THYME'S FLYIN' BY! WHITSUNDAY STYLE....

"MERRY CHRISTMAS! "

XMAS DINNER

G'day all,
Today marks 2 weeks since we left Townsville on this little adventure.
Christmas cheer has come and gone, now everyone waits for the party that is "new years eve".
When I last updated we were back in Airlie Beach. Ready to pick up a couple of visitors and head out again, however there was the small matter of Christmas in the way.
So with MUCH Christmas "spirits" We all enjoyed the festive season as best we could.
(see opening photo)

FLO AND EMMA

BEACH CAPERS AT WHITEHAVEN

STUNNING PLACE

A merry thyme was had by all and as usual the food was terrible!
We bid farewell to our German friends after a short trip to Armit Island for a dive. Where I found my first painted crayfish!
Back to Airlie same day to pick up our new guests from France. Florene and Emma. These 2 bubbly people were  polar opposite to our last visitors. Really fun 2B with and all round good company.
I'm rapidly learning that most of "travelling" isn't the places you visit, but the peoples you meet while your there.

SUNSET APPROACHES

After we resupplied and re-fueled it was thyme to depart once again, with good winds we set off for Cid Harbour.
Cajun BBQ'd chicken with  greek and bean salads for lunch washed down with tropical fruit punch while we sailed towards Cid's place, only 2 find it full of "others" So after reconsulting the map we changed our destination to a little place, big enuf 4 one or 2 yachts only.
May's Bay is just outside Cid Harbour and a far more betterer place to set anchor for the evening while we got to know our new visitors. However we found the coral a little earlier than we hoped and put a sizeable hole in the left (port) rudder. (easy fix when we return to Townsville). After a fantastic dive it was thyme for dinner and drinks while we got chatting.
I got the Yot underway around 5am while everyone slept. Taking full advantage of the big tides I "roared" past Hamilton Island at a whole 7 knots. Round the bottom of Whitsunday island before heading to Chalkies beach for a sensational dive (best visibility of the whole trip) Fed countless reef fish with our bread crusts . Lotz of laughs and giggles from our French connection. Back to Whitehaven after a full cooked breakfast.
We felt Whitehaven / Hill inlet deserved a second visit while we were here.

CLOUDZ ARE FORMING

  After a close call with the tide dropping we set sail once again for Marcona inlet on Hook Island. B.B.Q'd mushroom pizza's for lunch with sausages and fresh potato salad while underway through Whitsunday passage.
We reached our destination around 4.30 pm and while the others went for a last minute dive I set about making a traditional bolognaise sauce for dinner.
Showers and drinks all round before we settled down for a gr8 spagetti served with grilled cheesy garlic bread followed closely by lemon cheesecake for dessert. Itz amazing how many people can't eat all there main meal but still find room when dessert arrives.
Lydern kept everyone amused with his attempts at squiding.
After a lazy start on Saturday morning we set sails and headed back 2wards Airlie as our guests needed to head to Byron bay for a music fest.
Our return to Airlie, marks the end of our Whitsunday adventure, sort of !!!
With a big blow expected for the next 3 days we are changing our planz and delaying our leave date until this wind slows.
So we've put out a few flyers at the backpackers to see if anyone wants a lift to Townsville, while we wait out this blow. Who knows we may brave the conditions and head up to the top of Hook Island for a few more dives in the sheltered waters of either Manta Ray bay or Butterfly bay.
With Christmas happening there waz lotz of calls/ emails and texts across the country and the world and itz at this thyme of the year I realise just how far away I really am.
The list of people that made contact is to big to individualize but thanx to all that did and Bah Humbug to those that didn't.
That's it for this week as itz now 2.30 pm and definitely thyme for a nap.
Cheers from Galleycat and crew and we meet again next year!
Captain Felix
 

WHITSUNDAY MAGIC

G'day All,
 Itz very hard to follow the last entry of just a few days ago however when your in "paradise" itz really not that difficult....
This is an interim entry to try and kleer the amazing backlog of photo's and experiences of the past 5 days.
Since arriving in The Whitsundays early this week every day/ evening / night has been an incredible journey. And the quantity of photo's and video images that are recorded have me struggling to remember them all if I don't keep updating the Blog.

