Location: Hamilton Island, Whitsundays

Weather: Starting to get a little more humid here today! 30c

Not known for travelling that lightly at the moment with everything I have to take with me in order to dive, blog, photograph and live, I almost feared the fact that my latest itinerary spanned nearly 14 days and would take me to a wide variety of environments and appointments all requiring different attire and equipment. I left Blue Pearl (my house on Hamilton Island) with nearly 48kgs……yikes!

After a short hop onboard my Qantas flight to Cairns the blast of hot air greeted me as I exited the aircraft, I’d arrived once more in Tropical North Queensland and the temperature was certainly a few degrees warmer than that back home.

First stop, collect my hire car from Avis, a rather cute Holden Astra(Opel/Vauxhall depending on which country you reside in) which was convertible. Excellent I thought, a little wind in the hair motoring to come. I popped the roof back, threw my luggage in and drove…..for almost a kilometre before coming to the end of my journey at the hanger of GBR Helicopters, my next mode of transport to whisk me up north.

It took me two seconds to place the face in front of me, Nigel had flown Bre and I back in July when we visited Green Island on a short flight out over the reef and would again be my pilot today, excellent! I love meeting up with familiar faces once more.

Safety briefing out of the way (I could almost give these to the pilot now as I’ve become so used to them!) we powered up on the landing zone, waited for clearance and took to the skies once more, Nigel expertly sweeping us low over the Hinterland taking in vast properties, fringes of rainforest and the Captain Cook highway winding its way north along the coastline towards our destination for the day, Cow Bay around 100 kms to the north.

As we banked back into the mainland from the reef the stunning beauty of the Daintree became obvious; a spectacular mountain range smothered in dense green rainforest towering above the coast it runs along. Memories of driving through a similar environment in Gabon last year during my Afritrex expedition brought the emotions flooding back….I actually cried back then as I was so blown away by it all.

Dropping out of the sky and down to the cleared grassy area meant the end of another fantastic experience. I said goodbye to Nigel and hello to Barney from Back Country Bliss Adventures, my host for the remainder of the day and an experienced guide who manages a company offering some of the best adventures I’ve heard of and totally up-my-street such as river snorkelling, sea kayaking, mountain biking, kitesurfing, wakeboarding etc….having just an afternoon with them would not be enough.

I was being tagged onto the back of a group made up by an international contingent from Tourism Queensland with familiar faces from all around the world. As I arrived at the Daintree Discovery Centre two faces stood out from the crowd, Shana who works in the USA office and was instrumental in organising my recent interview with Oprah (still can’t believe that actually happened – massive round of applause please) and Jane Nicholson from the UK office who I’ve known since the initial round of Best Job interviews started way back in March, great to see her smiling and away from her desk for once – a very deserved break I think.

We were deep in the rainforest now, the Daintree Discovery Centre being an informative and fascinating insight into the life of the flora and fauna which exists in this incredible eco-system. There’s raised boardwalks which allow you to walk from ground level up into the trees giving a unique view of the surroundings and ends up at the huge tower and information centre which, if your control of vertigo allows, lets you climb the remaining 20 metres to the viewing platform above the canopy.

The 360° views are awesome as are the sounds of the birdlife below, it’s almost as though they don’t see you as they fly past cackling, screeching and calling out. I loved it up top and could have stayed for ages but the whirlwind tour had to continue and we headed back to the 4×4’s ready to move on…but it wouldn’t be long before we’d be back up in the trees.

As we bounced and bumped up the dirt road which wound through the rainforest a clearing appeared and our next destination had been reached – Jungle Surfing – Zip Lines – Flying Fox, call it what you will it meant more adrenaline and more dealing with being up in the clouds.

Harnessed up, personalised helmet on (I was to be called Tarzan for the day…but I could have been MiniMe, King Kong, Skippy or Barbie!) and camera strapped to me, we made our way to up the first stepping-off platform at around 12 metres off the ground.

