This Way to Paradise!

Last I wrote I was starting out on my sailing trip through the Whitsundays. After a tasty lunch we went scuba diving. It was sooo amazing to be diving in the Great Barrier Reef. The diversity of coral and fish were incredible. Sadly, the area is constantly inundated with tourists so the coral have suffered.

The next day was my birthday, and it was an adventurous one. I woke up a little hung over and sea sick and noticed that it was raining. It never rains on my birthday! Technically, it wasn't my birthday in Vancouver for another 8 hours so there was still time for sun. We jumped overboard for a dip in the warm ocean before we were served a delicious breakfast. We then went snorkeling, which instantly cured my hangover. After snorkeling we went for a sail and sailed right into a giant storm. We wore rain jackets but the rain came down so hard that they were no use. One girl had a hilarious idea to wear a snorkel mask so we could see each other under the torrential rain. It was quite a sight.

After the storm passed the sun came out and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. We snorkeled again after lunch at the most amazing snorkeling sight I have ever been to. We saw a leopard shark and 100's of different colorful fish. There were giant clams that were opening and closing and huge crevices covered in coral.

We then sailed to Whitsunday Island where Whitehaven beach is located. This beach was THE best beach I have ever been to. Picture a beach with km's of the whitest softest sand and the clearest turquoise water. I had definitely found paradise!! Best of all there was no one else on the beach. We asked the skipper of the boat if he could just leave us there forever. After playing in paradise for a while we sailed into a quiet harbour to swim with turtles and eat a delicious BBQ dinner as the sun set. Everyone knew it was my birthday, so they surprised me with a 'cake' (they improvised and used Wheatabix because they had no cake and the candle was a flashlight), a happy birthday song, and the cabin was decorated with toilet paper and written on it was 'Happy Birthday Alana'. It was so special. After dinner we lay under the stars and shared favourite birthday memories. Next to our boat was a huge racing yacht that was rumored to have lots of cute guys on board. I suggested we pay them a visit, so we ended up hanging out on their boat and partied the night away. What a great birthday!!



The next day was more snorkeling, sun bathing and swimming. Sadly, the sail came to an end all too fast. One of the best parts of the sailing trip was meeting Genny, one of the Canadians, whom has now become a great friend and will be traveling with me for the next month. After the sailing trip, Genny and I got on the Oz Experience bus and headed for Magnetic Island, a hidden treasure in my opinion. This island was just amazing. That's all for now....

Holy Sand Dunes, Batman!

Sorry it's been so long since my last post, but the fun factor of my trip has just gone up several notches, and I simply have not had time to sit down for an hour to write. Thank you for all your birthday wishes. I will tell you about my unforgettable birthday later.
On the last installment of A Land Down Under, I was in Surfer's Paradise and heading to Fraser Island. Fraser Island exceeded my expectations in terms of its natural beauty. The island is full of lush rain forests that grow right out from the sand. There is a 75 mile white sand beach that seems to go on for miles. That sandy beach serves as the 'highway' and 'runway' for the 4-wheel drive vehicles and planes that land on the island. There were 9 people on my 3-day camping trip - 4 English, 2 Germans, and 2 Scottish guys, and me the only Canadian. I got a chance to drive the 4wd van on the beach and on the extremely challenging soft sand roads throughout the island. We came across a shipwreck on the beach. The Mahemo was a ship that had washed ashore after it was declared unseaworthy and was being towed to Japan. We camped next to packs of dingos and saw huge guanas (lizards) in the trees. The freshwater lakes on the island are incredible: some had white silica sand and clear turquoise water, others were a cool clear green color with huge sand dunes flowing into the water. Lake McKenzie had the whitest sand. There was sand EVERYWHERE! Some of the dunes were so steep that there were warning signs not to run down them. Of course we ignored those signs.

My next destination was the Town of 1770. Yes, that IS the name. It was a quiet town with one bar, supermarket, and restaurant. My dad's friend has a time-share there, so I was lucky enough to stay there for 5 days for free. I shared the luxury apartment with a girl from Holland, whom I had met on the Oz Experience bus. We had a quiet and relaxing few days, suntanning when it was sunny and watching videos when it rained.

After the Town of 1770 I took the Oz bus once again up the coast to a VERY small town called Dingo, a memorable night for many Oz Experience passengers. We arrived at a cattle station much like the sheep station I stayed in Nundle a while back. Immediately when we got off the bus they asked us if we wanted to go for a helicopter ride. I just couldn't pass it up, so within 5 minutes of arriving I was 800 feet up looking down at the outback below. It was a blast! Being the adventurous type I am I was however disappointed that the pilot didn't do any sharp turns or drops. I assumed it was because it was getting dark and it may have been too dangerous. I voiced my opinion and they asked if I wanted to go again for free at sunrise the next morning. My response was a definite YES! That night we learned how to line dance and dance on the picnic tables without falling off (some had better luck than others). The next morning after my sunrise helicopter ride (even better than the night before) we went on a farm tour. We learned about the life of the Braham cattle (don't remember spelling) and how the farm manages to feed them even in the drought. We learned how to crack a whip and throw a boomerang. I also tried the didgeridoo.




Next I took the bus to Airlie Beach where the highlight of my trip starts. The following day, June 2nd, I started out on a 3 day sailing trip around the Whitsunday Islands. It was just a magical trip!! There were 10 of us and 2 crew on a 50 foot sailing yacht. We all got along so well, it was amazing!! On the boat were myself and 2 Canadians (Genny and Jerome), 2 Americans (Meagan and Mason), 2 Belgians (Les and Inga), and 3 English (Marianne and Claire and Sam). We were pampered the entire trip with all our meals made for us. We sailed out of the marina under the blue sky and through clear turquoise water. We got our bathing suits on a stretched out on the deck to soak up some rays. Within minutes of being on the boat my sunglasses fell overboard. I was hoping this wouldn't be a sign of things to come!

Unfortunately I am out of time, as the internet cafe is now closing. I will continue tomorrow and fill you in on the next day, which was my birthday, a day I will not soon forget! I hope that everyone is doing well and taking advantage of the Vancouver heat wave I keep hearing about.