Day 29 - Downunder 2016 - Tue - 10/25/16 - Hamilton Island

Waking up early to the rumble of the propellers and turning on the bow TV channel we could see that we were once again in paradise only this time at Hamilton Island. From the Lido we could see the greenish tint to the water. Because the harbor is relatively shallow, today would be a tender port with a combination of ship based and shore based tenders.

With our 4 star Mariner status we got out on one of the earlier tenders. Upon reaching shore we obtained a free boarding ticket for the 20 minute island shuttle tour which gave us a feel for the island. Essentially the island is a water playground for Australians. There are residences and condos and hotels, and in general I'd venture a guess that they are expensive. A later visit to a local real estate office confirmed this!

After the shuttle tour we walked back over to the Catseye Beach area and snorkeled a bit in the morning seeing only a few fish. We decided to wait for the 1:30pm low tide and ate some lunch and did our online US Election voting in the Wildlife Park cafe. We then headed back to the beach at one o'clock and snorkeled quite a bit farther out. There we saw quite a few more fish and my wife saw a sting ray. Another guest reported seeing a turtle. A cool thing was that the beach hut provided full body suits called stingers which served as protection against jellyfish and the sun! After snorkeling we walked back to the marina and strolled up and down the Main Street. One of the cooler things we saw were a bunch of beautiful white Cockatoo birds that were begging for food from some people eating outside along the harbor.

Departing the harbor area we got on the last tender (one of the large shore based ones) which departed at 3:30pm and we were the last 2 passengers to scan on to the vessel (a new first for us!).  

The sailaway was one of the prettiest we've experienced. The Maasdam rotated 180 degrees and steered a zigzag course in between the numerous small islands and reefs through very green water and warm air temperatures. After showering we enjoyed a very pleasant dinner in the main dining room with another Cruise Critic couple from Ontario, Canada.  

The evening's main stage entertainment was another saxophonist from California (Pete) following which I watched one of the Terminator movies (not a favorite genre for me) before heading for bed. Tomorrow we are not due to dock in Cairns until 10am, and we have an exciting day planned.

While the destination is important, savor the journey.