The platforms are all mounted high up in the trees using cable and chains but extensive efforts have been made to protect the trees as much as possible. There is no direct alien contact with the trunks themselves instead small wooden blocks have been placed around them to stop the chains cutting into the bark – a very good effort to protect their environment and duly noted!

There are a total of five cables secured between the trees each of which interconnect the platforms and offer a different ride from the next; the first is a winch up hill, then a short slide across the canopy, the next a trip across a deep valley below, then a super-fast ride steeply downhill to the final test….a trip upside down to the last hopping off point.

It’s a cracking adventurous ride which educates and excites, the guys operating give a short talk at each platform about the environment, the trees, the history and the view and you leave feeling pumped up and relieved to have made it to the end in one piece…yes especially you Jane Nicholson and very well done for completing it at all!

Back Country Bliss Adventures offer a huge array of activities which you can do here in the rainforest and together with GBR Helicopters can drop you off at one of the peaks where you can mountain bike down to the river for a snorkel before enjoying lunch on the beach.

I had one more appointment to make before the afternoon was out which involved a drive south towards Port Douglas, a left hand turn towards Mossman Gorge and a short climb up to Kuku Yalanji Dreamtime – an Aboriginal Tour Centre which gives an insight into the local community’s connection with the forest itself.

Run by locals the walking tour winds through the rainforest floor with stop-off points along the way to listen and learn about the history of the area and the traditions contained within it. One I’d been secretly dreading but was keen to try out once and for all was the eating of the witjuti grub….yes that famous long, fat, pus-filled monster found in dead trees out here. Bushtucker trial…eat your heart out!

Of course to make life slightly easier for all concerned my hosts had very kindly been out and sourced some of these particularly in-digestible grubs prior to my arrival so as I arrived at the bush camp I knew something ready for me judging by the smile on their faces.

Here’s the video of me trying the gorgeous appetiser, which turned out to be much better than expected – once the heads been removed you’re left with a squirming body that has a wet, fish skin-like consistency filled with gooey water. Once I’d chewed it a few times the taste disappeared I after a proper swallow it was gone…wow that was something I’ve been meaning to try for ages and not as disgusting as I thought.

There were a few Custard Pears to try afterwards to wash down the witjuti grub which cleansed the palette rather well…or at least offered something different to taste anyway, the whole process provided great amusement to the crew who’d decided they didn’t want to participate for some reason.

Warren took me on a walk through the forest explaining to me the significance of the trees in their culture and about how he and his family have a particular interest in protecting the forest for future generations. We arrived at a slowly flowing stream when he decided to take a liking to my face and painted red ochre and other natural clays across it just as the Aboriginals would have done traditionally with their own people.

No visit to the gorge would be complete without a lesson in how to play the didgeridoo and so came my turn. Now I have about as much musical talent as a…person with no musical talent but I thought I had to give it a go as I’m here…

I watched the master at work and then tried desperately to recreate the incredible sounds he was able to produce, pursing my lips together and blowing a raspberry through them….after a few attempts I could do it! But then came the really difficult part….circular breathing. This is the art of continually breathing out through your mouth to create a sound with the didgeridoo and at the same time inhaling through your nose to provide air for the next breath, simple I thought.

No way in the world is it simple, I huffed and puffed and stopped, Then huffed and puffed some more…and it stopped again, damn this is harder than it looks. The lesson came to an end a few minutes later as my mouth really wasn’t able to do it and my mouth was starting to cramp with all of the effort, stick to running and training Ben.

With the excitement of the day over I jumped back in my little hire car, dropped the roof back and prepared for some more convertible-motoring all the way back down the coast to Port Douglas, or just Port as the locals affectionately call it and what a great little town I found too.

The spit of land which the town is sited on has a sumptuous entrance road lined with palm trees and smart looking commercial and business properties leading to the main road through which is where the shops and restaurants start.

