Port Douglas to Whitsunday Islands and the 'Solway Lass'

Tuesday 26th February
Our wake up call was for 4:20am which was a bit of a shock to the system but we had more or less packed the night before so it was simply a matter of getting ourselves ready. The mini bus arrived at 5:20 to take us the hour drive to the airport. The driver, a friendly, chatty lady, stopped on the side of the road so that we could appreciate the sunrise - and what a magnificent sunrise it was.

Today was a day of travel again but it felt more like a guided tour. We flew from Cairns to Hamilton Island which is down the east coast of Queensland. On the map it looks as if it could be an hour or so drive but in reality Airlie Beach, the closest mainland town to Hamilton Island is 640km from Cairns and the flight is one and a half hours. When you consider that the whole of Europe can fit comfortably into the Australian mainland, it gives you a feel for how vast Australia really is. Even the fruit bats in Port Douglas are the size of cats.

We had a fabulous time in Port Douglas but one thing we did notice is that you have to have a fat wallet to holiday there and Ian's wallet is considerably thinner as we leave.

The aeroplane that we flew on was a Dash 8 300 which carried only 50 passengers when full (our flight was about 3/4) which gives most passengers a wonderful view of the coastline and Great Barrier Reef. The sea looked like a huge paua shell with swirls of turquoise blue and green marking the reef.

The sheer size of the Barrier Reef makes it visible from the moon. Now I know why Martians are depicted as green men; they're green with envy of our magnificent planet. When once I mentioned my ambition to dive the Barrier Reef, I was warned that I may be disappointed but I can say now with all certainty that they must have been talking about a different place. I have been spellbound to the point where I couldn't say a word (as you know, it takes a lot to shut me up).

After flying into Hamilton Island, we were directed to the ferry which would take us to Able Point Marina on the mainland, the pick up point for the 'Solway Lass'.The ferry, a modern catamaran called Sunrise, had only a few passengers aboard (we have been very lucky on this trip; as it is still out of the holiday season, we have enjoyed the best of everything without crowds of people). Andy, the steward on the ferry was very helpful. He looked at our travel itinerary and clearly directed us in the right direction, even giving us tips as to the easiest way of doing things. A real professional!  I must admit that throughout our Australian experience we have found people to be friendly and extremely helpful - nothing is too much trouble. Even the airport security were very pleasant and most apologetic before they frisked you. The only irritating exception to this is the Jetstar airline. Jokestar might be a better name for it.  This low cost airline linked to Qantas doesn't seem to know what a schedule is and they charge a fortune for a simple paper cup of lukewarm tea. As yet, we have not experienced a flight with them that has taken off on time (I had to have at least one grumble, didn't I?)

Following Andy' advice, we dropped off out luggage at the Marina Shores, the apartment that we would be staying at when we return from our sailing trip. It was here that we met Nick and Teri, the managers of the Marina Shores. Teri was going through chemotherapy for breast cancer so I could more than empathise with her. Keep going Teri, my thought are with you.

Our new adventure is sailing around the Whitsunday islands  aboard the Solway Lass, the Whitsunday's unique Tall Ship built in 1902.

The Whitsunday Islands, part of the Cumberland group of Islands, are located off the coast from Airlie Beach in the centre of the World Heritage Listed Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. The Whitsundays is blessed with having 74 Islands of which 66 are in their natural state with no buildings or resorts. This helps to make sailing around the Whitsundays feel like a relative voyage of discovery, as the Whitsunday Islands still look like they did when Captain James Cook's Tall Ship the Endeavour sailed by in the 1770's. It is believed, however, that the naming of the Whitsunday's Island is a mis-nomer because, due to an error in time-keeping, Captain Cook sailed the Whitsunday passage on Whit Monday.