this trip keeps surprising me.As I looked out to sea the white white sands appeard through gaps in the ocean.The blue, turquoise and crystal clear water lapped the sands from all angles.Words can't even begin to explain this place.I hope the picture above can begin to capture the ____.I feel so priviledged to have visted this part of the world."Ocean Rafting" Northern Tour is the only one that will take you on the bush walk - to miss out on seeing this place from an ariel view is such a lost moment.

The group began to walk back down through the bush to walk on the white sands.The sand is something of a phenominan here.It is made of 98.9% pure silica - it has been used to make glass and can polish jewlerly like nothing else.The weirdest part of it is thatits cold.Silica sand reflects the heat, which adds to the almost painful brightness.As my feet stepped on to it, it didn't seem right that it was cold!! The sun was shining yet my tootsies were cold.Unreal.

We walked across the beach and Will threw some chicken up into the air which attracted two local egals - a White Brested Sea Eagle and either a Red / Kestral Eagle (the name escapes me).Such beautiful creatures.A slap up buffet, all you could eat, lunch later we ventured off to find the Solider Crabs.I was unsure what these crablings were going to be like, but Will informed me I could pick them up without pincering me!We could almost see the sand moving and it was only as we got closer I could see what was happening!The tiny little crabs were different all together to the generic crab image we cunger.Their tiny little mini-egg sized blue bodies had 8 orange legs which speedly scampered below them!They flung themselves on their backs and twisted themselves deep into the sand for protection!Within seconds they were all invisible!As we ran around the inlet of sea water we saw thousands, if not millions more!I ran around after them, picking a few up and taking hundres of photos!What incredible little crabs! Right next to these in the sand were very sting-ray like shapes!One of the girls with us told me that the sting rays settled here and fed.I turned around and right there was a sting ray!Literally at our feet!I could see every part of him, his eyes, nose and his mouth feeding away!! He was almost of an orangie colour, not dark like I had imagined.Could this day get any better?!

Back at the boat we spotted a lemon shark and a turtle bobbing around in the sea!!An ardrenelin filled ride right at the front of the boat took us back to the mainland.Our driver spun donuts in the sea as I shreaked and slid all the way to the end of my seat!