My guide for the afternoon was Doug Ryan whom I met at Salsa, one of the classier eateries along the front offering views out over the water and a corking menu, I hadn’t had pasta for a few days and you can never have enough seafood….so I combined the two and came away delighted. Stomach full it was time to catch up on some family business with some birthday present shopping in the town and then back onto the road south for Cairns, my overnight stopover.

My weary head was in need of a good pillow and the Hilton in Cairns can certainly offer that…there’s one of those amazing pillow menus to choose from but I was so tired I could have slept on a brick that night!

Distance covered: 500kms on Qantas, 100kms in a helicopter, 120kms in a car!

End of day location: Cairns

Location: Daydream Island

Weather: Blustery wind but that sun has still got his hat on! 30c

It’s like going back home every time I arrive at Daydream Island. My first visit to West Molle, or Daydream as it’s now more affectionately known, was back in May during the final of the Best Job in the World when all 16 of the finalists got a chance to get close to the fish and sharks in the touch pool and sample the delights of the kitchen in Mermaids restaurant.

Daydream is one of the Molle Island group and sits about 4kms from the mainland, it’s a tiny place though measuring 200m wide and a kilometre long but there’s loads to do and never feels over crowded or developed.

As Bre and I arrived off the ferry from Hamilton we were greeted by the usual smiling faces of the band, the four playing away at the top of the jetty just as the traditional shell necklaces are dropped over our shoulders and we make our way to reception to check in.

Our room is on the first floor over looking the Whitsunday Passage with its crystal clear blue waters today broken up by small breaking white crests as the wind is up to around 25 knots. There was a plan to have a parasail but it’s been cancelled and instead we’ll be taking to the water by more extreme means – jetskis and the banana tube ride! Much more my idea of fun….come on the adrenaline needs to keep flowing!

The south end of the island houses the activities and together with Merryn, our host for our stay, we don our rash vests (or rashies as the locals call them) and lifejackets, drop our belongings off at the reception and make for the beach. There’s something about preparing to jump onboard a fast, engine-driven machine that ignites the little boy inside me and I become a little over-excited, that’ll be the adrenaline then Ben.

I jump on the floating rocket-ship and familiarise myself with the controls – nothing complex here….push the finger trigger to go faster, let it go to stop…which I won’t be doing much of course. Bre hasn’t had the chance to get onto a jetski yet and had been harping on at me about it for ages, now she finally had her chance and I could see from her facial expressions just how much she loved it!

The choppy conditions made it great fun…it’s great racing flat out across a super-smooth ocean but throw in a few waves and a bit of surface chop then all of a sudden it becomes more about jumping and having a blast!

But the fun didn’t stop there, as soon as we touched terra firma and beached the jetskis our next experience was waiting there for us…the banana tube ride! Now, I haven’t been on one of these for years and had forgotten quite what a battle of attrition it is trying to stay on the thing as it bounces and scythes its way through the water.

Daydream Island has the largest open lagoon in the southern hemisphere which is made up of three separate pools, harboring all types of marine life including coral, anemones, rays, sharks and so many fish the water sometimes appears to boil as they come to you expecting food.

Bre and I were lucky enough to be introduced to some of the smaller residents of the pools which are kept in a different nursery area until they are old enough….the very cute striped sharks which have been hatched from eggs, or purses as they’re known. As they get older they loose their distinctive brown stripes and eventually, once they can fend for themselves, are released into the main pool to socialise with the others.

The Stingray Splash allows you to actually stand in the water with these amazing creatures and they came right up to you, brushing against my legs and feet as I temptingly dangled a prawn in their face. It doesn’t take long to digest a single prawn when you’re that hungry I imagine….it doesn’t even touch the sides.

Dinner for the evening was to be taken at Mermaids Restaurant on the beach and was up to and almost beyond the standard I’d been expecting from Daydream…or maybe it was the fact that management were dining with us tonight, I went for the Spanish Mackerel and wasn’t disappointed at all – it’s a really chunky fish that’s so different from the type we get back in the UK.

