Islands To Island...

ONE of my brothers has a saying: "I know boats".

Naturally this comes into conversation at completely random times when he deems it necessary. Whether he actually knows boats, or is just Facebook friends with a boat is unknown, but after four days sailing and one ferry ride, I reckon I know a little bit about boats now!

After all the fun and excitement of sailing the Whitsundays, it was time to reacquaint ourselves with solid ground and see if we could walk without the ground swaying from side to side. It was a sad goodbye at the docks as some people had early buses to catch to destinations north and south.

For me it was time to check in with "Shazza", my trusty steed for this trip. Given she'd been sitting quietly while I was away I decided to take her for a spin out to Shute Harbour, something I can definitely recommend for any photographers out there! Tree-covered islands sitting peacefully in crystal-blue waters as boats blissfully sail past... Heaven!

This was pushing on for mid-afternoon though, so it was back to Base Airlie Beach for a snooze before heading to the Down Under Bar to meet the remaining crew for some food, drinks and dancing. After that it gets a little hazy...

WAKING up with a hangover is never pleasant, especially when you're due to drive 300km that day. After several cups of tea and swearing never to drink again it was time to head north to Townsville, drop the car off and jump on board yet another boat.

The drive up to Townsville passed through some unusual terrain. Given Airlie Beach is pretty much a tropical paradise I'd expected more of the same heading north: rainforests lining the way. What's there instead is a lot of brown plains, the kind you get travelling inland rather than along the tropical coast. Along the way I stopped in at Bowen (and the Big Mango just before the town itself!) and Ayr (birthplace of golfer Karrie Webb), both picturesque towns that had a very chilled vibe on this particular Saturday.

Nothing could detain me for long though, as for only the second time since leaving as a toddler, I was heading into Townsville! Actually, just passing through really, although I did manage to get lost and getting to know South Townsville (my tip: don't do this). Eventually I found my way to the Sunferries terminal to head over to Base Magnetic Island.

On another boat.