Pride of Airlie

Hello everybody, Christa wasn’t the only one that was sad that our wonderful romantic excursion to Hamilton Island was over. I could have spent the rest of our trip there maybe even the rest of my life there, it was that beautiful. But we had a sailing boat to catch and Christa wasn’t kidding when she said that the Pride of Airlie wasn’t exactly what we were told it was. It turns out the Pride of Arlie was the BIGGEST PARTY boat in the Whitsunday Islands; it was “the” booze cruise. God has a funny way of putting us in places that are out of our comfort zones. The first day, Monday (Oct. 1) we boarded our boat and went straight to, South Mole Island were we would be staying at. After a few complications with our room we settled in and headed to the bar where we were served our dinner. When we went up to the bar to order two pops the bartender joked around with us and told us we better be ordering beer next time. Shortly after dinner the crew got everyone together and started a series of drinking games Christa & I and another couple, Adam & Helen, started talking and enjoyed great conversation in the midst of the chaos. The next morning at 6:30 am we headed to the bar for our breakfast. With the tables still sticky from the night before and a few people a little green & extremely tired we finished up breakfast and headed to board the boat. With Christa being so sea sick before on our boat ride in Cairns she was prepared this time and good thing. At the beginning of the trip there was one girl quickly at the back of the boat not feeling so well. As we started to pass Hamilton Island the waves kept getting bigger & bigger and more people were leaning over the back of the boat. I on the other hand was at the front of the boat with a bunch of people as we enjoyed the ride on the waves and got soaking wet. We arrived at Whitehaven beach around 10 am. This beach is named one of the world’s most beautiful beaches. We spent a couple of hour’s snorkelling and lying on the beach. I had a great time in the water exploring and loved swimming with the sea turtles. The beach was definitely beautiful; the water was turquoise blue the sand was super fine and as white as snow. After lunch at Whitehaven beach we sailed back to the resort and arrived there at about 3pm, which gave me enough time to hit the golf course on the island while Christa relaxed. That night after dinner when the drinking games began there was a group of about 10 that weren’t joining in this time, so I suggested that we head over to another bar at the resort where there was a game of bingo going on. There was a little resistance at first but once one joined in they all joined in and we were off to play bingo. The place was packed with some serious bingo players, enthusiast from all ages. They were so serious that you could almost hear a pin drop. We soon caught on to the bingo lingo and our group managed to win the last 3 games. After bingo was over we all played ping pong and then head for bed. Wednesday (Oct. 3) morning was another 6:30 am start for breakfast and on the boat by 7:15 am. We sailed to a nice spot to snorkel again where Christa joined in this time then had lunch and then sailed back to Airlie Beach. We got back on land at about 3 pm, said our goodbye’s to everyone and prepared for our 12 hour bus ride that night to Hervey Bay.
PS. Casey was my hero again. The last night in our room at 4 am we both woke up for a potty break. When we turned the lights on Casey looked over and told me to go to the bathroom and shut the door as there was a very big spider in the room. Well I ran to the bathroom and put a towel under the crack of the door, in case the spider decided to run my way. All I could hear Casey say was “Oh my goodness.....ohhhh my goodness.” Well once again he killed the large huntsman which was the size of his hand and we were both able to sleep peacefully. Casey also made a friend on the boat who was 6 years old named Shannon, the skipper had his 2 daughters on the boat and Shannon had most fun hanging out with Casey & I playing “guess if my eyes are open or shut”.