Over Whitehaven Beach

I left you last entry as we left Langford Island under sail at night heading for Nara inlet.
Awoke the next morning inside the huge valley that is Nara, Turtles around the Yot and trees as far as the eye can see.
After a tour of the inlet in the dinghy, housework beckoned.
So with a few jobs to do we moved the Yot out of the inlet to our first dive location about 200m outside the entrance.
We never did go diving!
Instead a lazy day of fishing and chores around the boat.
Then back into Nara for some mast repairs and Autopilot work.
Scotch fillet for dinner then sleep.

Early next day we set off for Airlie beach (glass calm). Upon arrival we met Eike and Mona our guests aboard for the next few nights both hail from Germany.
Resupplied with food fuel and Ice we set off again towards Whitsunday Island and Whitehaven Beach. However the breeze had other ideas, so we headed for our dive spot from the day B4. Arriving around dusk for a quite evening getting to know each other.
Grilled Spanish mackerel and salad for dinner.
Eike caught his first squid.

Eike and Mona

The wind blew 20 knots all night but we were safely tucked in our little bay. Raven's cove.
An early morning dive proved how wrong we were not to indulge the day before.
"WOW What a dive!"
Feeding giant fish at the back of the Yot then diving amongst forests of coral inter spaced with coral trout.
After a fruit breakfast it was thyme 2 head once again towards Whitehaven.
We made it as far as Tongue point and the lookout over Whitehaven and Hill inlet.
I took the kayack to the beach for some solace time, and photo opp's.
We planned to head up to the lookout for sundown.
SPECTACULAR!
What a sight!, it was instantly obvious where we'd park the Yot the following day.
A quite sundown with everybody enjoying their own thoughts as we watched the sun set and colours change across our goal of Whitehaven Beach.
Once again hundreds of foto'z to sort upon return to Gallleycat.
Dinner was a fresh basil and cashew pesto pasta, followed by strawberries and yoghurt before everyone retired to the foredeck area to sleep.
Until 1 am when it absolutely bucketed down!

Parked at Whitehaven

After a quick move we all bunked down again until around 4.30 am when I awoke to move the Yot to the beach for dawn.
The weather had deteriorated and it was decided to park the Yot on the beach from inside Hill Inlet and enjoy the beach while safely high and dry for 24 hours while the weather cleared.
Another amazing day....
The BUBBLE SAND is definitely the most amazing feature of the piece of paradise.
While the beach itself is special itz this sand thatz truly amazing. As you put your feet down while swimming the sand releases thousands of tiny air bubbles around you.

Double parked on Whitehaven

 The worlds largest champagne pool!
Swimming here while it was absolutely pouring with rain was another of those really special experiences.
After a full cooked breakfast of poached eggs on muffins with ham and melted cheese, we all went our separate ways again except for Mona who slept the entire day.
I swum, photo'd and did a few Yot maintenance jobs also made anzac biscuits and an exploding pavlova.
With the tide out til 6pm the best anchor is no anchor at all.
After a busy day a real cruisey evening of music and a fresh laksa with what was left of my special exploding pavlova covered in whipped cream, mango, banana and kiwifruit for dessert. (the rest was stuck to the walls of the oven)

BUBBLE SAND?????

TRANQUILITY

The images recorded this day will be uploaded as they become available along with the first of the diving video footage once we work the editing program out.
An early morning swim while we waited for the Yot to float.
Stingrays and shovelnosed sharks everywhere!
With the weather still against us we set off for Airlie again via Hamilton Island and lots of other places I'd only ever heard of in glossy brochures.
Arrival in Airlie for Christmas eve shopping and a hearty informal B.B.Q  dinner and more than a few drinks.
Will the weather clear enough for us to head out tomorrow?
Who knows-Who cares!

Pavlova or Bombe'?

When your fall back location is Airlie beach itz not that big a problem. I can't help but think how gr8 it would be to be sharing this experience with Amanda or Tony or perhaps a few mates out of my past life. But that's an experience I'll wait for.
Until Xmas day that's it from Galleycat
This year will definitely finish on a high, if the last week is anything to go by....
The journey continues