As Melbourne rugged up for a chilly start to June, Grace and Sam booked a last minute weekend escape to the warmth of the Whitsundays.
Friday and Saturday were windy here so we spent our time in Airlie Beach. We wandered into town to look at the beach, foreshore craft market and Main Street shops. We went for a picturesque walk up Airlie Creek along a track into the hills behind Airlie Beach. We reached pretty rock pools with water cascading through boulders.
Along the way Catherine showed us fascinating mimosa plants. Their feathery leaves close when you touch them.
We also spent some time relaxing in the marina, hanging out in the hummock, reading books and playing card games.
Sunday was forecast to be less windy, so we decided to sail over to Blue Pearl Bay on Hayman Island to snorkel among the tropical fish. The following photo shows Grace and Sam enjoying the cruise–but don’t ask me who is whom!
The wind was supposed to be 15-20 knots but it came up fresher at 18-23 knots with gusts to 30 knots. The sea was a little bumpy but not that bad considering it had been blowing 25-35 knots for the past few days. Unfortunately, the wind and waves were from the wrong direction and made Blue Pearl Bay uncomfortable so we moved on to Butterfly Bay on Hook Island which was more sheltered. We buzzed over to shore in the tender to relax on the beach and go snorkeling.
The weekend was over too soon and Grace and Sam flew back home on Monday morning. Catherine and I enjoyed their short visit and we hope they took warm memories with them back to Melbourne.
For those interested in history, Sunday was notable for this region because it was Pentecost Sunday, a special day on the Christian calendar celebrated 50 days after Easter, also known as “Whit Sunday”. It was on Whit Sunday in 1770 that Lieutenant James Cook passed through this region on his first voyage of discovery up the east coast of Australia. He named Whitsunday Passage and Pentecost Island.
Debonnaire 