P&O BARRIER REEF DISCOVERY, QUEENSLAND AUSTRALIA, Part 2

Upon leaving Airlie Beach we sailed overnight on various NW and N’ly heading navigating through confined waters, continuing further up the East Coast of Australia to Yorkey’s Knob (Cairns). We arrived early morning to strong winds at Yorkey’s Knob and the Captain decided to cancel tender activities for shore excursions. So we missed out on our trip up the Skyrail and Kuranda town visit. 

We checked out a gameshow; majority rules and watched the production of DisConnected. Set in an inner-city cafe, DisConnected is a thought-provoking production show that uses music and dialogue to explore the complexities of social media and technology in today's world. After sailing from Yorkeys Knob, it was a short passage up to Port Douglas. We were met again with strong winds, but just low enough to tender into the Marina.

From its early days as a fishing village, Port Douglas has grown into a sophisticated and upmarket resort town that's quite a contrast to Cairns’ hectic tourist scene. With the outer Great Barrier Reef less than an hour offshore, the Daintree Rainforest practically in the backyard, and more resorts than you can poke a snorkel at, a growing number of flashpackers, cashed-up couples and fiscally flush families choose Port Douglas as their Far North base.

Apart from easy access to the reef and daily sunset cruises on the inlet, the town's main attraction is Four Mile Beach, a broad strip of palm-fringed, white sand that begins at the eastern end of Macrossan St, the main drag for shopping, wining and dining. On the western end of Macrossan you'll find the picturesque Dickson Inlet and Reef Marina, where the rich and famous park their aquatic toys.

It’s hard not to miss the main street of Port Douglas, its Macrossan Street. The main street is lazy with shops to explore, from boutiques and art galleries to cafes and more. One of Kim’s favourite shops was Moonshine Bay. This place was full of really bright, cool and quirky items from jewellery and clothing to bags and just cool stuff. Definitely check it out. Also, the owner is a sweet-heart and there’s a cafe at the back.

A bumpy ride back to the Dawn we chilled for a little while before the night activities kick in. We had and early dinner in the Pantry so we could head to the Marquee for a gameshow of Marriage Match. We joined the Entertainment Director Willie for the hilarious game of kiss and tell. Later that night was the Onward Bianco, P&O’s White Party featuring the Alter Ego and DJ Enzo. The party had to be moved from the Lino Deck to the Dome because of the weather. We only checked it out for a short while. (Loud music, drunks, no longer my cup of tea)

The next day we headed due east, sailing around 250 Nautical Miles off the Australian coast to make a service call at Willis Island on which is a weather station. On passing the island we were lucky enough to see the release of a weather balloon. We then headed south and then south east towards Brisbane.

Willis island is one of a number of atolls and cas to stretch across 780,000 square kilometers of Australia’s Coral Sea Lands Territory. Wilis Island is full weather reporting facility and is linked to the Australian and World Wide weather reporting grid.  We amused ourselves with Willie’s Morning Mayhem Trivia in the Dome Deck. We joined Entertainment Director Willie and Assistant Entertainment Director Alex for fun team trivia with a twist. We followed this up with Towel Animal Parade to cheer our cabin steward’s show casing their animal towel creations. A highlight every night when we are greeted in bed with an different animal each night. 

We then stayed in the Marquee for the Liars Club Gameshow. Joined by Entertainment Coordinator Emma and the panel of Comedian Sean Underwood, Assistant Entertainment Director Alex and Entertainment Director Willie Lee to find out who is lying and who is telling the truth. 

 Later that night we watched the feature show The Velvet Rope. A mix of song, dance and drama, The Velvet Rope was set in a nightclub of the 1930s. It was a story of hope and perseverance, a lesson in not always listening to others but listening to yourself and a joyful mix of music blends linking the romance of troubled times in the 1930s with the slick music grooves of the 21st century.

On the final day of the voyage we continued to head South East Passing Elusive Reef and entering again into the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. We have now had two days of strong winds and medium to high seas. All activities in the Lino Deck 12 have been closed off and everyone was stuck to the inside activities. 

