Great Barrier Reef, Whitehaven Beach and Homeward Bound

Sunrise at the Great Barrier Reef

An early morning meant we got to catch the beautiful sunrise. There’s something to be said about the calm and peacefulness of the sun rising while in the middle of the ocean. I really enjoyed the quietness and that feeling of just how small we are in this world. It’s really easy to take this creation for granted, but its times like this that make you really appreciate how beautiful it is!

Snorkelling at the Great Barrier Reef

After a little breakfast, we had a solid day of snorkelling and scuba ahead of us. I didn’t have a very strong first attempt at scuba yesterday so, it would be only snorkelling for me today. I opted to pass on our first outing, instead I wanted to enjoy the morning on the deck a little more before jumping back into the water! While the Reef itself isn’t super visible from the surface, you can definitely tell where it is by the change in color in the shallow water.

After the first group of divers and snorkelers came back they were ready to head out again for a second outing. I joined for this one and loved it! Unfortunately I didn’t take the go pro out because I wanted to concentrate on staying afloat! I did borrow some photos from the Kiana Flickr album for our trip so enjoy them below!

To someone (like myself) who has never seen anything like it, I was amazed! The abundance of sea life and the different colours on the ocean floor is mesmerizing! I really enjoyed the time I spent out on the water! It was interesting though, that later on as I spoke to some of the more experienced divers, they mentioned that they were slightly disappointed. Not that it wasn’t beautiful, but rather how much destruction has occurred at the reef. Many of them mentioned that there are other places in the world that have much more vibrant reefs and it was sad to see how damaged it was here. This just goes to show just how much of an effect we can have on our environment.

Sail to Whitsunday Island

Sadly, it was time to say goodbye to the reef. We had a four hour sail ahead of us to Whitsunday Island where we would spend night before visiting Whitehaven beach the next day. Having spent most of the day in the water or the sun, it was the perfect way to enjoy the afternoon. One of the crew had her bluetooth speaker out and all of us lounged around, sunning, chatting, and enjoying the beautiful area around us. It was about this time that Photos and I really had an opportunity to reflect on our whole trip, how much fun we had and how this was a great way to end it off!

By the time we anchored near Whitehaven beach, the sun had already set behind the Island. There was this neat banding that occurred (I did push the colour in the photo to highlight it) and it was just another reminder of that time in Tasmania, Photos and I got to see the Southern Lights! The moon was also out in full force and was really strong even when the sun was nowhere to be seen!

With Spaghetti on the menu for dinner and a free evening, we continued the conversations from the afternoon of sailing. Photos and I even had a chance to teach our shipmates a small party game called Werewolves/Mafia, which we played several rounds of before we all turned in for another early start the next day.

Hill Inlet

I wonder if sunrises ever get old for the locals here. All the ones I was able to witness looked amazing! There must be something to this waking up early thing!

We would be visiting Whitehaven beach today. Some consider this beach to be one of the most beautiful beaches in the world, so both Photos and I were excited to check it out. But before we got to the beach we’d need to do a little hiking. Most vessels aren’t allowed to anchor on the “beach side” so we’d need to zodiac to shore behind the beach and do a short hike to the other side.

We hiked to the top of the hill overlooking the beach called Hill Inlet.  This gives you a good view of the Inlet and the northern part of Whitehaven beach. Its really hard to say anything other than the area is stunning! The water is a very clear blue, and the super white sand (silica) provides an amazing contrast!  I’d imagine this is pretty close to paradise!

On a side note, Photos and I had been pretty lucky avoiding the massive spiders that everyone sent us YouTube videos about before we left. However, on the hike, we finally encountered a rather large spider in the forest.  I was sufficiently creeped out, but had to take a picture of it! (Nope that wasn’t my hand but a brave shipmate!)

Whitehaven Beach

It was time to hit the beach!  Whitehaven beach is considered by some, to be one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. I haven’t been to many outstanding beaches in my travels, but if Whitehaven is any indication, the other beaches in the world are going to have a lot to live up to.

We were able to spend the better part of the morning here and we enjoyed walking along the beach, wadding into the crystal clear water and snapping as many photos as we could!

At one point, Photos and I got to a rocky outcropping that looked back on the beach. We couldn’t get enough of this place!

I learned from the crew that the sand is not actually sand but rather, silica. Because of this, it stays cool, even in the hot sun and makes a weird, almost plasticy noise when you walk/slide your feet along it. We were also given bags by the crew to store our clothes, towels and electronics. They warned us that silica is super fine and can wreak havoc in electronics. It caused Photos and I to be very careful with our cameras making sure to keep them covered whenever there was a breeze.

Back to Airlie

With great sadness, it was time to head back to the boat AND back to Airlie beach. Our group shared lunch and we set sail back. We shared some amazing moments, memories and developed great friendships as well! While I’m not a huge fan of tours, I do enjoy small group tours that give you an opportunity to meet like minded travellers and Kiana Whitsundays is definitely one of those!

After disembarking from Kiana, many of us made plans to have dinner together in Airlie beach before going our separate ways. It was a great way to reminisce on the trip and relax after three very full days of activity. After some food and a few drinks Photos and I needed to get back, pack and get ready for our long trip home.

Homeward Bound

It would be a very long travel day(s) as we’d take the same flights that we did to Australia. We woke up early, grabbed breakfast, and hopped on our airport transfer to Hamilton Island. From there we’d fly to Sydney. We had hoped to have dinner with Physio or Photo’s cousins one last time on our layover, but scheduling and our inability to check in online with China Southern kept us at the airport.

It was an uneventful flight to Guangzhou. We had taken advantage of a cool offer from China Southern that provided a transit hotel stay if your layover was greater than 8 hours. Ours was 9. Upon arrival we followed the directions to the transit accommodations desk and they arranged for a shuttle to drive us to the hotel. Our intention was to sleep for a few hours and explore the city. However, we were so pooped that we ended up sleeping the entire time. We were shuttled back in time to check in and board our last flight home.

12 hours later we touched down in Vancouver, Canada. Another trip in the books and memories to last a lifetime.

Its a little bittersweet that this trip is over now. I’m glad to be home in cooler climates and the comforts of home. However, you can never replace the thrill of travelling and exploration. SO MUCH happened on this trip, and while it had its challenges I am immensely grateful for having had this opportunity!