diving the Yongala

Location: Whitsunday Islands - Carins

Date: 22th May ......

Today we drove to Ayr to pick up our school books. Yup we are to be tested on our nitrox diving skills tomorrow so that means we have to do some studying! In the evening we find a nice camping nearby and immediately hit the books.

Te next day it is an early start for us because next to fulfilling our Nitrox course ( a different of blend of oxygen you use when diving) we are also diving to the Yongala. Only the most beautiful wreck in Australia (so we have been told).

"The S.S. YONGALA sank in a cyclone on the 23rd March 1911 and remained undiscovered for almost 50 years, not being positively identified until 1958. The wreck now lies on its starboard side in 14-28 metres of water and at 109m long is the largest and most intact, historic shipwreck in Australian waters.

She sank just 12 nautical miles off the coast of Cape Bowling Green in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park with the loss of all 122 passengers.  Exactly what happened we will never know – although research indicates the vessel was steaming, the fact no life rafts were found indicate the loss of the Yongala was sudden and tragic. "

It is a no touch wreck which means you can’t go in it but there is enough to see from the outside. One of the main reasons of the “no touch” rule is because this ship went down so fast taht it took all its passengers on board with her. 122 bodies were recovered and their final resting place will always remain the ship. At the moment there is a spot ( i believe the bow) where they have bagged the remains and given them a final resting place. Another good reason is to preserve the wild life ofcourse. The area around the yongala is a green zone ( and this zone is pretty big) this means no fishing and no mooring with anchors ( there are special spots for the diveboats). The sea life is absolutely B-U-TI-FUL! . 

Due to Cyclone Yasi earlier this year more of the ship has become visible as well ( before that it was completely overgrown with corals) which is really nice you can actually see it is a wreck.

Well what did we see: 

A seriously big groper ( think 3 times my size), king fish ( very similar looks to sharks), 

HUGE marble ray, millions of fish, colourful corals, great travelli’s ( ugly big fish), a wreck ;), sea snakes ( they paid a visit to us regularly and are 10 times more venomous than a sea snake!) and a big ass turtle and another curious turtle (it swam right up to us!). 

These video’s will show a bit of our experience:

Sea snake & Remco

Turtle & Remco

The sea was very choppy coming out and in so for the unfortunate seasick people, some did see their breakfast on return ( yuk). Thankfully Remco and myself were all good! :)

This was definitely a dive i will NEVER EVER forget.. oh and we are also officially Nitrox certified!.... Whoop Whoop!

More pics here: 

AU - Diving the Yongala

Current Location : Port Douglas

Ayo Marrem

eye eye popeye!

Location: Whitsunday Islands

Date: 17^th May – 21^st May

 In the evening we set sail on Anaconda III. Anaconda III is a big sail ship that can hold up to 32 passengers and its crew. This is the only ship that actually goes out to the great barrier reef outside of the Whitsundays. As you might have noticed in recent blogs, Australia is suffering of.. let’s say strange weather. Winter time in Australia is usually ( another word we have learned to hate)the dry period... well this year... not so much. When we left the Airlie beach harbour we were warned that the ocean could get a little bit rough/choppy. Ah well all for the sailing experience right! The plan was to find a secluded cove near the main island and set sail again early in the morning. In the evening everybody got to know each other a little bit better but we all went to bed early.. anxious to experience how it is to sleep on a very rocky boat. 

In the morning we got woken up by the sound of the engine running which meant we were on our way to White Haven beach. Only teh most popular beach next to Bondi beach i think. Its sand is so white that they actually tell you to wear sunglasses at all times cuz it will hurt your eyes. Today is also Remco’s b-day but he doesn’t want everyone to know so we keep it quiet. We did a little b-day jump on the beach tough ;) 

HAPPY 23rd B-day dushi ;) lol..... 

At 12 we set sail t o Maureen’s cove where we will attempt to do some diving. However this is where problem 1 arose..... engine is not working! Now i can hear you all thinking but it is a sail boat doesn't need engines ( we were thinking the same and weren’t bothered by it at first). However you need the engine for power..... Powers gives us a working kitchen, anchor going in or out, “parking” the boat, and many more but most important it lets them fill up the DIVE TANKS!!!! Ever so slightly important on a dive trip don't you think? Ah well we did try to do a night dive in the evening but as soon as we hit the water... problem number 2 arose.... Because of the heavy winds ( sigh sigh sigh bloody Australian weather) a lot of sand ( and I mean about 8 cm) was covering the corals which means no nice corals to see but also very murky water!. The night dive was like swimming in milk, i could hardly see my own meters let alone the other divers. After losing each other twice we resurfaced and cut the dive short.  In the evening we refreshed our dance moves. We had some super cool Israeli guys onboard that seemed to know a lot of dance routines ( think Macarena but then on Israeli music). It kept us busy ;) it was a challange though to dance on a rocking boat.... no major accidents happened though.