We joined Willie in the Marquee for an information session about disembarking and the End of Cruise video. We went back to the Marquee for a comedy gameshow of Celebrity Heads. Late afternoon we enjoyed the On The Spot Musical Challenge with the onboard musicians, as we tested them to the limit with an ultimate improvised jamming session. We got to put them on the spot and they had 10 seconds to play for their lives.

 Early morning we sailed back under the Twin Bridges and docked back to Brisbane. Back to land and to adjust the legs and back to home life.

P&O BARRIER REEF DISCOVERY, QUEENSLAND AUSTRALIA

The ship carries 2020 passengers over 11 decks and offers itineraries to the South Pacific and Tropical Queensland coast. It was constructed in 1991 but has recently undergone a multi-million dollar update. Accommodation options range from quad-share inside cabins to full balcony suites, and some interconnecting cabins are available for families and small groups.

Once on board we explored the ship, found the photographers for our mandatory "welcome aboard photo"(which if you pull a sad face, you are not tempted to buy the photo on board), and then explored the ship. The changes to all the lounges on Deck 7, Panorama Deck and Deck 12 and 14 Lido Deck were amazing. The new waterpark looked great. The waterslide awaited our attendance and the Pantry (formally buffet) looked spectacular. The Dome (front Deck 14) was beautiful how they changed it with lounges etc. Café on Deck 12 looked very inviting. The ship had truly undergone a transformation, and is now in a class of its own, in a truly positive sense.

First thing on the agenda was the The Sailaway party, which is a tradition on all P&O cruises (Australia, at least). The Pacific Dawn departs Portside (Brisbane) at 2pm each Saturday and our Sailaway party started immediately after our safety drill at 1.30pm. For many of the passengers it was a case of life jackets down, drinking boots on.

The Sailaway party takes place on the pool deck and, because it's the start of the cruise and everyone is on a high, it's soon packed with eager passengers to see what's going on. It's a chance for people to mix and get familiar with the faces they'll be seeing over the next week but it also gives the entertainment team to the opportunity to show what's on offer.

Of course, the Lido Pool Bar is going full steam and they have a cocktail special going where you pay $10 for your cocktail and get the P&O cocktail 'glass' it’s served in (blue or yellow plastic with the letter's P&O on the side). As well as the bar, there were several other tables around the pool deck also selling the cocktails. Needless to say, it proved very popular. We did the Sailaway Party from the Oasis Deck 10, being an Adults only area.  The party pauses as the countdown begins to signal the Pacific Dawn passing under the Sir Leo Hielscher Bridges as it leaves Brisbane, the official 'we've left Brisbane' moment.

The show on the first night was a preview of what we would see throughout the cruise, and that helped us choose what to see later. We even took in the Adults Only comedy act the first night, which was hilarious.  The first thing you are thinking is over eating followed by marathon taste testing of all things liquid. We managed this well. There is much more to do and enjoy than that each day. In the evening, our cabin steward placed on our bed a list of activities for the following day, and we keenly marked off various things we wanted to do for the day.

After a day at sea the Pacific Dawn made her much anticipated return to Airlie Beach. Airlie Beach is the largest town in the Whitsundays and the tourism hub of the region, Airlie Beach is situated on the gorgeous Whitsundays Coast in North Queensland, about 620 kilometres south of Cairns. Surrounded by beautiful turquoise water that glitters just metres off the shore, and backed by rows of undulating jungle-clad hills, Airlie Beach enjoys a warm subtropical climate and is the perfect jumping off point for cruises to the Great Barrier Reef, Heart Reef and Whitehaven Beach.

As a town almost entirely focused on tourism, Airlie Beach has a wide variety of cafés, restaurants, bars and stores that line its main drag. The town also features a lovely swimming lagoon, which is perfect for a quick dip.

A popular cruise destination, Airlie Beach welcomes over 800,000 tourists annually. Many of these holidaymakers arrive by cruise, docking at Abel Point Marina

Much of the devastation caused by Cyclone Debbie is not noticeable because the locals and many of the volunteers have done such a wonderful job making Airlie Beach cruise ship visitor ready again.

Two weeks ago a cyclone ripped through this close knit community, but you would have barely noticed it when Pacific Dawn arrived in the glowing sun and cloud. The whole community has rallied to get things done big time. Cyclone Debbie did its best but you can’t knock Queensland down for long and these communities have been quick to get back on their feet.

