Sailing and sundogs in the Whitsundays, Australia

(This was back in November 2008, but I've only just had time to finish blogging about it!!).

Joss and I were stuggling with bad-vacation luck back in Oct 08 ... we were trying to organise a week off SOMEWHERE but kept getting confronted with bad luck.

Earlier in the year, we'd booked a week's holiday in November, travelling by training through parts of Vietnam - then were informed in October that our carriage was no longer 2-berth: now it was 'multi-berth' ... meaning sharing with 2 or 4 other random couples for 3 or 4 nights. I was never-the-less quite up for that (visions of car keys placed in the soup bowl), but for some reason Joss was less keen.

So instead, we planned a vacation in India coinciding with the very posh marriage of one of Joss' colleagues (reception of which happened to be in my favourite Delhi hotel (The Imperial). I won't go in to details, but this got cancelled too (@ the last minute). So, again at the last minute (having booked our flights to Delhi) we hunted for things to do/places to go.

I found a connection from Delhi to Bhutan .. and spent hours (with a great UK-based travel agent) planning a week's tour of that country. Only to be told on booking the holiday that the new King of Bhutan had decided to get coronated that week -- so flights and hotel rooms were non-existent.

Then Joss announced she'd actually only got 2 days' vacation left and needed those for Xmas.

Right! I needed a break and I had 5 days. And I was going on my own. What to do??

I've always wanted to learn to sail, so I booked a week's sailing course through the Whitsunday Marine Academy.

What an amazing week. I've already blogged (back in December) about the scenery and wildlife. The sailing was pretty hot too. With perfect (learning) conditions, I spent 5 HOT nights aboard the 60ft, 12-berth yacht EurekaII - what a blast.

It was relatively serene until the last day when the wind decided to pick up for our journey home. I swear the hull was at 40 degrees to vertical for most of the four hour sail back to port (exciting!!).

I can now show folks my 'International Competent Crew' Certificate ... but have realised since (after a few times sailing in HK harbour) that I've forgotten nearly everything!

And I'm pleased to say the sundogs (sun rings) I saw in Napa Valley in the Summer of 08 followed me to Queensland in November.

Quite a nice life.

M