Mel and Steff were on an earlier flight than me but we drove across to the meeting point together. In a stroke of luck, the person who was meant to fly alongside Mel and Steff didn’t turn up so I took their place. Steff sat at the front alongside the pilot and Mel and I sat in the back.
The flight across was a short 15 minutes but it was brilliant and well worth the money just to do that. The pilot weaved the plane up and down so Mel and I were thrown about in the back. It was scarily funny. I took plenty of photos and videos to capture the beauty outside.
We were the first to arrive on the island and the group of travellers who we were to replace came out to greet us. We got a tour of the site and a little bit of info on what there is to do.
The tents were very old and stank of staleness and urine. I wasn’t looking forward to sleeping there that night. I dumped my things and made my way to the front of the beach to lie down and relax.
Once rested, I looked around to see everyone hugging and taking photos. It felt like an excerpt from Shipwrecked/Survivor. Some had been there a couple of nights and others only one. There were about eight people in total and somehow they had bonded deeply.
After a photo taking session, three departed and one guy ran by the side of the plane until he couldn’t keep up. Jeez, this is a tough act to follow!
In total there were four Canadians, two Norwegians, three Germans and us. Within minutes I knew that the above was actually an impossible act to follow. The group didn’t mix at all and nobody seemed to be bothered by this. Everyone stuck with their friends.
I did find a couple of friendly creatures on the island.
This guy was working the camera. We had a lizard couple to keep us company. They were so tame and confidently crawled up to me and licked my feet. Mel quipped - "It's because they're so cheesy." Thanks.
It didn’t bother me to begin with as I was too busy basking in the glorious sunshine. I was completely relaxed. My sun-coma was interrupted by Mel and Steff shouting for me. I picked myself up halfway and leant on my elbows to see what the noise was all about. They waved me over to the rocks by the ocean. Mel asked me to bring her camera and to hurry up. I picked up my camera and made my across.
I thought they’d probably found a crab or some oysters. To my surprise I saw this fellow…
We weren’t sure what to do. It looked like it was struggling to get out but at the same time, moving it could make matters worse. Steff moved some of the rocks which were trapping the turtle’s flipper. The turtle sensed freedom and flapped about and settled again in a shallow pool of water. From this we decided we couldn’t just leave it there so Steff and I picked it up and moved it across the rocks to the ocean. I made it part of the way but the turtle started flapping again and I had to let go. Steff carried on and placed it in the sea. The turtle shot off.
Within seconds of this, Mel shouted us back over to the rocks yelling “shark!” I hoped Mel was wrong as we would have set that turtle free only to be attacked by a shark.
A fin surfaced and we looked at each other in horror. Moments later water spurted up and we realised it was a dolphin. After we saw that dolphin, two more surfaced metres away from us. We couldn’t believe our eyes.
Steff sprinted off to get a kayak. Mel and I moved across. At first I wasn’t sure whether to go in or not. Screw it! I grabbed a kayak and paddle. There were only two kayaks and Mel decided not to go out so there was no argument over who went out first.
It was only as I was paddling further and further out that I realised I wasn’t wearing a life jacket. If I tipped over and fell out, I’d surely drown. Steff was too far away and there was nobody by the shore watching us. I distanced myself from that thought and carried on paddling out.
I managed to catch up to Steff and we sat there waiting for the dolphins but none of them came. Never mind. I was still happy that within our first hour on the island, we saw a sea turtle up close and wild dolphins.
We paddled back but for some reason I wasn’t moving. Steff shot off and I was sat there paddling away for nothing. Frustrated I put a bit more effort into it and I eventually started moving. In the process of this aggravated floundering, I bashed my finger on the side. I didn’t think anything more of it until I reached the shore and saw that my finger was caked in blood. Mel chirped that sharks can detect a drop of blood from miles away. Lovely!
I put the kayak away and joined Mel who had been talking to one of the German girls. Janine wasn’t attached to the two girls that seemed to be in the same mood as they were at the travel shop the day before. Nobody else was being social so it was nice to meet someone that smiles and responds to your greeting.
Steff didn’t fancy going back out again after our failed attempt at finding the dolphins. Although I was slightly tired, I decided to go back out again.
