Summertime - Day III

Curious Priscilla joins our dive

See Days I and II for the other parts of the sailing trip.

Our first dive when we woke up in the morning was in the same exact spot as the night dive from the day before, but it couldn't have been more different. We were swarmed with all kinds of fish. Flo picked up a few pieces of dead hard coral and started clicking them together. The next thing I know, this massive - I mean MASSIVE fish cruises into the middle of our group.  His name is Priscilla - yes his name.  Supposedly there used to be a pair of these Humphead wrasse, Elvis (male) and Priscilla (female).  When Elvis died, Priscilla switched sexes.

On our second dive I set a new personal depth record at 27 meters.  We dropped down a bunch of reef faces which felt like cliffs as you looked over the edge.  I had bought a few disposable underwater cameras for the trip but most of the pictures didn't come out well.  The one you see here was taken by Flo with a professional underwater camera.  As you get deeper bright colors fade out (I won't bore you with the science) and all you are left with is blue and green.  Professional units have a white balance setting that will color correct shots taken at different depths.  The next time I go diving I'm going to get one.  I have wasted over $100 on disposable cameras over the past few years and I'm guessing a good one will run about $500.

Great pic minus the finger

As we wrapped up the afternoon a bunch of us went snorkeling one last time and I got a highlight of the trip.  A Hawksbill turtle glided past me so I started to follow it.  The others weren't close so I waved them to come over.  We followed him for about 10 minutes and he didn't mind a bit.  I dove underneath him and really wanted to grab onto his shell for a ride (though I didn't).  I got one of the guys to take a picture of me but he put his finger partly over the lens.  I would've taken another one had I known before they were developed - another reason to get a real camera.  The turtle finally turned out to sea and we let him go.  We got back in the boat and headed back to Airlie Beach for one more night at Magnum's.

The entire group all met out for drinks with the crew later that night.  I had done five total dives so they gave me a t-shirt and DVD with all of the pics from the weekend.  I really hit it off with Kat (something about the British accent gets me - even Minnie Driver from Good Will Hunting).  We said our goodbyes to everyone and caught the ferry back to Hamilton Island in the morning.  It dropped us off right at the airport and we were back to Sydney.

Summertime passengers and crew back on shore

All in all, this was absolutely the best vacation I've taken as an adult.  From the drive and the surfing up the coast to Surfers Paradise to Hamilton Island and everything that we did on the boat, I really encourage everyone to #1 go to Australia and #2 book at LEAST a sailing trip on the Great Barrier Reef, if not the entire trip that Brian and I completed. Now it's back to the real world where I have 3 weeks of work left before I say goodbye to everyone and go home.

Summertime - Day II

See Days I and III for the other parts of the sailing trip.

After breakfast the next morning the crew unloaded the kayaks from the roof of the boat and we got to paddle around the shallows of Hook Island.  Our main focus was in a mangrove forest because that’s where the juvenile sharks feed.  Brian and I quietly paddled through the trees and roots along with the rest of the group.  After a while we saw 3 or 4 black tipped reef sharks, maybe 3 feet in length, darting in and out of the shallows.  We also saw a sea turtle a little further out but we didn’t get too close.

We went back to the boat and coasted around the edge of Hook Island to our first dive spot.  I went diving once in Cairns back in April, but the last time before that was in 2004.  I had some difficulty with the provided masks that time, so I brought my own on this trip.  I recommend that you bring your own if you snorkel and/or scuba dive.  It's an extra thing to pack but it can prevent a ruined dive if your mask won't stop leaking.

There were only a few certified divers which was nice because it wasn't too crowded.  The water was crystal clear and the colors in the reef were indescribable.  I have never seen so many fish - you will just have to see it for yourself.  My only regret is that I didn't see any sharks or turtles (while diving).  We ended up doing two dives and though I was nervous at first, I started to get comfortable in the water.  One thing about diving - the faster and deeper you breathe, the faster you use your air.  You can extend your dive by up to 15 minutes or more just by taking calm, measured breaths.  Certification classes teach you to not hold your breath because of the damage it can do to your lungs when changing depth.  Also, the dive depth also determines the dive time.  So our first dive only lasted about half an hour because I was the first one to run low on air.  The second dive lasted 7 minutes longer, with dives the next day going even longer.

Brian and a few others interested in diving were allowed to go down in an 'Intro to Diving' type course.  The crew gave them the basic instructions and they went down to depths that were safe even if you shot straight back up to the top.  Brian had difficulty the first time, but after some one on one instruction he got it down and had a blast.  In between dives we could jump off the boat and go swimming or just lay on the deck to rest and catch some sun.