6 Year Anniversary

Friday (Sept 21) we were off to celebrate our 6 year wedding anniversary. Saying goodbye to Joel and Roxanne we jumped on the Fantasea ferry where Casey informed me we were going to another Island to catch the Pride of Airlie to head onto our tour of the Whitsunday Islands. In Sydney we had booked a tour of the Whitsunday Islands in a package we purchased where we got 3 days of sailing in a catamaran and two nights on one of the Islands. I was a little unsure about doing this for our anniversary as this was a big backpacker’s thing to do and during our travels we had discovered this boat wasn’t exactly what we had expected. So I really wasn’t sure we were going to have a chance to really have any romantic time with just the two of us. But hey we were in Australia in the beautiful scenery of these amazing Islands.
Well the ferry docked at Hamilton Island where Casey & I jumped off. Everyone was driving around in golf carts on the Island it looked hilarious. Casey informed me we were staying on the Island and we got on a bus that took us to a beautiful resort where we checked in. As I got more and more excited we headed up to our room which was amazing!! It was huge with two queen size beds, lounge chairs, fridge, and a bathroom with a big soaker tub, large shower and two vanities!! It was so clean I could walk around without my flip flops even in the bathroom. We had a large deck with chairs and coffee tables and a view that would take your breath away. We could see the entire beach!! I was like a little kid Christmas morning. Then Casey informed me we were there for 5 days. Five days in this amazing resort room with this view and on this beautiful Island, what a treat! Once I had calmed down we went for lunch at one of the little restaurants on the water called Toucans. The birds would regularly try to nab your food and they were definitely entertaining. We wandered around for a bit and checked out the little shops and what there was in the little village centre. Later in the evening we went back to our room changed and went out for dinner at the Red Emperor for Chinese food. We sat outside on the patio with a view of the marina, enjoyed an incredible meal and had a great time talking. After dinner we stopped in a bunch of tourist shops and had fun being a bit silly then headed back to our room to relax. I got to enjoy my first bath in 5 months! It was a wonderful day. The next morning (Sept 22) was our anniversary and we spent to entire day lazing around. We had free breakfast buffet which was included that was an absolute feast. We then headed for the beach where we spent the entire day relaxing. Casey did a bit of snorkelling and I watched from the shore. Later that evening we went out for a romantic dinner at an Italian place called Romanos. Sunday (Sept 23) Casey booked us for a free catamaran rental. Casey not knowing there were lessons you could take had us booked to just jump on and go out the just two of us. A little nervous as neither of us really knew what we were doing we jumped on the catamaran and headed out into the water. We had an absolute blast! Casey steered and I worked with the sails and the two of us watched what everyone else was doing. By the end of it we rocked. We had so much fun that we booked one for the next morning. We spent the rest of the day snorkelling and beach bumming. Monday (Sept 24) being our last full day we soaked up as much of the sun as we could and spent the evening relaxing in our beautiful room on the patio with our amazing view. Tuesday morning we enjoyed our last breakfast buffet where we stuffed ourselves and Casey enjoyed the pastries so much he had two chocolate croissants and we had to roll him out of the restaurant. We then checked out of our hotel but our ferry ride back to the main land wasn’t till 5 pm so we went and rented one of the little golf carts to do more exploring of the Island. We drove up to a beautiful look out where you could see more of the other Islands. Catching our ferry back to Airlie beach I was sad our little romantic excursion had ended but it was such a wonderful time. I have such an amazing husband who sure knows and loves me.

Parting Ways

Thursday night after arriving in Airlie Beach the four of us got ready to go out to dinner for Roxanne’s 24th birthday which was the next morning. We had a great time at Joe’s Dinner and ate till we had to undo our top button on our pants. After dinner the four of us went back to Casey & my cabin as we had ditched the tent for the night. We enjoyed a few laughs with Roxanne doing her amazing imitation of Louie Armstrong and Joel imitating Donkey off of Shrek. We enjoyed our last evening together and kinda hoped it wouldn’t end. Friday morning (Sept 21) we wished Roxanne a happy birthday in the Casey & Christa manner (a cheesy birthday song). Joel & Roxanne drove us to the ferry where Casey & I were heading to a surprise destination for our 6 year wedding anniversary. We said our goodbyes with tears in our eyes as the four of us had so much fun together and became such close friends that it will be hard having the ocean between us.

