'And I'm free, free falling'

I have walked this Earth and swum in the oceans, and conquered both land and sea. There was just one more frontier to challenge.

The sky.

On Thursday 7th April I headed up into the air above Mission Beach. The plane was so small I didn't think it would be able to take off. But it did, and then it was too late to back out. The view was amazing as we soared over fields and forests, and then we reached the coast and headed out over the ocean. I could see the Great Barrier Reef below me, and I was so absorbed in looking at it that I forgot what I was about to do.

The fear didn't set in until we reached 14,000ft and the first pair disappeared out of the door. It suddenly hit me that I was about to throw myself out of a plane and I couldn't remember why I ever thought that this was a good idea!! 

After the first terrifying seconds we levelled out and I could take in the phenomenal view. You can't hear anything when you are free falling because the wind is rushing past your ears at 100mph. You feel weightless and finally realise that all those daydreams about flying came nowhere close to the real thing.

It was such an adrenaline rush! I understand now why people do it again and again, why Felix Baumgarter jumped from the edge of space; because it's just not long enough!! The jump lasts maybe 5 minutes, and it doesn't feel real. Half an hour later it was as though it was a scene from a movie, or a dream I'd had once. I'd love to do it again, but I don't think it's possible to top my location. What an incredible thing to do! Highly recommended!

And just for the record, you can't feel clouds. 

Whitsunday Paradise

Last week I found my own personal slice of heaven in this beautiful country. I found it in the ocean – of course – on a beautiful trimaran called Avatar. 

I set sail from Airlie Beach and headed to the Whitsunday Islands.

They say good things come in threes. Well Avatar had three hulls, a large central one with the galley, bathroom and bunks, and two smaller ones with little bunk holes. And in between there were nets where we would lie in the sun all day. They looked just like trampolines and my toes were itching the whole time, but the big ‘No Jumping’ sign held me back.

And then there was the three guys of our crew. Sammy, our host, was a pirate. The second we got out of the marina he pulled off his work shirt to reveal a “fk everything and become a pirate shirt”. That coupled with his dreadlocks and top hat created quite the character!

Anthony, our captain, oversaw everything, set our course and made sure we all arrived in one piece. I spent most of my time in the cockpit talking with him about sailing and the ocean. He told me how the winds worked, introduced me to the leeward effect of the islands – and for the rest of the trip I was singing an old Hawaiian song “from the mountains to the ocean, from the windward to the leeward side, we do it island style…” He taught me how to sail a boat the size of Avatar; before I have sailed 2 man boats and spent a two weeks with Ellen MacArthur Trust helping to crew our 8 man boats. I’ve never even been on something as big as the 24man Avatar. Anthony put his trust in me, gave me a heading and put me at the helm. And I loved it.

And then there was Charlie, our cook and deck hand. Now I loved Charlie. He was a young, English guy with a little ponytail, the biggest smile you’ve ever seen and a permanent laugh that bubbled up from deep inside. He made incredibly impressive food considering the size of the kitchen and the amount of people, but mostly he was just great fun to be around. He was the sort of guy who just made everyone happier.

The first day we sailed to Caves Cove, pulled on masks and snorkels and dived in to my first Great Barrier Reef experience. My God, it was pretty! Lots of different corals, lots of fish, some I recognised from Fiji like the brightly coloured Parrot Fish.

We moored off Tongue Bay that night and watched as the stars came out.

The second day Sammy took us to Whitehaven Beach, the white sand beaches you see in all the inspirational posters in offices or dentists. The final Pirates of The Caribbean movie was being filmed there last week, so the Black Pearl was anchored up with Jonny Depp swashbuckling around. And it was incredibly beautiful. The sand is 98% silica, hardly sand at all, and the tides and the currents reshape the beach every day. We were there by 7am when it was deserted except for us. By the time we left, at 10:30am there must have been a couple of hundred people there.

Back on the boat I discovered why Anthony had told me to get the first shuttle back to the boat; Tongue Bay was turtle heaven. So I stood on the deck watching giant sea turtles rising to the surface to breathe before heading back down to the depths to feed. They would appear one after another, someone would yell ‘TURTLE” and we would all run to that side of the boat to see. A few surfaced barely meters from the boat.

Then 2 more amazing snorkelling spots; Blue Pearl and Manta Ray Bay. Not that we saw any manta rays, but there were every other kind of fish, including the giant Napolean Humphead Moari Wrasse which must have been a good 3 feet long and another tall. Manta Ray Bay has been voted The Best Place To Snorkel In Australia by some poll or other, and it did not disappoint. With over 500 types of coral and 800 species of fish, it was breathtaking. The pictures do not do justice to the colours down there!

On day three we just headed back to land. Which was the last thing I wanted to do. I almost cried when I had to get off the boat. The swallows welcomed us in to the marina and were flying around me as I walked along the jetty and I’ve taken that as a sign. I am going to become a deck hand and spend my days on the ocean.

Lets face it, I’ve been headed that way for a long time.