Our last full day on Hamilton Island (and in Autralia!) and we started with a sea kayaking trip. There were 7 people in our group plus the guide and we started by paddling out of the calm protected water of the marina and out into the bay past Titan Island (the smallest inhabited island in the world, it’s owned by a single family who paid $400K for it over 10 years ago and it’s now valued in excess of $12million!).
This morning we were back at the airport, but this time for a helicopter ride over the Whitsunday Islands and out to a pontoon about 30miles off the coast in the middle of the Great Barrier Reef. I got to take the front seat and pretend to be co-pilot which meant I got the best views over the islands. It was the first time either of us had been in a helicopter and I was surprised by how smooth it was but also how noisy until you put on your headset.
Our second day travelling along the Great Ocean Road started with the now familiar rain against the windows (and in this case the roof too). Undeterred by the weather we set out for Otway Fly, an elevated walk through the rainforest with a very high and wobbly viewing tower – surely it’s supposed to rain in the rainforest anyway?
Today we left Melbourne behind and headed to the Great Ocean Road. We stopped at Anglesea for lunch and then the lookout at Point Addis. The scenery is quite spectacular, but I think we’ve been rather spolt by the scenery in recent weeks, so didn’t bother stopping too many more times on the way to Appollo Bay, particularly as it kept chucking it down with rain as soon as we got out the car.
On Sunday we drove from St Helens to Launceston for our last night in Tasmania. On the way we stopped at Columba Falls – at 90 metres high it’s the highest waterfall in Tasmania. It’s quite a fun [Tracey: - fun if you fancy yourself as the next Lewis Hamilton] detour up a tight winding road that’s been cut into the side of the mountain. There’s a short walk through rainforest before emerging at the base of the waterfall.