Magnetic Island

Monday (Sept 16) afternoon we arrived in Townsville where set up camp for the night before heading to Magnetic Island. The next morning we wandered around Townsville a little to see a bit of the beautiful beach which had the coolest kid’s water park that I have ever seen. It had a giant bucket that filled with water then dumped on the kids. Farther down on the beach it also had a fountain that had bright pink water and a place to do chin ups for those athletic types. I had a go but I couldn’t do one, then Joel & Casey showed off to their ladies a bit.
Jumping on the ferry to Magnetic Island the water was aqua blue filled with sail boats having a back drop of islands and a bright blue sky. We arrived and headed for our campsite which was a big difference from our 5 star caravan resort in Cairns. The four of us walked to the beach at Horseshoe Bay about 10 minutes away and enjoyed an afternoon nap in the sun. That evening as Casey & I were trying to sleep in our tent, hoping for a bit of peace and quiet, every bird on the island went crazy with a squawking and screaming competition. I have never wished I had a bb gun so bad in my life! The next morning after our breakfast we spent some time reading and then we headed to explore part of the Island. Our first stop was at Florence bay where we were the only people on the beach for most of the morning. Casey & Roxanne went snorkelling while Joel and I laid on the beach and read. Next we headed to check out Radical Bay where we made a quick stop as it was pretty windy. On our way back to our campsite we made a stop at Arthur Bay lookout which gave us an amazing view of the Bay. That evening while having our dinner we had a few visitors come and try to join us. We had a few friendly possums hanging around our feet and eating anything that dropped on the ground. One little guy took a liking to Casey we don’t understand why as Casey kept trying to feed him apple cider vinegar. Thursday (Sept 20) morning on our way back to the ferry we stopped at another bay called Alma Bay which had to be my favourite. It was small and beautiful and obviously a favourite of some locals. While Casey, Joel & Roxanne read by the beach I went for a walk and enjoyed the view from some gigantic rocks on the side. When I see the awesome beauty of creation it brings me more into awe of our great Creator.

Hanging with the Harnisch’s

We had another great time in Cairns with Walter, Marty & Tobias. We definitely felt so at home with them and were graciously welcomed into their home again. One morning Joel & Casey had a major water fight outside with Tobias and it lasted over an hour with all three very wet. We enjoyed sharing meals with them, great conversation and a few laughs. Saturday (Sept 15th) Casey & I took Joel & Roxanne to see Mossman Gorge and the four of us spent about 2 hours there. The guys had a great time in the cold water while Roxanne and I sat on the warm rocks chatting. That evening we headed back to Cairns to join Walter & Marty to watch the parade of lights for the end of the Cairns festival. The four of us arrive ½ ways through the parade and worked our way through the crowd to find them. The seven of us watched the parade then grabbed a bit while waiting to watch the fireworks. The next morning was a very exciting Sunday morning for all of us as Joel & Roxanne were being baptized. After the morning sermon Joel & Roxanne were invited to share their stories with the church. It was really amazing. After they shared the entire church went outside to where Joel & Roxanne were baptized. This was a very special time for Joel & Roxanne as it symbolized surrendering their lives completely to Christ in every way and in every part. It was a great celebration!! Sadly the next morning the four of had to leave so we all went to the church had coffee with the Harnisch’s and said our final goodbyes.

Kids at Heart

Arriving in Cairns Tuesday (Sept 11) we pulled in to the best caravan park we have ever seen. It was not just any caravan park but a 5 star caravan resort. We got a tour of the resort in a nemo golf cart and the first thing that caught our eye was the giant jumping pillows. It had everything you would want! So after our tour we set up camp and ran over to the jumping pillows to have some fun. Not realizing how much work it was to jump on these things we were exhausted. It a blast making each other fly in the air. Next we headed to the huge pool where we had a game of piggy in the middle, pretty much the guys keeping the mini soccer ball away from Roxanne and I. After having more fun than the kids around us we got ready for our double date night. The four of us went out for an incredible dinner at this great Greek restaurant. We figured out that the restaurant was owned by the brothers of some famous singer in England so Joel & Roxanne were pretty excited. After dinner we went to a movie that we had been waiting with great anticipation to see ‘Ratatouie’. We grabbed our popcorn and enjoyed our movie.

