Our favourite boat was called 'Mikat', but this year, it was withdrawn from the whale fleet and from now on, it only does fishing charters out of Gladstone.
This means that we have to find a new 'favourite' whale boat.
So after a little research, Adoring Husband found a boat that had a 5 hour tour (the same as our old 'favourite' boat), but it leaves the marina 2 hours earlier and returns at lunch time.
We thought it would be nice to go out for lunch afterwards.
We arrived at the Marina a little early (because we actually, for the first time EVER, got ALL the green traffic lights along the main road through town!).
It was beautiful and peaceful and calm and serene ...
Who knew what was coming?
Our first surprise for the morning, was the discovery that this boat takes a detour to Kingfisher Resort on Fraser Island to pick up other passengers. This detour, both ways, takes almost 2 hours from our expected 5 hour tour. Insert *sad face* here.
Adoring Husband tells me that this little titbit of information was not stated on their website, but I have since discovered that it very clearly provides this information, including the bonus lunch option on Kingfisher. Insert *smiley face* here.
The water and the weather, up to this point, was glorious, and despite the unexpected detour, we were still excited about our whale watching experience to come.
Then we hit the open water.
Ugh!
Three metre swells! This is no exaggeration ... I checked the weather website after we arrived home!
This boat powered through these swells at full throttle! The wash came over the bow so many times and then flowed over the boat, down the sides and into the back of the boat where we were sitting. The boat bounced and rocked and rolled, while AH and I held on so tight that our knuckles were white.
Our cameras went back into the safety of their bags for the duration and we hoped that they would be removed when we reached the whales.
Oh the trip was loooooooong. It was sooooooo long.
I almost expected them to turn the boat around and cancel the trip. I was genuinely afraid and began planning how I would survive the swim to land when the boat capsized!
My jaw was clamped tightly shut (just in case) and I watched that horizon with the intensity of a Jack Russell waiting at the opening of a rat hole. It kept my stomach reasonably settled.
Finally, we made it to the first pod of whales. I did get to view them briefly, but the water was still rough and the boat was rolling all over the place. Our cameras stayed in the bags, and as we turned the boat to head towards the next pod of whales, is when my stomach decided it was time to empty itself.
Ugh!
There was some wonderful whale action out there today, but I could barely lift my head to watch them.
Bearing in mind that time seemed to go on forever (in my nauseas state), I believe that the whale viewing lasted less than an hour before we turned and headed back.
The trip back was also loooooooooong and rough. I forced myself to doze in and out of consciousness in a seated position, silently praying that we would reach land sooner, rather than later.
It got cold (those who know me, know that I don't generally feel the cold and rarely wear sleeves, even in Winter) and AH was his usual gentlemanly self and wrapped his jacket around me.
We finally made it back to the marina.
Neither of us took a single photo of a whale. Neither of us had the slightest interest in going anywhere for lunch. My hair was so windblown, it felt like it was attempting to construct a beehive within itself. Our faces were splattered with wet salty sea spots.
What a bedraggled pair we were.
I estimate that we've been out on the whale boats eleven times in 8 years. Out of those eleven, we've never been disappointed. Some years are better than others of course, but never disappointed until today.
Today, I am still feeling a little queasy eleven hours after disembarking, but I am grateful ... to be alive!
Nite all.
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