Jim makes a request for a little breakfast as hotel’s breakfast starts at 7 and we are off at 5AM. Sure enough, and for no charge they fill our refrigerator with fruit, cereal, yogurt and bread and fixings. Is that nice or what?
We are dragging a bit but this is Great Barrier Reef day and we want to waste no time. Our driver is waiting so we pile in long before the sun has made its way round the world to us again. We have a 3 hour trip so a flat white and restroom break is called for and our driver finds a place just ready to open.
Here comes Mission Beach and after a missed dirt road to the right we find the launch and in the bay is our 60 foot yacht! "Big Mama".
At this point our faithful folks still following us are thinking, "What the hell, did these people hit the lottery?" No, but we have decided sharing the cost between us allows us to travel well above what any of us thought we could afford. And this is the way we want to spend our money. And, the best part is there is not reason to worry about a will!
Our Yacht, "Big Mama" sits in the harbor like a beautiful dream and we see movement as a dingy is coming to fetch us. Stu looks like a sailor in a women’s dream.
Our ladies are playing it cool but there is apparently something about a well - built, suntan man with shorts and curly long blond hair and white teeth and that accent that is like a moth to a flame. Geeze, I even think they are pretty! And there are lots of them. Anyway, we reach the boat, up the ladder and greet sweet Lisa with the special smile. "Scones and tea anyone"? Peeking around the corner is Fletcher, their 10 year old son and I mean, he could be the star as Tarzan’s Son in a major movie. He is blond, beautiful, dimples, tan and moves around the boat like a monkey. Us around the boat? More like elephants in tennis shoes on a wet skating rink.
The sea is a bit "Rolling" the boat family calls it and to move 3 feet from one spot to another is a major effort. In fact, we are rolling along for a trip around 25 miles to the reef all holding on to rails and sitting on a bench when all of a sudden, "Whoa, flop, and like a fish out of water Tina hits the deck. "Are you alright" says our host Lisa? A bit embarrassed Tina pronounced herself just fine and says, "Oh fine, I fall down all the time". All of a sudden we see clouds off in the distance and our host brings out big rubber rain coats. "We might get wet so best to cover up". We notice the kid Fletcher roll up into a ball and put a rain coat over himself and say to us, "You have about a minute". Sure enough, comes the rain – nice at first but then pretty serious. Hard rain and we get pelted. It is pretty miserable when comes a loud giggle from Krimhilde as she looks toward Jim with wet glasses running with rain, wet hair, soaked clothes and squinting eyes and clenched teeth facing the storm. That breaks up Jim and we all join in a giggle and laugh as we contemplate the decision of going for the hatch and out of the storm risking going overboard or just sit tight and hope for a break.
We sit out the storm and just like the Captain said, a warm breeze comes and the sun is breaking through. Our Captain says not to worry for as soon as we clear the waves to the reef we will have clear weather, calm seas and it will all be good.
And just like that it is. The water turns the most beautiful blue and we can see deep into the reef. It is time to hit the water so into our wet suits we go and you will see no pictures of that sight in favor or good taste and to keep the blog a PG edition. Our limited experience with snorkeling is wading out and flopping about.
Stu has a better idea as we paddle to a big surf board and all line up like sardines resting on the board, butts up and faces down with mask and snorkel ready to view. And what a view it is as Stu drags us to the best spots on the reef. We have it to ourselves as there is not one other boat in the ocean that we can see.
Like being in the most expensive and elaborate aquarium in the world we drift from one incredible view to the next for an hour. It is impossible to explain but imagine the most beautiful garden infused with moving art in the form of fish of every variety and color. My god, it is mind boggling and at first we try to remember everything but soon give up and just sit back and enjoy.
We stop for a delightful lunch, change locations, and back in the water. Our skipper Stu and Lisa tell us it was quite a sight and do not remember 4 people with heads in water for so long. None of us wanted to miss a minute. A beer for me, some wine for the everyone else and we head to our place of stay some two and half hour sail to our island.
The trip back was delightful and we relax and enjoy the trip. From the stern we view this incredible family like outsiders looking into a different and delightful family. They sail along, looking out to sea, enjoying the universe before them.
They decide to harbor near our island tonight and we board the dingy for a trip to our waiting staff in the hotel. We look for a dock but there is no dock. A bit "Not sure Mate, this is going to be a bit of a Seal landing". So he heads to shore and says, "Mind your shoes unless you want to get them wet". So, we wade to shore barefoot and greet the staff. Up we walk to the office for an introduction which is pretty much whatever you want to just take it. If it is a bottle of Dom Perignon, just drop a shell here into your cup holding your room number.
Dinner begins at 6 or seven or whenever you are ready but guests come for drinks around 6 and you can meet the other 10 folks staying here if you wish. Want a bottle of wine? No problem, just grab a bottle and take it to your room. Want some snack? Here is some in the fridge or ask us to make up a fruit tray or cheese plate. This could be heaven. We follow some staff for a tour of our room and it is not a room. Nope. This is our own bungalow with deck, living room and upstairs to our bedroom.
A shower and we are ready for dinner. Folks here are mostly from Australia but we meet a couple of folks from Italy and they are all great. Dinner is a three course dinner with selected matching wines. We have been busy and we travel hard wanting to see as much as possible but we are tired and it has been a long day. Mellow and exhaustion hits us and when Jim’s head hits his chest the third time we think it is time to find our bed. Bed is sooo nice we all do not move until eight. We sleep to the sound of crashing waves.
Thank you Big Mama, Stu, Lisa, Fletcher and Coco for a most wonderful day....
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