Jimbo

Waking up the next morning, I half expected to have a mellow day enjoying the beauty of Airlie beach.  Spending a bit of time down by the water, I met a few backpackers that told me about some of their adventures and while swapping stories, I saw a stunt plane in the sky doing all sorts of flips,

turns and spins right above us on the beach. Immediately packing up my stuff, my new found friends were curious where I was off to in such a hurry. Power walking away, I shouted that I had a plane to catch, and ran back to ask my tour agent friend to see how I could get on that plane.

I was disappointed to find out that there was only one guy that flew the stunt plane, and he rarely goes up anymore because he retired. Knowing that if I could just get in touch with this guy,  I could convince him to take me up no matter what the cost might be. Getting a phone number, email, and address I started exhausting my options to try and get in touch with this dare-devil pilot. Driving down to the runway, I asked other flight tour desks if Jim, the stunt pilot, was around. Every desk I went to said I had just missed him and that he was rarely there anyways. Spending nearly ten bucks in pay-phone calls to get in touch with him, I got nothing but an answer machine all day, and despite the three emails I had sent out to him, I had gotten no response. ​

I wasn't even able to enjoy the beautiful sunset that evening because of how disappointed I was at not being able to get on that stunt plane, And with me leaving Airlie Beach the next morning, I really wanted to end this 3000K trip north on a good note. Trying not to let it get to me too much, I figured I would go grab a beer and try to salvage my day by having a fun night.

Grabbing a stool next to an old, Florida retirement home looking guy, I ordered a beer, took a swig and let out a sigh. The late seventy-something year old looked over at me and said, "Ah mate, look where you ah here. Can't be that bad hey!" Cracking a smile, I looked over at him and agreed, "Ya, you're right. I just got my hopes up today that's all." He retorted, "Ah mate, what a girl stand you up t'day at the beach or what?" Shaking my head I explained to him how I tried all day to get in touch with this jerk stunt plane pilot, and that he didn't return my phone calls or emails or anything. I went on and on telling him how excited I got at the first sight of that stunt plane that morning, and how I tried so hard to get a hold of that pompous pilot. He let out a peculiarly large laugh and started inquiring a bit more about who I was and what I was doing in Australia. After telling him my story, I asked him what he was doing in Airlie Beach, figuring he was on vacation or something. "I live here mate!" A bit embarrassed I said, "Very nice, you're quite lucky to live in such a beautiful place. Hey you wouldn't happen to know that stunt pilot would you?" Hoping he didn't, because I had just called the pilot a jerk. "Ah ya I doooo mate. Matta of fact, that pilot is meee hey!" Turning beet red in shame, I began apologizing and fumbling in embarrassment. "Oh! Uh, ummm, I'm so sorry, I uhh.. thought that he.." Cutting me off with his big laugh, he got up from his stool and with a hefty pat on my back said, "Be at the runway at 8AM mate." And he walked away. A bit awe struck, I sat there smiling, shaking my head in embarrassment at what had just occurred.


With my spirits now very high, I had a great rest of my night but ensured I was in bed early enough to make my 8AM rendezvous the next day, which I was right on time for. Showing up to find Jim polishing a plane that looked older than him, I once again began apologizing for yesterday and explained how grateful I was at the opportunity to fly with him. Being the jolly guy I would find out he is, he laughed and told me not to mention it. He then told me to hop in the front seat of the plane and he would strap me in. Pointing at about five levers, knobs and dials, he nonchalantly told me that if I accidentally hit any of these, that we could crash. Thinking this might be difficult being that we would be doing aerial acrobats, I just nodded with a nervous smile, eager to get in the air.

Priming the engine, he went to the front of the single prop plane and began winding the propeller. Then with one big pull in the opposite direction, the engine began to put, put, put to life. Quickly hopping in, Jim then gave it a rev and got this ancient dinosaur of a plane onto the runway.

I could hear us get clearance for take off through the headphones and going no more than thirty miles an hour, the light plane hopped right up into the air and off we went, out towards the islands I had just circled the the day before by boat. The aerial view was incredible as I could see the Whitsundays and all the surrounding islands with the Great Barrier Reef vibrantly coloring the shallow turquoise waters. It was incredible to see this small section of the overwhelmingly large reef knowing that so much microbiology, intricate ecosystems, and beautiful sea life was thriving just below the surface. After the scenic tour, it was time to head back to Airlie to begin the acrobats right above the beach. With a quick confirmation over the microphone, I gave Jim the thumbs up and immediately we went into a straight, spinning nose dive towards the ground, only to pull up just in time and begin more twists and turns. The giant flips we would do we're the most fun because as we would come back around, I could feel the G-forces pushing down on me, throwing me into a fit of uncontrollable laughter. We would continue for about a minute, straighten out to catch a breath and then once again start the roller coaster ride all over again. I was loving every bit of it and was able to get some great GoPro footage before having to finally turn back towards the runway.

Touching down, I could not thank Jim enough for taking me up on such an incredible aerial adventure. It was one of the highlights of my trip. Truly an experience I will never forget. Still planning on heading out that day, I ended up picking up two backpackers for company on the long drive back down and off I went, taking all the great memories and good times in that I had made from the paradise of Airlie beach.