We docked near Hayman Island and after dinner Flo convinced me to go on a night dive.  Everyone else was relaxing on the boat after dinner and we started gearing up.  Some of the procedures are different since it's pitch black in the water and the only light came from our two flashlights.  We tied glow sticks to our tanks and took the outboard boat to a spot fairly close to shore.  Going into the water was so different compared to day dives.  When you go under water it is always quiet - all you have to hear is your own breathing and the bubbles from your regulator.  When the water is pitch black it takes on a whole new level of silence.

I never thought about it before, but I guess that fish retreat to the coral during the night to sleep.  Every now and then we would see a head peek out from the reef or catch a glimpse of a tail fin at the edge of the flashlight beam, but for the most part the ocean was empty.  Flo went to a spot he frequented where a big grouper or cod (I don't remember) hunted at night.  If you shined your flashlight on a small fish the big guy was supposed to dart in and eat it.  Unfortunately we couldn't find him so the dive was mostly disappointing when it came to wildlife.  We did see a crab and a big lobster, but that was it.  I still enjoyed seeing the reef in a different way.

When I got back to the boat it looked like one of the other boats anchored about a quarter mile away from us.  You could tell it was one of the party boats that I mentioned in the last post but I don't remember its name.  We ended up sitting up on the deck and looking at the stars - I have never seen so many, even in the Kentucky countryside.  Cap'n Pete pointed out some of the constellations, including the Southern Cross (also, Orion is upside down below the equator).  There was no way to take a picture without some serious hardware, so you'll just have to believe that I saw the entire Milky Way across the sky.  I found this picture online which gives you an idea, but imagine that it stretches from east to west, all of the way across the sky above you.

Sleeping was pretty easy that night from all of the activity during the day.  We had one more day to get a few more dives in before it was time to go home.

Summertime

Airlie Beach was way smaller than Cairns and looked to be in existence solely as a launch off point for tourists to get to the reef. A friend in Sydney told me about a trip they took a few months before from Airlie. They stayed on a sailboat for a few days and had a great time. I planned this whole trip around doing something similar. I found a website that displays all of the boats, trip lengths and prices.

Note the start of a beard coming on

Brian and I stayed at a hostel called Magnum’s, the most popular hostel in Airlie Beach. It cost $20 and was set up differently than other hostels. There was a central restaurant with the bar, pool tables and travel offices clustered together. Our room was in a two story building with 2 rooms on each floor. There were 5 bunk beds per room, but plenty of room. We didn't really try to hang out with anyone in the room since we had to be up early the next morning.

When I started picking which boat we would take, I found that each had a specific reputation. Some are party boats for young people, others are for couples. Some are more focused around diving, others do the bare minimum. In general, cheaper trip lead to backpackers and young travelers joining you on the boat. I definitely wanted to do some diving and spend two days or more on the trip, so that narrowed down my options. I ended up choosing a boat called Summertime – it had snorkeling, diving and kayaking over 3 days.  It cost $515 per person and included a free dive (special offer at that time).

We got to the boat early on Thursday morning with 11 other people... an Australian couple and their Aussie and British friends, two other British couples, a Canadian couple and a solo guy from Poland. I was hoping for some young and single types, but it’s really the luck of the draw I guess. Everyone was really friendly and we got to know each other when the boat took off. Summertime was manned with three crew – Flo (short for Florian, the German dive master), Trish (Irish cook/second dive master), and Cap’n Pete (Kiwi boat captain).

View from a lookout just above Whitehaven Beach - amazing.

Our first stop was to Whitsunday Island and Whitehaven Beach, a place that is always on top 10 lists of the best beaches in the world. The sand is 98% silica and is so pure that NASA used it to make the lens for the Hubble Telescope. When I walked along the water’s edge, my feet sunk in almost like mud. The weather was a little overcast for the first few hours, but Brian and I made the most of it by slinging some Frisbee and kicking a soccer ball.

We put on stinger suits and got in the water to find a few sting rays swimming in the water. They swam away pretty quickly unless you went really slowly (and we made sure to stay out of the way of the stinger). We took a hike to the highest point in the island that overlooked the beach. It was one of the most picturesque places I have ever seen. Small islands dotted the blue water and the tide created swirls of white sand. The currents and tides made every day’s beach look different.

That afternoon we did some more sailing (although there was almost no wind which means we used the motor). A storm rolled in that evening which made it rough once we anchored. I had been popping sea sickness tablets since the day before, so I luckily didn’t get sick. The crew warned that they could make you dehydrated and drowsy, but it was worth the risk.  My bunk was near the bathrooms and it sounded like one of the other passengers wasn’t so lucky. I did wake up a few times during the night from the boat rocking back and forth.

See Days II and III for the other parts of the sailing trip.

