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TRAVEL BLOG ENTRY
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When I first arrived in Australia I asked everyone where I should go while I was here. The one answer that almost everyone gave was the Whitsunday Islands. People began to describe the fabulous beaches and the warm waters with great snorkeling. So, of course I had to go there and I was not disappointed in my stay.
There were 11 of us that decided to live on a boat on the weekend and make our way through the 71 islands that make up the Whitsunday. We were living aboard Hammer, a maxi yacht. It used to be a racing boat and is world famous for winning the Sydney to Hobart race. There were 22 people living on the boat plus 3 crew members. The sleeping quarters were a little tight, but there was plenty of room to lounge on the deck during the day. Some of us also slept up on the deck because one of our fellow travelers was a mean snorer (I don't know if that is a word) and it was impossible to sleep down in the sleeping quarters.
On the first day we sailed for a few hours until we reached a spot where we snorkeled for a few hours. Because it is still stinger season we had to wear stinger suits every time we were in the water. The snorkeling was amazing. We were still on the Great Barrier Reef but the coral and types of fish were completely different from the ones in Townsville. After snorkeling we sailed for a few more hours until we came to a bay where we were going to stay the night.
The crew made all of out meals on the boat and they were delicious. The first night we had chicken with potatoes and stuffing. After dinner we all sat around on the deck and got to know our other passengers. Both nights we had fantastic sunsets. They were so beautiful, all the pictures I took of them don't do any justice to the actual beauty! After the sun went down the stars were just as incredible!
I had trouble sleeping on the boat so I was up both mornings to see the sunrise. I also was able to read by the moonlight during the night while I wasn't sleeping.
The second day we sailed to Whitsunday Island, which is the largest of all the islands. We were dropped off on the island and we had a short hike to Whitehaven beach. Whitehaven is known for its white sand and beautiful blue waters. We spent a few hours enjoying the beautiful beach and soaking up the sun. This was by far my favorite place. The water was 20 different colors of blue and the sand was so fine it squeaked when you walked on it.
After our beach visit we raced another boat that was sailing to the same place we were headed. When the boats start going really fast they tilt to one side and feel like they are going to tip over! Once the sails go up we were all told to sit on one side of the boat because if we were to be sitting on the other side we would have slid right off the boat into the water. We won the race by the way.
The last night and next day were pretty much the same routine. I really enjoyed my sailing experience and I wish I could do it again!
previous travel blog entry
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