Set sail for Whitsunday reefs

SMALL boats and I do not agree, and I can barely watch the Sydney to Hobart race every Christmas without feeling queasy.

derwent hunter

SMALL boats and I do not agree, and I can barely watch the Sydney to Hobart race every Christmas without feeling queasy.

So it was with great trepidation that I swallowed my seasick tablets and ventured aboard a splendid fully-rigged tall ship called Derwent Hunter which, after an illustrious 66-year career in navigation and marine research, now takes tourists out to experience the best the Whitsundays have to offer.

It is indeed a noble vessel, built in Tasmania (hence the moniker) in 1946 by the famous Wilson Brothers shipwrights, and it made me feel proud just to step aboard, even if I couldn't tell the difference between the blue gum, Tasmanian oak, celery top pine and Huon pine timbers of which it is made. But they were all beautifully polished, and the sails were gleaming white, and the ropes appeared to be shipshape and Bristol fashion, so it seemed like an adventure worthy to be undertaken.

It's sailed these days by Eco Tall Ship Adventures, and it's only a day trip after all, and there was going to be plenty of time either ashore or swimming, so I thought that nothing could go wrong.

And neither did it. For once Zeus, the god of the sky, was smiling, Poseidon had retreated to his underwater palace with his trident, and Castor and Pollux were on duty to guard us against shipwreck.

The crew had a ring of confidence to go with their cheeky laid-back Australian patter, and even our stiff German fellow-passengers were enchanted. The Americans,

over-awed by the whole experience, did not try to tell us how to sail it, or how much bigger/better/more impressive their own tall ships were.

This lady of the seas has real presence and inspires awe and wonder in even the most superior of world travellers.

As I'm definitely not one of those, I was easily impressed, and settled back to enjoy the ride, leaving the younger, more enthusiastic, passengers to do all the hard work such as pulling ropes and furling sails and getting their photographs taken to impress their landlubber friends. But I had the best fun watching them, finding not-too-sunny spots on the prow for lazing and sipping lemonade (I wasn't going to tempt fate with alcohol), wandering under the big shade sails when it got too hot, and chatting to the other passengers.

Morning tea was the first thing to happen as we set off towards our first destination, a private mooring at Langford Reef.

This is slightly south of Hayman Island, where we didn't go ashore, because we had more interesting things to do than mingle with the rich and famous.

Our experiences included snorkelling in pristine conditions among the fringing coral reefs, with our trusty crew keeping watch and not a single reef shark in sight.

We did spot a couple of rays but failed spectacularly to keep up with them as they insouciantly flapped past.

Knowing that giant rays are the pussycats of the sea, only attacking if something tries to interfere with them, we just dawdled in the water and enjoyed the experience, which was augmented by the presence of three green turtles, one of which actually came up for a back scratch.

As for the fish, well, you don't need me to tell you. But every time I go snorkelling I marvel afresh at the fact that a hundred years ago, this magical world was unknown to anyone except a few pearl fishermen, until (so it is said) some Frenchman put a drinking straw up his nose and ... nose-dived.

He drowned, so the story goes, but his invention has been refined so that these days any mug swimmer can flop face down in tropical waters and be transported to paradise.

But we did more than this. We had a guided walk along the sandy cay and learnt all kinds of useful things while pretending to be Robinson Crusoe, after which it was time to return to the ship and indulge in a better-than-usual smorgasbord lunch of serious tropical delights before we raised the sails (well, they did) across the Whitsunday Passage, thanking whatever gods there be for their tender loving care.

Back on shore, we added value to the experience by eating at (where else?) Fish D'vine, where we paired a local chilli mud crab with the best mojito in the world from their 200-brand Rum Bar.

Follow this with some retro banana fritters with rum syrup, and a nightcap in our room with a view of the harbour at the Summit Apartments, and I put it down as the best day I've ever spent on the water.

Now I'll have to think of what sacrifice I can make to the Greek gods in reparation.

The writer was the guest of Whitsunday Tourism.

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Go2

AIRLIE BEACH

Getting there

Airlie Beach, 1150km from Brisbane, can be reached by road (14 hours), air, bus or train. For full details of all forms of travel, contact airliebeaches.com

Staying there

Summit Apartments, 15 Flame Tree Court, Airlie Beach, ph 1800 463 417 or see summitairlie beach.com.au. Tariff from $115 a night (one bedroom) for seven-night stay, to $200 a night (two bedrooms, ocean view) for two-night stay. Details on website.

Doing there

Sailing the Whitsundays on the Derwent Hunter, Eco Tall Ship Adventures, ph 1800 334 773 or see tallshipadventures .com.au. Cost: $175 adult, $89 child (4-15 years), $495 family (two adults, three children). Includes morning and afternoon tea, smorgasbord lunch, snorkelling equipment, stinger suits, national park charges. Drinks are extra.