Surfers Paradise to Hamilton Island

Despite the name, Surfers Paradise doesn’t have waves like Byron. It’s very glitzy and done up compared to the laid back atmosphere at the bay an hour south of the state line. It reminded me of a combination between Miami and Las Vegas. All of the high rise condos, flashing billboards, restaurants and clubs were located on one main strip through the city. Brian and I booked another hostel called Islander. It was only $32 per person, but it was a bit dirtier than Aquarius. It looked like an old hotel from the 60s that had been converted. We met up with Krista’s brother and had dinner at a teppanyaki restaurant and then just crashed – we were so tired from the day.

The next morning we got up early and drove to Brisbane to catch our flight to Hamilton Island. We didn’t time it exactly right and were in a bit of a rush so I skipped filling up the tank (which ended up costing about $100, about $40 more than it would’ve cost at the pump). The car rental agent also found a scuff on the front bumper. I didn’t do a proper inspection when I got the car – NOTE TO EVERYONE: INSPECT YOUR RENTAL CAR BEFORE YOU LEAVE THE LOT – and I definitely did not hit anything while I was driving. It either happened while I was parked or was already there. Either way, I had to shell out almost $400 which was more than the rental in the first place. What a rip.

So we flew from Brisbane to Hamilton Island for only $50 each, the flight lasting about an hour and a half. It was resorts, condos and residences. It had a thick upper class feel... very manufactured and too perfect. I’m glad we weren’t staying there. We walked around the island in the sweltering heat for a few hours, taking pictures of the great views. We could have flown directly to Airlie Beach, but Brian and I landed on Hamilton Island for one purpose – to hold a koala. Holding koalas is illegal in New South Wales but legal in Queensland. I had petted a koala a few times and got close up to a wild one but I really, really wanted to cradle one in my arms like a little fuzzy baby. There was a wildlife sanctuary on the island that let you hold one of the animals for $20. Once we checked that off, we took the ferry ($45 each way) to Airlie Beach – the backpacker party spot and launching point for all of the sailing trips through the reef. Ours was on a boat called Summertime.

Driving Up the Coast

I had planned for weeks to rent a car to drive up the eastern coast. It cost about $300 for a rental car, so I thought it would be a good idea to find people to ride with us. I created a little flier and posted it in a few of the popular hostels. It said "Need a ride to Byron Bay/Surfer's Paradise/Brisbane?" along with my contact info and a few other details on the dates.  By the next day I already received 10 calls or texts, all from females. Why there were no males interested, I have no idea. If you ever get lonely in Sydney, just rent a car for the weekend and start posting fliers in hostels – you’ll make friends really quickly.

The first people to call me were Germans Melanie and Britta, who needed to get to Brisbane on the same day that we were flying to Hamilton Island. Brian and I went to meet them for a quick drink to make sure we got along (and they wanted to be sure we weren't weirdos). They agreed to pay $75 each which covered about half of the cost of the car excluding gas.  It was a deal for them since bus trips up the coast are really expensive.

We left Sydney early on Monday morning and headed north. We passed through Port Macquarie for lunch and made it to our goal of Byron Bay after about 12 hours. Byron is less than 500 miles from Sydney but there are not true interstates in between. We went through a lot of towns and two lane highways along the way. It was kind of nice because we got to see more scenery which included a random water tank with ‘Kentucky’ painted on the side and some wild kangaroos.

Coincidentally, Krista had already planned a trip up that way with her brother and flew into Gold Coast a few days ahead of us. She drove down to spend the next few days surfing with us instead of playing golf with her brother. We stayed at a popular hostel in Byron Bay called Aquarius. It was only $38 per night and was within walking distance to the bars. I read a lot of reviews that spoke poorly of it, saying there were bed bugs (sometimes a huge problem with backpacker hostels), but we had no issues.

The waves at Byron Bay

Byron Bay is famous around the world for its world class waves. It’s a cool, relaxed beach town that is centered on one thing – surfing. When we rented our boards from a corner shop, the cashier told us that Jack Johnson had stopped in a few weeks before (he owns a house in Byron). On a side note, I learned that Johnson almost became a pro surfer before he was injured while surfing Hawaii’s famous Pipeline wave. He lost a few teeth and had to get stitches, then switched to music.

The nightlife in Byron Bay reminded me or Cairns. The city was laid out in a less touristy way (if that even makes sense), with all of the bars and restaurants concentrated in a 3 or 4 block area. We didn’t stay out too late because we wanted to be fresh and ready to surf in the morning.