Early the next morning there were still a whole heap of things we could and should have done but the priority had to go to trying to get a complete round of mini-golf in before our boat departs….we’ve come close to missing it and only completed 9 holes before.

Bre is particularly good at her short golf game and convincingly kicked my ass….even getting a hole in one at the famous ‘Whale Hole’ which usually ends up being a 6 or 7 shot task! Here’s the video to prove it:

We raced back up the jetty to meet the ferry which signalled the end of another action-packed adventure on Daydream Island….it never fails to deliver a busy, excellent way to entertain adults and children alike. Me more than most….

End of day location: Hamilton Island
Distance covered: 18kms

My helicopter flying lesson

First of course a few facts and statements about helicopters and flying:

• The only time you have too much fuel is when you’re on fire
• When in doubt, hold on to your altitude. No-one has ever collided with the sky
• Never fly the ‘A’ model of anything
• Try to stay in the middle of the air. Do not go near the edges of it. The edges of the air can be recognized by the appearance of ground, buildings, sea, trees and interstellar space. It is much more difficult to fly there
• If the wings are traveling faster than the fuselage, it’s probably a helicopter – and unsafe
• If helicopters are so safe, how come there are no vintage / classic helicopter fly-ins?
• A helicopter is a collection of rotating parts going round and round and reciprocating parts going up and down – all of them trying to become random in motion

There are a few things which really get my blood pumping, the adrenalin flowing and the cold sweat trickling down the back of the neck….the anticipation of flying in a chopper is one of them…the anticipation of actually flying the chopper does ten times that! Taking up the other two seats in the helicopter were the journalist Ian Woods from Sky News and his cameraman….be afraid boys be very afraid!

After a short postponement due to Hamilton Island Race Week getting in the way of the previous engagement my meeting with this beast of a helicopter, the R44 Clipper, was back on. I drove down to the offices of Hamilton Island Aviation where Des from Heli-Biz was waiting for me and as I made my way out onto the runway other belly-poppers (as the B.F.G. used to call them) were swooping low over the tarmac, the pilots all expertly maneuvering their machines around…time to perform Ben.

I climbed into the cockpit of the R44 and strapped myself in, the sun beating down through the vast glass area adding to the unnecessary heat my body was already suffering from in the build up to my big moment. Des went through his pre-flight procedures meticulously, started the air-con much to my delight and wound the rotor blades of the chopper up to operating speed. This was really it….

As we left the surface of the runway Des turned to me and started to go through the instructions….”this is the cyclic, hold the controls lightly in your fingers, keep the ball between the two lines and head in that direction” – ‘What me…now” came my none-too confident answer.

I held the controls and gently worked the stick until I had the balance of this great flying machine, slowly bringing up the height of the chopper as we cleared the boundaries of Hamilton Island leaving it getting smaller in the distance. As we made over the Fitzalan Passage, Whitehaven Beach started to come into view (voted Queensland’s best beach and understandably as it’s amazing!) and I adjusted out flight path to make for it….this was turning out to be a much longer go at the controls than I first thought….wicked fun!

As we cleared the end of Whitehaven Beach Des again too the controls, gained around 1000ft in height and told me to hang on, here comes the demonstration! We commenced a tight sweeping spiral turn coming back around onto ourselves three times dropping the nose down towards the ground each time with my stomach and head were spinning and the fast approaching ground – this was the way to fly a helicopter, incredible.

Back at the controls now we turned back towards the mainland and gained height over Whitsunday Island passing the highest ridge before the ground dropped away into the ocean once more. As I settled into the role Des turned to me and said “Ben maybe you could grip the controls slightly lighter than you are now?”, I checked my hand and the whites of the knuckles were showing clearly! It’s totally weird trying to control something so powerful with just your light fingertips….I changed my hold but ten seconds later was back to the old ‘fish-strangling’ position!
Ten minutes later we were passing up the passage to Shute Harbour and across the mangroves which signalled the approach to Whitsunday Airport, our destination for the end of the flight.