The next day the engine was still “kaput” and we just chilled on the deck. At some point we all decided that we wanted to do some bushwalking on the island to have something to do ( our tanks couldn't be filled due to lack of ...electricity so diving was out of the question). At this point, hope of going to the great barrier reef was long gone. We had been at the same spot for nearly 24 hours now and still no sign of a working engine. After the walk we had a quick lunch and hoeray! The engine was fixed ( well kind off) and we set sail to Hayman island. The guys who were working on getting certified and 3 certified divers jumped in the water to get some under water time. Again i think the “vis” was about 5 meters so not great. We did manage to see a cool wobbegong shark ( i like those wobbies), a big groper and  a lot of sandy corals. We decided to not do a night dive here... wonder why ;)

In the evening they switched on the light at the side of the boat lighting up the water. Cuz what attrackts light? Fish... what likes fish? DOLPHINS! We all chilled out on deck waiting for the dolphin to come... first came the big travelli’s and then came the dolphins! So cute! In teh end we had 2 adults and 1 baby.... ahhhhhhhhh

That evening we practiced some more dance moves and admired the black clear starry sky. I saw the southern cross ( only to be seen in the southern hemisphere), learned about the milky way ( my star knowledge is very rusty).

The next morning we did some snorkelling in the same bay. We took some bread and wheatabix whith us and had some serious fun. Saw a beautiful eagle ray ( gray ray with blue spots), a seriously big grouper, a lobster and a lot of fish that were all very eager to eat our wheatabix.

The promise that we would stay a bit longer (to make up for lost time) was however not kept and we had to set sail back to the harbour. On our way we sailed right through a serious ran fall..... so why not test our raincoats and do a little dancing to stay warm!

All in all the trip was fun, but that is just because we tried not to let the bad stuff get into us. The fact that the food was not good, the engine was broken which meant that we didn’t move much and couldn't dive was a disappointment but I am not thinking 2 much about that! You only live once and we all know that can be cut short without a warning!

Ayo,

Marrem

Crikey!

Location: Brisbane - Whitsunday's

Date: 4^th of May -.....

Wednesday 4^th May

Today we went to the Australian Zoo..... oh yeah. Does “crikey” ring any bells? Yes we went to the Zoo that Steve Irwin ran in the last years of his life. And Boy was this zoo nice! Ll teh animals seemed genuinely happy and they had rovers ( people walking the animals and also introducing them to the visitors) walking around with Tazmanian devils, wombats ( they are soft!) and more. We saw the famous croc show, but also a nice bird show, fed the Roo’s and cuddled with the Koala’s.

We also visited the Hospital and since we printed off a coupon we also had a tour through the hospital which was just another highlight. These people know what they are doing and it is just so good to see that all the benefits go towards the animals.

You can feel Steve’s legacy all throughout the Zoo and in his memory all the keepers are wearing the famous Khaki's. What a great loss it is but his family ( wife and 2 kids) are sure keeping the legacy alive. Bindi ( his daughter) is very famous here and even has her own books, clothing line and TV show.....

Thursday 5^th of May

We headed for Noosa today. Recommended by many so we looked forward to some nice kayaking, National parking and some relaxing. Noose is a very relaxed little village and very pleasing to the eye. In true English style it has heaps ( Australian slang for ‘a lot’) of roundabouts. We found a nice camping in Noosaville. It is one of the nicest we found so far and thoroughly enjoyed it. It has a nice vibe and we were parked next to 3 jucy’s ( the space car biggest competitor) so we were all in the same boat which i guess... forms a bond! Heheh

Friday 6^th of May

We did decide to leave the next day however because we wanted to kayak up the Noosa river which is supposed to be spectacular. Unfortunately the weather was once again playing against us and as inexperienced kayakers it was impossible for us to cross the river to get into the everglades. So we decided to head p to Rainbow Beach instead.

Rainbow Beach is the beach that links the mainland ( via a barge) to the all mighty popular island “raser island”. Since we are already going sailing around the Whitsundays we decided not to visit Fraser island. Rainbow beach is very much all about the tourism going to Fraser island. Fraser island can only be reached using a 4WD and last time we checked our van isn’t even coming close to being ne ( even though we sometimes do pretend he is one........no further comment) so only option was using a guided tour of course against a lot of $$$. We found a nice camping ground near the beach so we settled for a nice evening with a book. Only to be eaten alive by wimpiries ( the small fly mozzies) and mosquitos. I even have bites on my (receeding?) hairline!!!!

