13 to 20 July 2023
We had Grace and Alex visit us this past week and they were lucky enough to see the best whale show. Grace spotted the whale only a few hundred metres away just as we were making our way into the deeper water of Whitsunday Passage. We slowed down and held station as we watched the mother and calf humpback whales blow, wave their flippers and breach. They leapt almost completely out of the water, twisted in the air and fell back into the sea with an enormous splash. The spectacle seemed to last for ages.
We had a good sail across Whitsunday Passage on Saturday and anchored in Nara Inlet for the night. We visited the aboriginal cave to look at the rock art, and then Grace and Alex went exploring with the tender. We settled in for the night and played card games. The sky cleared late in the evening to reveal a wonderful sky filled with stars. The high ridges surrounding the inlet mostly sheltered us from the fresh south-easterly winds, with only the occasional gust pushing the boat around. We were securely anchored, but not so our neighbour who dragged their anchor and woke up 200m from where they went to bed. Luckily they just missed us during the night and did not end up on the surrounding reef.
Sunday morning was a leisurely start. We left the calm waters of the inlet and found ourselves going head-first into choppy 1m waves and fresh 20 knot winds. We were about to make our way to a sheltered mooring an hour or so away, but then we saw the whales, forgot about the rough water and spent probably 20 minutes watching them play. We then reassessed our plans and decided we would prefer a quiet night in the marina. So we made our way back across Whitsunday Passage to Airlie Beach. By now, the winds had increased to 25-30 knots and the waves grew, too. We were soon drenched by the spray from waves slapping the boat. Thank goodness the water was warm. Sounds dreadful but the trip was actually fun. I think we made the right decision to head back to the marina. The wind continued to blow hard at 25-30 knots for the next few days, with passing showers, too.
“It’s better to be in harbour wishing you were out to sea, than to be out to sea wishing you were in harbour.”
a wise, old sailor
We found some good shore-based activities to do around Airlie Beach, and had plenty of time for leisure in the tropical warmth. We caught a bus to Shute Harbour for lunch and walked to Coral Beach and The Beak Lookout in Conway National Park. We went on a pretty walk in a leafy valley following Airlie Beach Creek to a serene rockpool in the bush. We also walked along the Bicentennial Boardwalk that follows the coastline around Airlie Beach. For relaxation, we sat under a palm tree at Boathaven Beach; had lunch at the Whitsunday Sailing Club overlooking Airlie Bay; played pool in the Marina Lookout Lounge; and, on more than one occasion, spent happy hour around the pool at the Coral Sea Resort next to the Marina. Another Aperol Spritz, anyone?
Debonnaire 