Monday Sept 3rd we headed out on the beginning of our 3000 kilometre road trip with Joel & Roxanne. We went as far as Katherine where we stayed for two nights to relax a bit after our eventful Kakadu trip. The four of us enjoyed sleeping in a bit, lots of time reading, chatting and getting organized to head out on the long drive through the outback. The Wednesday morning (Sept 5) we started our drive with our first stop at the Cutta Cutta caves. Cutta Cutta means Starry Starry as the rocks inside the cave sparkle like they are covered in glitter. Wandering through these amazing caves we only saw a few spiders and snake skins but nothing that freaked us out. Joel preferred not to see snakes and I preferred not to see the spiders. Later that afternoon we stopped at a famous homestead called WE OF THE NEVER NEVER we looked around and felt better about hostel living and camping after seeing the accommodations back then. Right next to the homestead was Elsey National Park which had some amazing hot springs, so the four of us went for a refreshing dip. We figured these pools must be “the fountains of youth” as it looked like everyone else in the pools were over 60. Back on the road we headed off and stopped in a town called Larrimah. This town is the same one we had stopped at during our first trip to Darwin in the middle of the night and felt like we were in the twilight zone. We pulled over to show Joel this strange little “town”. The gas pumps were still out of order and when Casey took Joel in to show him the strange “store” there was a big biker looking guy sitting on the old chair watching TV with his dog at his feet and a Joey beside him. Casey asked the guy about the Joey and not taking his eyes off the TV in front of him he told them they pulled it out of a kangaroo that got hit nearby. Casey pointed to the crocodile in the dining room in an aquarium and asked the guy about it, while the guy said he had two more out back one 3 feet another 4 ½ feet. The guys jumped back in the car and we continued on our way glad we never had to stay at Larrimah. Almost running out of gas and just making it to Daly Waters we found a gas pump that had a sign saying “Fuel ask at the pub”. So we walked into the pub across the street that was packed full of people and had its walls full of driver’s licences, passports, foreign money, t-shirts, flags, bras, underwear & flip flops that travelers had left there. It definitely was a different place. The little tiny town was full of people with crazy cars all travelling together for a charity function with the Variety Club so we headed on wards to Dunmarra. When we arrived Dunmarra we were greeted by a little boy who was 5 years old and as friendly as could be. His family was in Australia from Africa and this little guy had a smile like I have never seen before. The next morning when the four of us were reading we saw our new little friend sitting outside on the steps of his motel room waiting for someone to play with him. Casey headed over with a soccer ball and Joel, Casey and this little guy played soccer for about 45 minutes. The three of them had a blast. Just before we left Casey gave him the soccer ball and the little guys face little up so much we thought he was going to burst with excitement. As we were leaving we saw him knocking on every motel door to show people his new soccer ball. It was pretty cool to bless that little guy and brought so much joy to our hearts to see him so happy. That day we drove all day and stopped at Barkley Homestead which was in the middle of no were and had more flies then a cow farm. Both Roxanne and myself put on our sexy fly nets to make dinner as we were going insane with them dive bombing our ears. Friday morning (Sept 7th) we drove all day again till we arrived in Mount Isa where we found a McCafe to grab a good cup of coffee before heading to the grocery store to get supplies for dinner. As we have been travelling with a couple English it became a great tradition to have a cup of tea after our dinner meals. Well with Casey’s influence Joel was starting to switch over to coffee after dinner instead of the tea. Joel’s excuse was that you can’t find a good cup of tea like back home. Saturday morning we headed to Charter Towers where we pulled into town in the early evening and decided to eat out for a change as we were all exhausted. Saturday morning we headed to Mission Beach where we decided to stay a few nights as it was breathtaking. Casey got up at sunrise each morning and went for a walk along the beach. On Monday morning Joel & Roxanne headed off to do their White Water Rafting trip while Casey & I relaxed at the beach. Joel and Roxanne came and shared how they got a free upgrade to the Extreme version of it and had a crazy time. Casey’s thing but definitely not mine. Tuesday (Sept 11th) we finally arrived in Cairns ready to have a break from all our driving.