We paddled out slowly and drifted further and further out. I turned my kayak to face Janine’s and we sat for well over an hour chatting away about our travels and people we had met.
For the rest of the day, all I did was sunbathe. There were scenic walks to take but I was happy with what I’d done already and I just wanted to relax.
Dinner was a beef stew which everyone paid for at the beginning of the trip. With the gas stove provided, it was going to take an hour and a half to cook. I breathed a sigh of relief when one of the Canadians decided to cook dinner. No arguments and no crowded kitchen. Thank you!
The guys went out and collected dead wood for the fire. I wished we brought marshmallows to toast but we decided not to in the supermarket. Mel and I looked out to the sun setting over the ocean. It was beautiful.
Whilst the food was cooking we pulled our chairs around the fire and started to play some drinking games. With everyone loosened up a bit, someone had the idea of playing I Have Never. What I thought was just a bit of fun, turned in to a less than subtle sexual proffering. All the questions were sex related and a test to see who was far from moralistic. One girl didn't really get it and was on the prowl for something else. With questions like - "I have never had an STI." And, "I have never been pregnant." - this girl was after dirt.
In regards to the moral competition, the two German girls won to the delight of the guys. There were only three guys out of the 12 of us. Steff was obviously out of bounds.
The purpose of the night only became apparent when the Canadian guys suggested going for a walk on the beach. The two Norwegians, the Canadian guys, the German girls and I started walking off into the darkness. I brought my head torch so I could see where I was going. The German girls shouted at me to turn it off. They had already coupled off with the Canadians. I looked at the Norwegians and we turned back.
The rest of campers laughed at me as they knew what was going on. The Canadian guys' two female friends told of how their friends have been desperate for sex since starting their holiday. Sheesh.
A chat-up line that one of the Canadian guys had used previous to the castaway was - "Would you like to see my bed?" It didn't quite work out. The girl came back, saw his bed, gave him a hand job then left.
Later in the night, after we’d eaten and drank a little bit more, each of the Canadian guys whispered to the German girls that they were going to the beach if they wanted to follow. No flirting, no flickering eye contact, nothing. Chivalry was dead and buried.
Time was ticking by so slowly that it made things awkward at times. Drinking game after drinking game, until we finally called it a night. Mel suggested to everyone that we should sleep on the beach. I’d rather sleep on the sand than in the smelly tent.
We all dragged our mats out from the tent to the fire along with our sleeping bags. We all laid down and looked up to the stars. There were so many in the sky that night twinkling and shining so brightly. Everyone kept seeing shooting stars but I didn’t see any.
Frustrated, I took off my glasses and tried to get to sleep. I couldn’t get to sleep. I tossed and turned but even the cushioned mat was making things better. If anything, it made it worse as I found out that they were the source of the smell in the tent!
The temperature dropped and I was shivering. I thought I was going to be physically sick it was that cold. It sounds great in theory, sleeping on the beach, but it turned out to be a nightmare.
Everyone asked to be woken up for the sunrise. I didn’t sleep at all so I counted down the minutes and hours until it was time. I sat up and nobody stirred. I started shouting to everyone that it was time for the sunrise but nobody moved. I called out Mel’s name as I couldn’t see her sleeping bag. I got a grouchy return that put me in my place.
I sat for half an hour and nothing seemed to be happening. It wasn’t as spectacular as the sunset the night before. I tried to get some more sleep but ended up lying there urging the sun to rise and warm me up!
One after another, each person announced that they had the worst sleep ever. I just wanted to pack up and leave. I was so grateful that we were on the first flight. It was due at 9:30am. It started to near 11am and the plane hadn’t arrived.
The one person who lives on the island in the lighthouse came down to take some photos for Facebook. He focussed on the German girls whilst he waited.
Finally the plane arrived and we practically sprinted over. Before we could escape it was time for group photos. Instead of the standard jumping shot and cheesy grins, the shoot resembled soft porn. Guys grabbing the girls, crawling in the sand, tiger growls and so on. We stayed right out of it.
Once back, we picked up the car and headed straight up the East Coast to our next stop. At first we were going stop half way but decided to take on the long drive at head straight to Airlie Beach. Roll on a 8-9 hour drive!
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