Grandeur, Grandkids and gratitude.

16th Jul 2010

The day started fine but windy. After breakfast we motored the dingy to the beach for a swim, a snorkel and a local look around. Of note here is that for a brief time we actually had the beach to ourselves and as yesterdays blogg suggests, this is a rare event on Whitehaven.

Another point of note was the arrival sometime late yesterday, of a little red trailer sailor that we had seen in Shaw Island and again at Hamilton. This little vessel is a mere 5m in total and is towing a small dingy. All this makes the achievement of sailing in 20 kt winds, 2 kts tidal currents and moderately rough sea state, an act of madness or that of a true sailor. Evidence suggests the latter as by all appearances the three folks on board are at ease and making good progress around the islands.

Anyway, back to the beach; although it is true that Whitehaven is a tourist focal point and hence not within the spirit of our trip, it is none the less true to say that it remains a place of absolute grandeur. The white sand, the tropic setting the blue waters and the natural beauty of the island all make this a genuinely beautiful place. The park folks have also done a great job with nice little camping areas and bush toilets etc to accommodate the boaties, the campers and the tourist.

Seeking an opportunity to explore this pace, we elected to stay again today and thus spend most of tomorrow morning getting to Airlie where Carla has a bus to catch home. But all that was to be rewarded by a walk that took us to the south side of the island via a pleasant track that included sightings of snakes, goannas and a myriad of bird life. On return from the walk we returned to the boat for lunch and a brief siesta.

As I lay in my cabin listening to Paul Simon on the IPod, gently rocking on the swell and glancing at the photos of all the grandkids on the panel above my bunk, I took a moment to acknowledge the good fortune favoured upon me. As we all know, this has not been without effort but on this occasion the true depth of the experience we were enjoying was foremost and I felt grateful!