Whitsunday Coast - Queensland and the Great Barrier Reef - page 436

Sailing
What could be better than sailing from one island paradise to another? There are plenty of
sailing tours itching to get your landlubber feet on deck, but if you've got salt water in your
veins, a bareboat charter might be more your style. A bareboat charter lets you rent a boat
without skipper, crew or provisions. You don't need formal qualifications, but you (or one
of your party) have to prove you can competently operate a vessel.
Expect to pay between $500 to $1000 a day in the high season (September to January)
for a yacht sleeping four to six people. A booking deposit of $500 to $750 and a security
bond of between $200 and $2000 is payable before departure and refunded after the boat
is returned undamaged. Bedding is usually supplied and provisions can be provided at ex-
tra cost. Most companies have a minimum hire period of five days.
It's worth asking if the company belongs to the Whitsunday Bareboat Operators Asso-
ciation, a self-regulatory body that guarantees certain standards. Also check that the latest
edition of David Colfelt's 100 Magic Miles of the Great Barrier Reef is stowed on board.
There are a number of bareboat charter companies around Airlie Beach: Charter Yachts
Australia ( 1800 639 520; www.cya.com.au ; Abel Point Marina) ; Cumberland Charter Yachts ( 1800 075

101; www.ccy.com.au ; Abel Point Marina) ; Queensland Yacht Charters ( 1800 075 013;
www.yachtcharters.com.au ; Abel Point Marina) ; Whitsunday Escape ( 1800 075 145;
www.whitsundayescape.com ; Abel Point Marina) ; and Whitsunday Rent A Yacht ( 1800 075 000;

www.rentayacht.com.au ; 6 Bay Terrace, Shute Harbour) .
If you want to know why those old salts at the bar keep smiling into their drinks, learn
to sail at the Whitsunday Marine Academy MAP GOOGLE MAP ( 07-4946 5782;
www.explorewhitsundays.com ; 4 The Esplanade) , run by Explore Whitsundays, or the Whitsunday Sailing
Club 07-4946 6138; www.whitsundaysailingclub.com.au ; Airlie Point) . GOOGLE MAP ( MAP

Diving
Dreamy diving experiences abound at spectacular sites such as Black, Knuckle, Fairy,
Bait and Elizabeth Reefs. However, the fringing reefs around the islands (especially on
their northern tips) are often more colourful and abundant than most of the walls on the
outer reef, and there's usually a greater variety of softer coral.
Costs for open-water courses with several ocean dives start at around $600 and gener-
ally involve two or three days' tuition on the mainland, with the rest of the time diving the
reef. Check that the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park levy and any other additional costs