Now they say that the hardest thing about flying a chopper are the take-off and landing….I was about to find that out. With Des still reluctant to take the controls back from me he talked me through the basics of hovering this lightweight bumblebee. It’s a combination of three different controls just to hold it in one place!

You know the game where you rub your belly whilst patting your head??? It’s like that but with the added bonus of trying to keep a football up in the air using your feet at the same time….i.e. Damn difficult.

A couple of minutes and tail drops later Des came to his senses and took control of our chopper and gently brought it to rest on the ground outside the hanger – one day I will learn to fly one of these for real but for now this one will have to do….

End of trip location: Whitsundays Airport

Distance covered: 80kms

Location: Airlie Beach for some fun! Weather: Spring is in full effect…sunshine and blue skies, hot. 28°c

‘Frocktails’ Fashion Show – Friday night. Unsurprisingly I’ve never been asked to be a model at a fashion show before…with my super skinny legs (designed for speed and not looks!) and not-exactly model looks, I’ve been to watch a couple but never strutted my stuff on the catwalk. Tonight was to be very different as Bre and I had been asked to open the event taking place in the luxurious surroundings of Waters Edge apartments  where we were lucky enough to be staying and representing one of the fashion shops in the town, Airlie Beachworx who’d been kind enough to kit us out with some new threads ready for our modelling debuts.

With around 300 people in attendance the nerves were jangling a bit as we took our first steps down the red carpet, especially as at the last minute I’d been ushered into the make-up and hair chair to be worked on…..have a look at the photos and tell me what you think!

Sand Sculpting competition – Saturday morning

When I spotted this little challenge on the itinerary I shouted to Bre “we need to make a sand castle – what on earth shall we do?” Suffice to say we spent the next hour searching Google images for some inspiration and decided to try and construct a ‘Saltie’ or Saltwater crocodile….armed with a couple of printouts we descended on Airlie’s sandy beach front at 9am on Saturday morning armed with the desire to win! On arrival it seemed we’d got it a little wrong from the start….everyone had started bang on time and all we had was a pile of sand in front of us.

Around turtles, crabs and mermaids were already starting to take shape constructed by kids and parents all armed with buckets, sprayers, shovels and trowels – these people meant business and all we had were our bare hands! With three hours to prepare something we set about the task and formed the outline of our creation, built a huge pile and made the legs and tail but the problem came when we started to ‘finish’ the sand…hands do very little, sticks are just as bad and we struggled on until eventually our next-door neighbour leant us some equipment so we could finish the job off properly…now that’s a friendly proposition!

Once the time was up we felt we’d done ok….here’s some pics of the attempt. Sunday was the announcement and…by jove we won the adult section of the competition giving us a free dinner for two at Airlie’s top sushi restaurant. Perfect as it’s Bre’s favourite food!

Reef Festival Street Parade – Saturday afternoon

Fresh from the sand sculpting competition we brushed ourselves down, grabbed a change of clothes and made for the assembly area at the yacht club end of Airlie Beach where the trailers and floats were starting to mass ready to commence the culmination of the weekend’s activities….the carnival parade! Now as we’re filming a documentary for National Geographic throughout the Best Job experience the Producer and Cameraman James occasionally wants to throw something unusual into the mix to create a slightly more interesting program…today was to be no different.

I would be driving a golf buggy during the parade – not to represent Hamilton Island where buggies are the usual means of transport, but instead for Big 4 Adventure Whitsunday Resort where I’d been lucky enough to stay a few weeks earlier and who were sponsoring the event. This however is no ordinary golf buggy…this one has a massive frog head on the roof which is the logo for Big 4…then add to that the inclusion of a fancy-dress costume and I’d be passing through the streets of Airlie dressed as King Neptune with Bre as his mermaid. Enjoy laughing at the pictures of what was a brilliantly fun afternoon:

End of day location: Waters Edge resort, Airlie Beach

Distance travelled: 80 kms by helicopter, 250m on the catwalk and 3 kms by golf buggy! Very different!