7
Location: Narra Inlet, SW side of Hook Island, Whitsundays
We woke up on a not-so-bright but early morning to a breakfast selection that had a somehow wider variety than the hostel we had been staying at. I’d say nothing starts a day better than a two-hour crosswind sail causing mass nausea and a loss of hope for the drying of any clothes on the safety lines – but it was exciting, and the sun came out for a while. Our first destination was Stone Haven beach, where we did a “drift” snorkel alongside a coral reef; not a single person on board was excited to get in the water due to the harsh wind chill already causing us to shiver. The water was, as expected, cold, but the variety of Pacific organisms made the chill completely worth it! The reef was swarming with life, massive blue parrotfish crunching on the coral, with feather stars spotting the reef. The most amazing sight was spotted towards the end of the snorkel in the form of a spout of water: a humpback whale. The whale did not stay long; however, it did take multiple breaths at the surface, allowing us to catch a glimpse of its massive figure. After our close encounter, we ate a lunch of ham and cheese sandwiches while two green sea turtles surfaced near the boat. After lunch, we switched to a smaller, tougher jib and started our voyage to the area where we would spend the night. We got all halfway there before a massive squall stood in our path, forcing us to turn tail and wait for the storm to pass. Seasick could not begin to describe some of us during the fight against the waves and wind. Once we finally got back on track, we sailed for Narra Inlet and dropped anchor. Our stomachs felt a lot better, and we were served some tasty snacks by our awesome crew, Mal and Tom. We played some Uno and did a couple of card tricks once we were settled as well. We ended the day with a dinner of roasted chicken and vegetables before settling into our bunks for bed. Also, while writing this, it started to rain, and I had to run down the stairs into the galley in order to save the computer, so I guess Australia shares some similarities with the BVIs.