Life on the Reef - Tuesday |
Tuesday was about cruising and enjoying the environment. We would always stop for a couple of excursions, always paradise!
Monday evening would involve dinner and an evening drinking in the bar. For a small ship with limited facilities, a fine spread was always produced! My task though this was sweet talking the happy passengers and acting as wine waiter, not to harsh a project and I excelled!
Once dinner was completed, we would recline to the ships bar, but you would be amazed (well, you wouldn't if you've done it!) how much a day at the beach and the sea air takes it out of you. More often than not, most passengers were early to bed leaving the bar frequently populated by more crew than passengers! We'd play games, sink a few VB's and generally chat the evening away.
The nights cruising took the Queen further up the Queensland coast, passing Cape Melville, Bathurst Bay and Princess Charlotte Bay. Often we would end up on the promenade deck towards the end of the evening, so beautiful to see the stars at night when you’re on the ocean. All the ambient light is gone, just the glow from the ship. You’d never believe there are so many stars, and how many shooting stars you can see.
After breakfast it would be the first of the week’s Desert Island excursions. A lifeboat full of passengers and crew would cruise out to a tiny atoll, just one palm tree and mostly not even that. The day could then be spent swimming, snorkeling sun bathing and eating, an activity never far away on the Queen. An eski full of cold beer and BBQ fish and salad, a fantastic way to spend a day!
Not always trouble free though, was anything ever on the Queen? Below is a brief transcript of a conversation with a passenger; whilst we sat on one of the aforementioned atolls, something appeared in the water….
Passenger: Hey Andy you see that?
Andy: See what?
Passenger: Over there (points) look, there it is again!
Andy: Nope, don’t see anything
(2 dorsal fins are now clearly visible, slowly cruising round the Island))
Passenger: F*ck, there’s two of the baastards (aussie accent)
Andy: Oh, those…. (Bites lip)
Passenger: Are they f*ckin’ shaarks?
Andy: Nah, there err… Marlin…
Passenger: F*uckin’ big Marlin!
Passenger: Hey look! (shouts to wife) Shaarks!!
Andy: Marlin
Andy: Looks like you could use a cold one (leads passenger back to eski)
Passenger: Oh… oh yeah, why the f*ck not!
Passenger: I seen two shaarks!
Andy: Marlin
Of course these were sharks, but just reef ones, vegetarian apparently, well at least not aggressive. Still you see a fin, its Jaws, who cares what their eating habits are! Better not to panic people though, eh?
Mostly these were trouble free excursions, totally away from everything and sunning yourself in paradise!
|
|
With Gunner at the beach |
 |
One of our paradise stop offs |
 |
Diane and me testing something called SNUBA |
Pages to view:
Thursday
Friday