Hamilton Island

I've arrived in Hamilton Island after about 2 hour flight from Sydney.  As promised Hamilton Island is significantly warmer - temp is probably in the 90's here.  It's an absolutely gourgeous place.  The views on the flight in were breathtaking. 

This is the view when I landed at the airport.  Its a very small airport. 

I'm staying at the Reef View Hotel which is part of the larger Hamilton Beach resort.  This is the view from my hotel room

 Here's the hotel room - not bad, perfectly comfortable and most importantly air conditioned :)

I've just come in from snorkeling.  Lots of fun.  The tide is out now and the water is all the way back to where the reef and rocks start in the picture above.  There are apparently some very treacherous jellyfish here which are very small, like the size of a coin but if you get stung you have to get immediate medical attention.  They tell us that they are more prevalent in the summer months - gulp.  I was nervous about it the whole time. So I decided to end the day in the hotel pool - infinity pool with a nice view of the ocean. 

There's plenty of daylight left as being summer here the days are long but I tend to fade early and then am up very early in the morning.  It was a great day.

Tomorrow I leave Hamilton Island and head to Airlie Beach by ferry.  I'm going to try to find a spot on a sail boat to sail out to the Great Barrier Reef.  Can't wait!

On the Move

I am on the move today.  Mark heads back to the US.  I am heading to Hamilton Island via Virgin Blue airlines flight DJ1281 and staying at the Reef View Hotel.  I've heard that Virginia got some snow yesterday.  Here it's about 80 degrees not much humidity - not as hot as I had thought it would be but Whitsunday Islands is much farther north of Sydney which, in the Southern hemisphere means it promises to be much warmer. I'm looking forward to it.  Catch you later!

Darling Harbor and Other Sites

Darling Harbor - like Baltimore Harbor except bigger and more festive

Good view of Sydney Harbor bridge

Warm weather lovely Christmas decorations.  BTW, apparently Christmas parties here include dressing in costume - a festive sort of Halloween, it appears.

These interesting guys are all over the place - not sure what they are...