adventures on a sailboat

hey guys...sorry for the delay in updating the blog. We went from a few low key not too eventful days to a bunch of fun stuff going on. Since the last post, we left Cairns and took a long bus trip to Airlie Beach, where we hung out for a day or two (Airlie Beach isn't that cool except for a lagoon where you can go swimming...this lagoon is also a safety measure since you can't swim in the water because of the scary stingers (jellyfish)). From there, we boarded the British Defender to spend two nights and two days aboard a sailboat. There were 26 of us on it and 3 crew members. It was absolutely spectacular.

The first day, we hoisted the sails and because of the wind, the sailboat tipped over at an incredible angle. Thankfully we were on the high side (the side where the wind comes from). That is the safe side to sit on...the other side of the boat is where almost the railing is in the water. OK, i exaggerate a little, but we were far from level. Trying to get something underneath the boat was worst than trying to maneuver through the crazy kitchen at the museum of science and tech in Ottawa.

The first day we also went snorkelling, although this time we didn't have flippers, and the water was really shallow. I didn't have a good day at all. At one point I looked around and couldn't find Jason, and then started freaking out because I couldn't put myself up straight to clear my mask. I also got really tired from swimming (there was nowhere to take a break) so I got pretty worried. It seemed like forever until someone came to get me. I sat on the reef to wave for help. A big no no, I know, but I was really starting to worry being out there all alone, with the shallow reef coming up really close to me. I was really uncomfortable, but I am sure it wasn't as bad as I thought it was. After snorkelling, we had some yummy food in the cabin and hung out with some of the people on the boat.

The second day, we got up early, had breakfast and went to whitehaven beach. What a magical place! The sand is almost 100% silica and it feels like flour. The view from the lookout was amazing. At some points during the day it looks like a marble cake from the tide coming in and out. We went down to betty's beach, a huge beach with lots and lots of sand. It feels like an unspoiled magical place because there are no shops, which usually accompanies great tourist areas. We even saw a few baby sharks in the water, but we didn't go too far out because of the stinger warnings. Jason flew a really cool kite too. Afterwards, we went snorkelling again. We went to a beautiful spot where we were covered in a huge variety of fish. The evening was pretty much the same. I am glad I brought my sweater. It was pretty chilly at night.

Today we went for a quick snorkel and headed back. We sailed a fair bit during the trip, which was absolutely incredible. It's so cool to see how quickly we can go on just wind power!

Anyays, here are some pictures from our journey. It might be a few days again until the next posting because we are taking an overnight bus tonight to get to Fraser Island where we will hang out for a few days.

From left to right: Airlie Beach, another sailboat the first day, betty's beach on whitehaven, Jason with the kite, two photos from the lookout, the sunset on the second night, and another sailboat on the way back to the marina today.