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One-Thousand K's to Three Beautiful Days

Watching the Sunshine Coast slowly fade in my rear view mirror, I was bit sad I was leaving not only Shy and Michelle, but also that I was leaving the surf as well. See, the way the East coast of Australia works is that you get great surf all along coast until you cross an imaginary line right after a surf

spot called 1770, just a ways up from the Sunshine Coast. After that point, a few islands off the coast, along with the Great Barrier Reef, obstruct any swell from reaching the shore. Oh and also, once you pass this imaginary line, salt water crocodiles, killer box jelly fish and agressive bull sharks inhabit the waters. So now my mission was to conquer the reef and see it in as many ways as possible. Thinking that there wasn't a whole lot to see between the one-thousand killometers that separated Sunshine Coast and the Great Barrier Reef, I tried to knock out the sixteen hour drive as quickly as I could. And to be honest, it really wasn't all that bad because what was ordinary and generic to most people on that road, was new and exciting to me. I watched as the landscape changed from thick, dense forest and trees, to open plains with random, scattered trees here and there with the presence of mountains constantly in the background, separating the green, lush coastal regions
from the red barren deserts. Then I would go through kilometer upon kilometer of sugar cane fields on either side of me that stood well over five meters tall. Driving through small towns where the sugar cane was being processed, I would roll down my windows to the sweet, sugary aroma blowing in the air. Stopping at a gas station in one of the small cane producing shires, I made small talk with the clerk and he said that it was harvest season and that I should grab a sugar cane to gnaw on for my drive. So I did, and I was pleasantly surprised at this occupation keeping me busy during my drive. As it became dusk, I continued to see more and more kangaroos hopping about, and knew I would have to pull off pretty soon. Kangaroos are sadly like the deer of the states. Their carcasses litter the road, and if you happen to hit one, you're guaranteed an expensive repair cost on your car, if not worse if they make you crash. Pulling off at a campground, I settled in for the night excited I was only six hours away from seeing one of the greatest natural wonders of the world the next day. As the scenery continued to amuse me the next day, I decided to pull off the highway towards the small town of Airlie

beach. I was still about five hours away from Cairns, but the drive was taking a toll and I knew I would still be able to snorkel the reef from here. Parking my car, I immediately went to a tour office to book a snorkel adventure, being that the reef is only accessible by hired boat. After going through just about every option with a very cute tour lady, I was booked in on the most adventurous tour they offered. It was a speed boat tour that went to not only the reef, but also to the Whitsundays, which is where the purest, whitest sand in the world comes from. They even made the lense from the Hubble space telescope out of this stuff! ​ I decided to check into a hostel that night because you always meet interesting people at hostels, and its a great way to socialize and find out interesting things about all sorts of stuff. I ended up meeting a Frenchman, a Brit and my first American since I had gotten to Australia. We all went out that night and had a great time sharing stories and adventures and future plans.

The next day, we all said our goodbye's set out on our own tours. Showing up to a dock not too far from my hostel, I met a few other people going on the tour and then met the energetic staff of the jet boat I was about to board. They were all very excited about something and kept on saying how much fun we were going to have that day. Now trust me, I've worked in the hospitality industry before and have seen plenty of fake excitement, but these guys were genuinely excited about something.
And then they laid it on us. "Oi theh mates! I reckon we'll be havin' waves tallah than a kangaroo on a dingo's back due to the twennay plus knot wiiiinds wer havin' t'day!" And then he went on to say that if you were pregnant or had back problems or get at all nauseous on the ocean, that you absolutely should not go on that tour today. This was all music to my ears as I then too became even more excited than I already was.

As we left the safety of the harbor, we began to see the wind swell become more and more apparent. At first it was little three foot waves that we could just bounce over, but then as we rounded one of the islands, into open waters, we went head on into waves that were ironically accurate to our guides description of them being as tall as a kangaroo standing on a dingo's back, if you can imagine it. Or about nine feet tall if you can't.
The boat began its aquatic beating from the waves as it climbed up to the peaks and then came crashing down, spraying the salty sea water over everyone. Up and down, side to side, we were getting tossed around like a echidna in a dingo's mouth. Everyone was frantically grabbing onto whatever they could, bracing themselves as we would occasionally fly through the air and then nose dive through the next oncoming wave. With a front row seat at the bow of the boat, I was loving every bit of this bucking bronco of a ride. The screams and shouts of everyone just added to the fun as I would occasionally look back at the sheer terror on the tourist's faces.

Finally getting some shelter from yet another beautiful island, we pulled into an uninhabitted bay to check out the Whitsundays from a high point. Hiking no more than ten minutes up this island trail, I came to a clearing where I experienced one of my top three most beautiful sights I have ever laid eyes on. Right up there with Mount Everest and the mile deep, underground sparkling caves of Laos. As I looked out before me, I saw pure white sand bars that looked like they had been painted on the turquoise waters by with a paint brush with vivid green jungle

islands as the framework. Even from as high up as I was, I could see the contrast of the dark black bat rays soaring through the shallow waters and even spotted a sea turtle floating about. I was flabbergasted at what I was standing before. Pure beauty. Now it was time to explore. After a short lunch buffet, we went out and meandered the colorless sands of this

beautiful area. Never have I seen such brilliance from a beach before in my life. It was one of those times where I just had to keep slowly turning in circles in attempt to absorb as much of this paradise as I could. ​ The tour wasn't over yet. Crashing through more waves, we made it to a sheltered part of the Great Barrier Reef. Now, with the winds being as rough as they were, we unfortunately did not have the visibility we normally would have on a clear, calm day. Nonetheless I was first one off the boat, dolphin kicking around the massive coral heads, eager to explore the reef to it's fullest.

Taking tons of photos and videos of the beautiful reef, I saw all sorts of varieties of coral. Fish were everywhere among the coral, and giant clams the size of basketballs would snap shut at the slightest disturbance, only to cautiously reopen, flaunting its vivid red, purple and blue insides. The complexities of the reef perplexed me as I swam through schools of fish and over peculiar looking sea plants that looked like they were made of silly putty.
I was able to stay out there for for over an hour before I was called back to the boat, being the last one in. And as we resumed our roller coaster of a ride back to Airlie Beach, the sun began using its own paint brush to color the sky pinks, oranges and yellows.