Saturday & Sunday 7^th & 8^th of May

The next day we almost ran away form the camping to continue our trip to Hervey Bay where we had planned a dive ( yey FINALLY!). On our way we stopped in a very sleepy village called Maryborough. This is the birthplace of the Mary Poppins author and has a lot of heritage building in its town centre. Even though it was a Saturday it felt more deserted than a lot of smaller places we have visited before. Even the shops closed at 1PM.. ON A SATURDAY!!!! How strange! It was however a beautiful little town but it being so deserted left us not much choice. So after a pick nick in a very nice park we left and continued our trip to hervey bay. And may I mention that enroute i saw my first wild horse? WHOOP WHOOP!!!!

Once we arrived in Hervey bay we found a nice camping spot on the beach where we parked our car in between the trees. With the dive ahead we think we will be staying here for 2 nights. Mothersday is coming up an I must admit can this day pls be over quickly??? We ended up staying here for 2 days however we did not get to do that dive.. GRRRR it is like a curse is resting upon us when it comes to diving! Ah well i guess we will get our fair share when in the Whitsundays and cairns. 

AU - Brisbane to Whitsundays

Current Location: Airlie Beach

AYOOOOOO Marrem

Visiting Graham & Christina in Brisbane

Location: Brisbane

Date: 29^th of April – 4^th of May

We arrived in Brisbane early afternoon. In Brisbane we were visiting my second cousin (my dad’s cousin). We had never met but Christina lived with my mum and dad when they were all in their twenties. So the stories she told me was just so lovely to hear. Obviously I did miss them even more after that.

They were very kind and opened up their house to us which was a blessing after spending a rainy week in the camper van. The weather had turned for the better as well and we soaked up some serious sun. We spend some time kayaking on coochiemudloo island ( don’t you just love the name), spend some time in the mountains and went to see the wivenhoe dam ( this is teh dam that they had to open up to release water which caused some of the major floods earlier this year). We also did a rainforest walk which was great fun ( and very muddy which added something to the excitement level).

We also just relaxed, and not to forget.. WE WATCHED THE ROYAL WEDDING! Loved it! Though i liked the wedding of Maxima and Willem better ( sorry brits). But it reminded me how much i like royal weddings and also made me very happy that i am not married to  royalJ ...though I have my very own prince charming..... so cheesy but so true ;)

We left Brisbane with a fully stocked fridge ( they have a veggie patch, their own bee hives’ and the honey is to die for!,  and make their own jam...hmmmm) but mostly with a good feeling. It is good to meet family that live abroad and I just loved meeting them even though it was for the first time.. i did feel at home.

Thanks Graham & Christina !

AU - Brisbane

Current Location: Claireview... ( country town)

Ayoo,

Marrem

OUR SPACESHIP.. how we travel

 This is the second time round that we rent a spacecar. We were really happy with it last time ( Sydney – Adelaide – KI – Melbourne – Sydney), so we decided to pick one up again in Sydney for the journey to Cairns ( about 40 days).

The spaceship is ideal for travelling with 2 people as it only sleeps 2. When Maaike was travelling with us she slept in a tent next to the van.

I think the best way to describe the van is by means of pictures. An official picture from the website is as following:

Layout explained

We try not to use bed set up 1 ( only used it once and sleeps like crap!). However if it rains we need to use a tarp for bed set-up 2 as the canvas is not completely waterproof.

our bed (without canvas)

Setting up in the evening is really not that difficult, we both have our set tasks ;) . We might even film that one day ;) 

Bed extended ( 1st step)

starting to put canvas one (2nd step)

Final Step - DONE

We have a lot of space in the van. We have 2 big cabinets under the bed. ! we use for our food storage ( and has the fridge) and one we use as our “closet”

The spaceship was stocked with all the basics, 2 gas cookers, pots and pans, cutlery, duvet and pillows as well ass covers. We also have a little extendible "kitchen". How nifty! 

 And that is our spaceship. Haven't made a pic of teh inside yet but have a look in this album for more images:

Our Spaceship

Ayo,

Marrem

Big City : SYDNEY!

