Who's for cards?

I hate it when our visitors go home.
Apart from the excellent company they provide, regressing to two-handed Yaniv isn't a patch on a fast-moving game with three or more!
After a beaut five days, Leigh and Rhys went back to Townsville yesterday for their last couple of days of holidays before returning to Victoria.

The wind was a bit fresh but the sun shone on day one.

While the weather was patchy during their stay, we did manage a visit to both Hook and Whitsunday Island as well as a fabulous sail from Hook Island back to Airlie Beach on Thursday (just before the weather again turned and belted the Whitsundays with 25-30 knots and three metre swells).
Overnight anchorages in Cid Harbour and Nara Inlet were tranquil and beautiful.
As we arrived in Cid, a dugong came up close to our boat and continued to feed in the vicinity for some time. This was followed by turtles emerging at various spots around us.
This great welcome was followed by a climb to the top of the Whitsunday peak for a (fortunate) view of the surrounds. In the following days it was shrouded in cloud.

Sawmill Bay turned on its best colours

We saw the dugong again the next morning. As we took a dinghy tour around Sawmill Bay it came up within 10 metres of us, did a roll and flipped its tail. Impossible to catch with the camera but firmly locked in the memory bank.

Nara Inlet beach

Cave at Nara

In anticipation of finer weather tomorrow or Monday, we've done the washing and restocked the cupboards and will head to the Lindeman group of islands (south of Hamilton Island) and then maybe onto Mackay. Maybe. I'll tell you when we get there!