CATAMARAN ADVENTURE WHITSUNDAY ISLANDS

Our catamaran adventure was just that – an adventure.  Laureen was loving being out on the water and all things boaty.  Me, I was packed ready to get back on shore the next morning, but we still had a day and a night to go.  There were 8 guests and 2 crew.  A lovely small group.  Four of us were over 60 and 4 of them were 2 couples in their 20s from Germany.  We had such fun together.  One of the ships that we met out and about had 26 passengers all sleeping in pods that you had to climb down into from the deck and sharing 1 bathroom.  YIKES – they even paid the same amount as we did and they had only 1 bathroom to share amongst them!  Double YIKES!!  Thank you trip advisor for helping me plan our trip properly.

Our first glimpse of the beautiful Whitsunday Islands was a stop at Whitehaven Beach.  The silica sands are so beautiful and it was a perfect day to see this most recognized beach … perhaps in the world.  It is a hike up and a hike down into the beach area through the trees, and thankfully so as it was a very hot and sunny day. 

Sleeping was a chore.  Everything is damp, the quarters are small and stuffy.  We did have little fans that helped tremendously – but they were so noisy.  Laureen and I were crammed into the larger of the two bunks.  One of the bunks was over top of the other one and if someone were to sleep up there, there would be no sitting up, no rolling over and no peeing during the night.  This would not work for us.  Laureen did get up there…but the thought of her falling on me in the middle of the night made it impossible for me to let her stay up there.  So we were both on the lower of the two, but it was a chore getting on and off it.  We laughed often and laughed hard. 

The bathroom when you close the door becomes the shower area.  So after rinsing off…can’t really call it a shower, everything must be wiped down.  We were lucky to have an “ensuite” as the others had to share.  When I booked I didn’t realize that we had such luxury.  HA!  It was sure nice to have our own though. 

The next day we tried snorkeling – Laureen and I had to get into suits to do this…no not bathing suits.  She in a stinger suit and me in a wetsuit.  Normally I would let you imagine the site, but no…there are pictures.  It took me, Laureen and another lady to get me into my wetsuit.  Don't we look so happy and ready for our adventure!

Thank God I left any vanity and dignity on shore as I clambered into the catamaran…there was none to be had onboard.  We ventured into the dinghy and out to the snorkeling spot.  Then it was getting into the water from the vessel.  So with lifejacket on, mask on, snorkel on – it was time to drop into the water. 

Down I went – up I came and white knuckled onto the rope on the side, and couldn’t let go.  All that work of getting into the gear and getting out to the reef and all I could think of was, “GET ME OUT, PLEASE!”   I didn’t even get to take a picture with my new little underwater camera.  Laureen was wanting none of this either.  She got back into the dinghy first and unfortunately I didn’t see what was in store for me.  Then it was my turn.  Matt put down the ladder.  LADDER?  It was a rope with a plastic bar that was about chest high in the water…”put your foot on it” he says…..me “are you kidding me?” 

So lying back in the water, I got my foot on it but was nowhere near getting back in the dinghy.  So keeping my foot on the bar, I grabbed onto the handle on the side and that was it.  Matt reached down and grabbed my life jacket which proceeded to come up over my head.  So then he reached down and grabbed under my arms - more bruises....and pulled me over the side.  There I was straddling the pontoons and trying to catch my breath. 

Dear Laureen was laughing so hard at the sight – how helpful and kind – course I was laughing too – it must have been a site. OH WAIT – there are pictures.  Then when Matt reached for me again, I begged him…”please don’t throw me back!” we all laughed some more.  So gracefully, not, I slid off the pontoon and down onto the bottom of the dinghy and then on my hands and knees looking over the side, a dinghy from another boat passed by and bless those young ones….”having fun are we?” they shouted their cheery greeting.  I just bobbed my head in reply – but they couldn’t see my head as it was still tucked turtle like inside my life jacket.  Thanks Laureen for the lovely photo memories. 

 

Fortunately, one of our mates on the ship had a lovely underwater camera and kindly shared his photos with us.  Had we been able to successfully snorkel, this is what we would have been lucky to see.  sigh** next time - WAIT A MINUTE - THERE WILL NEVER BE A NEXT TIME!  I will satisfy my cravings for reef adventures with a lifetime membership at the Vancouver Aquarium!