Location: Sydney

Date: 18^th April – 25^th of April

♫Dag Lieve wargod Daag daag daaag daaag rode auto ♫...... ( zing op dag sinterklaasje)...... ♫

Het is tijd dat we de campings weer voor een hotelletje vervangen. Op zich ook niet verkeerd hoor. Weer even niet koken en elke dag inpakken is best fijn voor een weekje. Wegens de paasdrukte verblijven we een week in Sydney ( beetje verplich ook want alle campervans in heel sydney zijn uitverhuurd). Maar vervelen zullen we ons niet in Sydney!

Wat ons eigenlijk al heel lang opvalt is dat de gemiddelde australier niet van schoenen houd en het liefst op blote kakkies rond huppelt. Maar om dat nou ook in het treinstation te doen.. tja tja... kijk ieder mens verschilt zeggen we dan maar. Het zonnetje schijnt hier heerlijk dus de korte broeken zijn weer uit de koffer getrokken en de lange warme spullen zijn weer heeeeeel snel teruggestopt.

Sydney bestaat uit een paar wijken en wij slapen heel erg in het centrum. Echt prima voor het openbaar vervoer en we doen dus heel veel met de trein ( we hebben een weekpas en tuffen dus lekker rond). Een leuk gebied is Circular Quay ( spreek uit als “Key”), daar staat ook het beroemde Opera House. Dit gebouw is gebouwd door een deen die ongeveer 10 keer over budget is gegaan om het af te krijgen ( uiteindelijk heeft het 100 miljoen gekost om het te bouwen). Van veraf is het echt een mooi iconish gebouw, van dichtbij....iets minder! Het ziet er erg 70-ties uit en is eigenlijk helemaal niet mooi ;). In de haven zie je ook de brug, veel restaurantjes en zijn de ferries die je over de haven kunnen brengen. Onze “trein” Pas is ook hier geldig.

The rocks is het oudste gedeelte van Sydney waar Captain Cook zich als eerste neerplante. Je kan hier ook nog een heel klein stukje oud gebouw zien maar eigenlijk is er niet veel van over. Wel weer erg leuke restaurantjes. Het knusse van Brighton missen we wel een beetje hier maar ja het is dan ook een Metropolitan City...

Woensdags zijn we is in de “retail Therapy” gegaan. Remco zijn schoenen waren overleden, de shampoo was op, en natuurlijk zie je dan nog veel meer onnodig spul. RESISTANCE is our name! We hebben savonds nog een “therapy session” gehad. Gewoon oudverwetst een filmpje pakken J Mooie auto’s, mooie mensen en heel veel verstand op nul J Yup “The fast and Furious nummero cinco!”.

Donderdags hebben we Manly bekeken. Het stond heel goed aangeschreven in d eboekjes en het was een stralende dag. De Ferry bracht ons naar Manly ( wat aan de andere kant van de haven ligt) Prachtig mooi uitzicht op het “opera house”. Eenmaal in Manly aangekome waren we wel wat teleurgesteld in de commercieele toestand.  We hebben er even rond gelopen en lekker op het strand gezeten maar daarna toch maar weer de ferry terug genomen. In de haven hebben we heerlijk genoten van een wijntje, olijfje, het uitzicht, de zon en het weg zijn. De mooie momentjes op zon trip he ;)

Vrijdags hebben we ons is gemengd met het populaire volk op Bondi Beach. Tja je moet er toch geweest zijn he! Nou ik zal heel eerlijk zijn. Tis inderdaad een mooi strand, en dat zo  midden in een stadJ We hebben er lekker ons boekje gelezen en wat zonnestraaltjes opgepakt.

Zondags hebben we gedoken bij Manly. Het was een “shore” duik en highlights konden zijn de wobbegong shark. Dat is een heel mooi bestje dat van achter op een haai lijkt en van voor.. tja op een heel mooi tapijtje! Nou we hebben hem gezien en mischien helpt de foto! Verder hebben we nog een heel mooi beestje tussen het riet gezien. Bijna onmogenlijk om te zien maar Remco had hem gespot, twas heel moeilijk om hem op de foto te krijgen. De tweede duik was eigenlijk niet zo spannend en naast een mooie grote cattlefish en een haai in een pijp niet veel bijzonders gezien. We doken ok met 8 man en helaas was niet iedereen op dezelfde level. Zo heb ik meerdere kopstoten gehad en werd er veel zang opgewappert door onnodig hard te flipperen. Desalniettemin hadden we een leuk clubje en na het duiken zijn we lekker een kangaroo burger gaan eten en hebben we nog even nagenoten van het duiken.

wobbegong shark

Smaandags regende het “as if there was no tomorrow” mijn god wat een regen! En laat dat nou net de dag zijn dat we onze campervan weer op gaan halen!

AU - Sydney

Current location: Brisbane

Ayoooo,


Marrem