Whitsundays

The Whitsundays are a group of 74 islands in upper Queenstown. They were discovered by James Cook on what he thought was Whitsunday, hence the name. It was later revealed that he actually discovered the islands of Whit Monday but the name stuck around. Initially known for timber wood, its biggest industry is now tourism. The water is a bright turquoise blue and the sand is almost pure white! The Whitsundays also mark the start of the Great Barrier Reef. The Great Barrier Reef is enormous and the size of Japan. It is the largest living organism in the world. We had come here to the island to sail, snorkel, and see the views from above. 

We had flown in yesterday afternoon and today a group of us were off on a half day sea kayaking adventure. I joked that by now we were basically professionals since it is my third day paddling. Our tour operator picked us up from the hostel and took us to the spot where the sea kayaking would be. The water is unreal here. It is so clear and such a pretty turquoise blue color. Even on an overcast morning like today it was still so blue! We were grateful for the overcast skies as it was hot here! It is summer here but in the North, it is also the wet season so there are frequent rain showers. 

Kayaking today was in pairs and the boats were slightly different than the previous ones I have been in. These kayaks had enclosed seats and  rudders for controlling the direction. To start, Lexi was in the back controlling our steering while I took the front lead. Afterwards we switched. It was definitely something to get used to but the rudders made it much easier to suddenly change directions, the user just had to know how to operate the kayak. 

The Whitsunday waters are home to many marine species including 6 of the 7 species of turtles in the world. The turtles were very noise sensitive so when we saw them pop their little heads above the water we had to be extremely quiet or else they would return underwater. The sea turtles can remain underwater for up to 6 hours by slowing their breathing to only 2 breaths per minute. 

The first of the 74 islands we saw was named Repair Island as that was the purpose of the island when it was discovered. A ship crashed into the reef off the coast and then landed on the beach to repair the ship. Other islands we passed by had mangroves growing on the side of them. Mangroves are extremely important in the area since they protect the land and animals from severe weather such as cyclones. In fact just a couple days ago a cyclone passed through. Thankfully we missed that one. It was labeled as a category 3 cyclone but then only ended up being a 1 or 2. 

About halfway through kayaking we reached an island and pulled our boats to the beach. The beach was covered in colored pieces of coral and so many shells. The pieces of broken coral were very hard and sharp to walk barefoot on and we had to carry the kayaks so we did not scratch the bottom. In Australia jellyfish season is November - May so anyone that wants to swim must wear a sexy stinger suit. The stinger suits were made from lycra fabric and covered the entire body. In addition to jellyfish, it also protects from some types of algae and worms. I genuinely don't want to know what else lurks in the waters. 

We put on the stinger suits, grabbed our snorkel sets, and hit the water. We were only permitted to swim near the shore between rocks. The water was super clear but the sad part was there was no reef and therefore no fish. I swam back and forth still looking for fish but never found any. I retired to the beach for snacks before we headed back to the kayak. 

This kayaking trip had been the most strenuous so far. I liked that it was predominantly just our Contiki group as that was more peaceful than previously going out in such a large group and continuously stopping every couple minutes. This was smooth sailing without breaks and was a good workout. 

The most exciting part of my day was my scenic flight. As a part of Whitsundays there was a reef in the shape of a heart that can only be seen from above. I had learned about this while working at Eastern Travels so I knew I had to see it. It was originally a free time add-on that I had seen on the Contiki itinerary but apparently had since been removed. I feel like it had already been advertised to me so there was no way I was missing it and booked on my own through a tour company. I then also convinced my friend Matt to join me even though he joked there was no way he was spending $4.80/ minute. I eventually did convince him to come with me but they bumped his time slot up an hour so we did not get to go together. 

The scenic flight was the most epic experience so far! It was breathtaking! We took off from the local airport and there were a total of 6 of us including the pilot in a small plane. I was seated right next to the pilot as his co-pilot. There was even a steering wheel and all the controls on my side. I was told I wasn't allowed to touch them though - so tempting. We took off from the small airport over the beautiful blue sea. Below us were the 72 Whitsunday islands. They were all covered in lush forests except for where resorts and towns had come up. It's amazing what mother nature looks like untouched. 

The Whitsundays were characterized by white sandy beaches and turquoise water. There were so many uninhabited islands with the clearest waters and sands. The most famous beach of the Whitsunday Islands was the Whitehaven beach. Whitehaven beach is an absolutely stunning beach from above. The sand is made from 98% silica making it the whitest sand in the world. There is a massive sand formation that changes throughout the day that is a stunning site from above. 

The next place after the Whitsunday Islands was the Great Barrier Reef. I haven't seen anything as impressive as the view of the Great Barrier Reef. The reef was a bright teal color and water so clear you could see straight through it. The pilot tilted the plane both sides so we could get a good view of the reef below. It was so spectacular! At last we reached the heart reef. It was smaller than expected and came and went in the blink of an eye! Luckily the pilot circled back again so both sides of the plane could have a look. The water around the Great Barrier Reef is so clear you can see right through it and the pilot said sometimes you can even see animals in the water from the plane. I was hoping to maybe see a whale but didn't. 

I was on a high from the scenic flight! I could not get over the view from the plane. It is one thing to be able to visit the places from land but seeing the formations from above was something else. It showed the natural formations of our planet. Tomorrow we would be sailing the Whitsundays by boat so I would have a different perspective.