While the return to Airlie Beach was an emotional moment for the local community and the guests, P&O was pleased to play a role in reviving the visitor economy, which is vital to so many communities in Queensland.

There are a number of excursions you can book at Airlie Beach like the tropical rainforest experience, Ocean rafting to Black island or Hook island, Crocodile safari, or Great Barrier Reef-knuckle Reef lagoon which is an underwater viewing platform plus a glass bottom boat, but it isn't quite clear to me if the boat is included in the price or an optional extra and many boats head to Whitehaven Beach.

We took the Coast to County Tour, where we pasted the sugar fields of the Whitsunday's to visit the natural amphitheatre of Cedar Creek Falls. Just 19km from Proserpine this waterfall is spectacular in the wet season and offers an almost all year-round natural swimming pool at the base of the falls. We then traveled back through the countryside to the coast of Airlie Beach via the Lemon Myrtle Farm and on to Shute Harbour. Here we uncovered a panoramic view of the Whitsunday Islands. We had time at Mt. Whitsunday for a lookout over Airlie Beach, The Conway Range and islands. Journey back to Airlie Beach, for a stroll and browsed the souvenir stores and markets

SUNSHINE COAST, QLD. AUSTRALIA

Our Top 3 Activities We Enjoy Up The Sunshine Coast

1. Glasshouse Mountains

The 11 gorgeous peaks of the Glass House Mountains are found in the hinterland of Queensland's Sunshine Coast. They are about an hour's drive south of the Sunshine Coast's main hub, Noosa, or an hour north of the state's capital city, Brisbane. 

A natural playground of walking tracks, horse trails and abseiling locations, the mountains are also home to six small townships, linked by rail and country roads. You'll also find the incredible Australia Zoo. Beerwah is the area's largest town, and sits in the shadow of Mount Beerwah, the mountains' largest peak. 

There are several pretty walking trails here, including the 30 minute Tibrogargan walking circuit and the easy Glass House Mountains Lookout Circuit (which offers sweeping views to Brisbane and Moreton Island)

2. Double Island Point

You are only able to access Double Island Point via 4WD vehicle or on foot. Double Island Point is Rainbow Beach most eastern location and hosts the historic lighthouse and Conservation Park. The views are spectacular. Marine life, particularly dolphins, whales (in season), turtles, sharks, sting rays, manta rays, dugongs and fish can be enjoyed from the headland.

The point is easiest accessed on the southern side where a steep path leads up to the lighthouse and caretaker's houses. The Leisha Track connects the Rainbow Beach side to the Teewah Beach side and is often tricky to access with overhanging sticks impeding entry. Tides play a vital role in enabling movement along this stretch and as a general rule sightseers should plan their travel no later than 2 hours either side of low tide. 

Travelling from the Rainbow Beach Township you will also pass the beautiful Coloured Sands. The cliffs boast over 70 different sand colours and are arguably better on the Rainbow side of Double Island.

3. Hastings Street

Noosa is one of the Sunshine Coast's biggest drawcards. Like a magnet, you'll be lured to its white beaches, crystal-clear waters and eclectic array of boutique shops, luxury accommodation and world-class restaurants.

The style is laid-back but invigorated, mixing the relaxed pace of beach living with a buzz created by the constant flow of visitors to Noosa from all over Australia and the world.

Hastings Street, behind the beachfront is Noosa’s fashion strip, specialising in high-end designs, familiar local labels, signature stores and affordable beachwear, footwear and local creations.

If you are up for the retail therapy challenge (we do not recommend you attempt this all in one day), within a 15-minute drive of Noosa’s Main Beach are several shopping precincts which are wonderful areas to  explore and discover a diverse range of retail products.

Take your time to uncover the treasures to be found in Noosa Junction, Peregian Village Square, Sunshine Beach, Coolum Beach, Noosa Civic, Noosaville and Tewantin. And wander a little further to discover the hinterland treasures of Cooroy, Pomona and Eumundi.

The Sunshine Coast is perfect for an action-packed holiday or quiet escape at any time of year. Discover its vast beaches, a thriving food scene at Noosa and the many natural treasures of the surrounding hinterland.