G’day long time no blog!! Well basically I have been having such an exciting time that I haven’t had much time to blog (and our internet access has been none existent in some places)

I have got completely confused about which places we have told you about especially as Chrissy boy has written about some adventures as well. So for the purpose of those who have not read previous blogs (and to help me get my head together I don’t know where we are half the time with all the travelling!!) I will start with a brief recap.

After Cairns and Mission Beach we headed to Townsville and Magnetic Island. Here we basically chilled out and enjoyed the beautiful weather (there really is no such thing as winter around here!). I will now move onto our next stop as I know that Chris has written about these places and I don’t want to bore people going over the same things!!

Our next stop was Airlie Beach a lively little place full of back packers and holiday makers up for a good time. We could not get into the YHA hostel as it was booked up so we decided to brave it by stopping in an independent hostel called ‘Magnums’. So far we had been extremely lucky with our choice of accommodation opting to stay in hostels, as well as motels.

Well Magnums was an extremely dodgy choice! The room was about the size of a garden shed with the décor to match! It was wall to wall wood panelling (when I awoke in the morning I thought I was in a giant coffin!).

I’m always up for a laugh but I also value my sleep! So I was disappointed to find that the place was full of imbeciles mainly from Ireland who insisted on shouting and screaming sporadically throughout the evening!! Somehow we both managed to get a decent nights sleep but couldn’t wait to check out of the place the next morning!!

Anyway we were both extremely excited when it was time to board our maxi yacht ‘Anaconda 3’ to commence our three day three night cruise of the Whitsundays.

We were a little apprehensive about the other people that we would be spending the next three days with. However they turned out to be a great bunch of people including Italians, Dutch, French, German, Irish, Australians, Canadians and of course us poms. It can’t be very often that you get all those nationalities together on the same boat!

Anyway we set sail and anchored over night at a place called Hook Island Passage. The next morning we were awoke at around 7am by the breakfast bell (usually a heavy and long sleeper I jumped out of bed when I knew it was time to fill my belly).

After brekkie we headed to Whitehaven Beach where we had the opportunity to try some scuba diving skills in the sea. Now after my traumatic scuba dive last year in Cairns ( those of you who have seen the DVD will know what I mean!) I vowed that I would never so much as put my head under the water again! But being a Bailey (whoops a Wheldon) I didn’t want to miss out so I donned the equipment that made me look like something from outer space and completed the skills. These included how to clear your mask if it starts to fill with water and how to recover your regulator ( mouth piece) if another diver knocks or kicks it out of your mouth- oh great I thought do these things really happen!!

Anyway against my better judgement I decided to go on to do another scuba dive, well it only cost $55 (around £25) so it was a bargain! So we sailed to Luncheon Bay where we both snorkelled and did the dive. I actually felt a lot calmer this time and did not have to hold the instructors hand although I made sure I swam as close as possible to him as I could! His name was Spartacus ( real name Andrew ) and kept saying ‘too easy’ when you responded to a question e.g. “Ok guys is everybody alright and ready to dive?” To which we would reply “Yes” and he would say in an aussie twang “Too easy!” (the aussies in Queensland are definitely more like the stereotypical ones we think of- drinking XXXX and been a little chauvinist).


The dive was excellent the amount of different fish and coral that you see is amazing! I did scare Chris half to death though. Towards the end of the dive when we were nearing the surface my mask started to steam up (must have been my moon face!). I wasn’t sure what to do and I didn’t want to lose sight of Spartacus so I decided to come up slowly to the surface (before you panic mom we were very close so no chance of getting the bends). However poor Chrissy had been in front of me and all he saw was Cameron (a Canadian guy) tug on Spart and point to where I had been. Chrissy turned and couldn’t see me and thought I’d got lost or been eaten by jaws. Meanwhile I was bobbing in the water asking the Irish lads in the dive boat if they had another mask- poor Chrissy, even Spart seemed glad to see me when he surfaced seconds later.


The next day we made an early start out to the Great Barrier Reef. However they didn’t warn us that it was going to be a very choppy ride!! I don’t usually suffer from seasickness but this journey was like no other that I had experienced. It was definitely worse down in the cabins, so on the advice of the crew we set up on deck and I stared out to the horizon (apparently this calms sickness and it did seem to do the trick). One poor French girl was really suffering and went a ghastly shade of green!

The journey out to the reef turned out to be well worth it as the two different snorkelling sites were fantastic- it’s like another world under there! Some of the fish swim so close to you and they are an array of beautiful colours; we even saw a large sea turtle swimming along!

After Bait reef we headed to Blue Pearl Bay where we caught the most magnificent sunset. The next day we continued to snorkel and sunbathe and of course eat and eat. The chef on board was a young Irish lad and he kept us all well fed making homemade meals including cottage pie- it reminded us of home!

Chrissy is going to tell you about our time in Hervey Bay and our trip to Fraser Island- the largest sand island in the world according to the locals! At this moment in time, I am sitting in our amazing apartment in Noosa (that we are renting for the week), having just spent the day sun baking (aussie term) and jumping in the huge waves- this really is the life!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bye for now

Donno (everyone in Oz has to have an O on the end of their name!)

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PS: I hope you like the photos.