We took some steps down a hill to the beach to find it fairly empty compared to Sydney. The entire beach stretched for about 2 miles with the best surf on the south end at ‘The Pass’. We hopped on our boards and were immediately slammed with the strongest rip current I have ever experienced. Within 5 minutes I was about 50 meters out in the water behind the break, which is great. But the current also pulled me 200 meters down the beach where no good waves were breaking. I lost sight of Krista, but she was after bigger waves anyway. I tried to paddle against the rip and even hopped off my board, letting it drag behind me as I swam – no luck. I finally gave up and paddled back to shore. From that point on I stayed in the relatively shallow water and only caught the small waves. Even then, the current was so strong that you could barely walk against it.

After we were exhausted from fighting the waves, we drove up to a lighthouse and lookout nearby that claimed to be the easterly most point in the country. Next we packed up the car and drove to Surfer’s Paradise.

Field Day

Krista convinced me to go with her to Field Day, an electronic music festival held in The Domain every year. I wasn’t interested in most of the artists and some I didn’t even recognize. The ones I knew were Sleigh Bells, The Rapture, Tame Impala, Public Enemy (random, I know), Art vs. Science, Chromeo, Duck Sauce and Neon Indian. For $125, I’ll recommend to anyone reading this that you better REALLY be into the music before you go.

I learned very early on in Australia that you have to lather up on the sunscreen. It was a really hot day and the shade was minimal, so it was a must. We loaded up on water as we walked around and it was about what I expected it to be. We didn’t get there until after 2 pm and missed a few of the recognized names above, but I was happy to see Duck Sauce (see video below). You definitely have to been in the right mood (or altered state of mind) to enjoy the repetitive music, and we ended up walking away from the DS set after 30 minutes.



It was hot enough for us to abandon the concert for a while to find food that wasn’t a rip off. Our tickets allowed us to re-enter the enclosed area after 5:30, so we went down to Pancakes on the Rocks for some dinner and air conditioning. After the sun went down we headed back to Field Day to watch Public Enemy rock the stage. They performed their entire "Fear of a Black Planet" album from 1990. I must say, Flava Flav still has it after all of these years.

New Years Eve

My New Years Eve started off by taking a surfing lesson with Brian at Maroubra - $50 for 2 hours. I definitely recommend taking lessons here over the other beaches in Sydney (especially over Bondi, which is twice the price and 10 times as crowded). I had also heard that if you can surf at Maroubra, you can surf anywhere. The waves are a bit more rough and currents stronger.

I used an 8.5 footer and Brian had a 9. By the end of the lesson I was getting the hang of it and rode a wave for a good 5 seconds. I don’t think Brian had the same success but he still had a blast. I got stung by a Blue Bottle on my ankle at one point but didn’t let that stop me – I was hooked. We chilled out for the rest of the day and Brian made plans to meet up with a friend from Valdosta for New Years. Carolien also went to meet up with Dutch friends that were posting up in the botanical garden near the opera house. That let Krista and I make our own plans to watch the fireworks together courtesy of Daniel, who I know through MeetUp.



When I first met Daniel and Carol (aunt and uncle of my friend Laura) back on the 4th of July, they invited me to watch the harbor fireworks from the top of the Four Seasons Hotel. I immediately accepted although I didn’t know how serious he was or if he would even remember six months later. There are two rounds of fireworks – one at 9:30 and another at midnight. Daniel was only able to get us up to the roof for the early showing which was good enough for me. If you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all.

The downside to the hotel roof was that there was no bar or restaurant. It was all air conditioning units, pipes and gravel everywhere. We made our way to the edge with glasses of champagne and had a great view. I didn’t have a tripod for my camera so almost none of my shots came out, but seeing it was enough. It was definitely a great experience and I would much rather do that than post up on the grass to reserve a good spot near the opera house. You have to get there early in the morning and there is a strict no alcohol policy. If you want shade, you’re not going to get a good view that night. If you don’t take the shade, you die in the heat during the day. But tens of thousands of people suffered through the heat to reserve a spot – that’s not for me. Thanks to Daniel for making it an easy, stress free and free way to celebrate the new year.

On the red carpet

Krista and I joined the mass exodus with all of the other observers and hopped a train to northern Sydney where we met up with her brother at a party of a friend in a high-rise condo. The crowd was young and flashy, dressed to impress. They set up a red carpet and photo board (see pic) where everyone was taking pictures... it was mostly there as a joke though the pictures look legit.

We mingled and ended up crowding out on the balcony for the midnight fireworks. I had visions of the whole thing collapsing down the 30 stories since there were so many people crammed out there. The view wasn’t as good as our rooftop spot but the fireworks weren’t that much better. We got our fill and headed back inside to dance and hang out. Toward the end of the night a girl had her purse stolen and got mad enough to hit a glass table with a champagne bottle, shattering them both. She was a friend of the host (can we say crazy?). We all left after that and luckily found a taxi back to the city. Happy New Year!