Australia Part IV: Hamilton Island

Koalas, kangaroos and great beaches are things we think of when we think of Australia.  The next bucket item we wanted to experience was the Great Barrier Reef, so we planned 5 days on Hamilton Island.  It is a resort island, part of the Whitsundays group.  Our trip there was almost cancelled because of Cyclone Debbie.  There was lots of damage on the island, including our original hotel rental.  We were assured that it was still business as usual and we were fortunate to find another place to stay through AirBnB.

We arrived at the airport and were greeted by our 'buggy'.  Everyone drives around the island on buggies.  Jonah was pretty sad that you had to have an actual driver's license to drive them.

We had a great two bedroom apartment with a lovely view and ate most of our meals on the patio.

The first thing you notice on Hamilton Island are the birds.  Bush Stone Curlew, Lorikeets and Cockatoos.  At first it seemed like a magical moment when one would get close to your patio, but then a 2nd, 3rd and 4th bird would show up looking to be fed so we quickly realized they were everywhere.

We were very disciplined and avoided feeding the birds as the signs told us, but one morning the neighbours were feeding bread to them and gave a piece to Jonah, so we broke the rules once.

You had to be very careful with food.  Once day at the pool they managed to open a can of Pringles left behind by someone.  Hilarious to watch.

Rob and Erin tried their best to exercise each day, but it was hot and very humid, so we had to start early.  Even then it was a far cry from our normal exertion.  It's amazing how much energy one can spend getting their body to 'cool off''.  There were 4 pools on the island resort that anyone could use. We spent time just relaxing in and around the pool and digging sand castles on the beach.

We had a couple of trips planned while we there.  Whitehaven Beach and of course the reef. Whitehaven Beach is one of the most photographed beaches in the world.  The beautiful white sand is 98% silica, so it does not get hot in the sun, and you can actually use the sand to clean your jewelry. We rode a catamaran on a sunny day around Whitsunday Island over to the beach.

We played in the warm water, made sand castles, and tossed the frisbee and football.  It would have been great to spend all day there, but we had to make our way back.  We had to wear wet suits to keep the stingers away (jellyfish).

Then the big event...the reef!  We arrived on a windy rainy day to the boat and were told the weather was too rough to head to the reef.  There were no other reef trips available during our time there, so I guess we won't be ticking this one off the bucket list.  Oh well, better that than having been here during the cyclone.  We told the kids they have take care of the environment so the reef will still be vibrant in 20 years and they can bring us back here.  

We were still able to take a 'bumpy' boat ride to a couple of great snorkelling spots. Those of us motion sick prone people found it best to keep our eyes closed.  

We had fun 'sniffing our masks into position' and when we hit the water, the variety of coral was pretty spectacular.  The highlight was a Snapper the size of Jonah who we swam very close to.

On the last day we even saw a wild Kangaroo hop past our apartment!  Ann will be very happy as she was terribly disappointed that we did not get to see them in Digger's Camp.

Well, that's it!  We had a long day of travel yesterday to get back home to Auckland.  One day to recover and then it is back to school and work.  Only 2 more months and we are back in Canada.

Australia Part III: Byron Bay

We spent the last few days of our time with Ann & Michel in and around Byron Bay.  You can see why this place is a top tourist destination.  Byron Bay's 'the pass' is one of the only North facing beaches in Australia.  It's unique geography gives it one of the longest surf waves...up to 800m on the same wave!  The beach is stunning.  The town is crawling with young backpackers and tourists of every age from all over the world.

We started off with some sea kayaking with dolphins.

The kids each rode with a guide.  At the end, we all tried 'kayak surfing'.  Naysa's surf was captured on video - see below (need to watch on a computer to view).

Next up was snorkelling at Julian Rocks.  It was advertised as snorkelling with sea turtles, but we saw quite a bit more!  Wobbegong sharks, sting rays, eels and lots of tropical fish.

The next adventure was a hike to Minyon Falls.  We had originally planned to swim under the waterfall, but once we got there decided it was too cold!!  

What a beautiful part of the world we got to experience.  Thank you so much to Ann & Michel for being wonderful hosts!!  It was great getting to spend so much time with them.  Next up Hamilton Island and the Great Barrier Reef.

Australia Part II: Lennox Head & Digger's Camp

Ann & Michel were such amazing hosts!  They have a beautiful house up on the hill in Lennox Head and minutes from the beach. They had already prepared a list of activities for us and spoiled us with amazing meals.  They even watched the kids for us one night so we could go on a date!

Our adventure started out with a hike along the coast from Lennox Head to Ballina.  We got to watch the surfers catching some big waves.

The next day we drove 2 hours south to a small beach town called Digger's Camp.  Ann arranged for us to stay in a great rustic cabin for 2 nights.  They even lent us their 2nd car and a boogie board. The beaches were beautiful and rugged with great surf and endless tidal pools to explore.  Usually there are kangaroos running all over the place, but unfortunately we did not see any wild ones.  We did see the signs though!

Live snails that crawl on you.

The kids even entertained us with some choreographed dances!  You'll have to ask for a personal performance when we get home.

Then it was back to Lennox Head for a few days.  Ann & Michel took us to their friend's house for supper.  Hans and Josiane are from Switzerland and now own a beautiful farm near Lennox Head. They have horses, chickens, a dog, pecan and multiple fruit trees.  We picked pecans from the trees as well as all sorts of fruit.  Our favorite was the 'lemonade' fruit which is a sweet lime.  They were hilarious and gracious hosts and made us traditional wood fired pizza in their hand-made outdoor pizza oven.  It was an evening we will not soon forget!