The Best Day That Never Happened

Whitehaven beach is a dream

Stepping outside of my comfort zone: June edition (please excuse the delay.) 

I was insanely stoked for this...snorkeling/diving in the Great Barrier Reef, we’re talking an ultimate bucket list goal here.

Before I go any further, I'm just going to warn you right now: things did not go as planned!

Whitehaven beach is a MUST SEE if you're in the Great Barrier Reef

However, before everything went awry, my first full day in the Great Barrier Reef was pretty epic. One of my best friend's and I took a speed boat to Whitehaven Beach (read: the most gorgeous beach I've ever seen in my life).

We spent a few hours relaxing in the water and lounging on the white sand, just soaking up the tranquility. Then, I checked off the one (and only part of my June challenge I would complete), snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef. It was magic. Beautiful coral in every color and at least a hundred different species of fish surrounded me as I saw a true glimpse of life under the sea. I may have just been floating on water, but I felt like I was flying. It was a pretty perfect day full of new experiences, great company, and memories I will never forget.

Ready to snorkel!

The next morning, I set out at 7 AM for scuba diving.  This is where things started to go a bit off course...

Once I arrived on the boat, the vibe was quite different than I expected. The day before, it had been a young crowd on a small, fast boat with a couple hunky Australian dudes operating it. Catchy music boomed from their portable stereos as they encouraged us to take a few swigs of our wine before jumping into the turquoise water for snorkeling.

Ok, now imagine the exact opposite of that. 

This was a cruise like ship.  The air was not filled with sweet tunes, but rather with kids screaming and crying as they ran around. No alcohol was allowed (ok, fair) and there was not another person my age in sight. 

The crew of the boat came around telling us that we had a 6 hour (eeek) round trip to get to the area of the reef we were snorkeling/diving at and had us fill out a couple intake forms. 

About 10 minutes later we had set sail and a member of the diving team came up to me and let me know very casually that, by the way, they weren’t actually going to let me dive.

WHAT?!?

After speaking to several staff members and the captain, it was clear that I wasn't going to be allowed to dive because I have asthma. Mind you, they didn't think to tell me this until I was out on their boat in the middle of the ocean.

So, I had a few options at this point: stay upset and let this hiccup define my last day or find a way to make the best of it. After giving myself a few minutes to just be upset and disappointed, I brainstormed. Luckily, there was one stop on the trip.  In about 20 minutes we would be at Hamilton Island picking up the rest of the passengers.  So, after a little debate, I decided that would be my destination for the day.  

I jumped off the ship onto Hamilton Island and grabbed some breakfast while I formulated a new plan. 

My view from breakfast. Notice those orange jet skis in the distance

Just out of the corner of my eye I saw a dock lined with jet skis. Jet skiing around the Great Barrier Reef? That didn’t sound half bad to me! Turns out, luck was on my side, I was the only one who signed up for this jet ski expedition, so I got a private tour! 

With the wind in my hair, I zipped through the ocean at 60 km per hour surrounded by picturesque teal water, mini islands of greenery, and my very cute Aussie guide. Much better than being surrounded by crying babies on a cruise ship if you ask me.  

Was it diving in the Great Barrier Reef? No, but was it pretty magical in it of itself? Yes, and unlike anything I’d ever experienced.

Pure relaxation at Spa Wumurdaylin

An hour later we pulled back into the shoreline. I started exploring the rest of the island. However, after pushing through the fear I had this morning to go diving alone, getting told no, and then jet skiing through the Pacific, I was pretty exhausted. I stumbled past a cute little spa, booked a treatment and completed my time on the Island with a glass of champagne and an amazing massage.

I finished the day off with a boat ride back to Airlie during sunset and a bomb Italian dinner with my best friend!

Sunset on the way back to Airlie Beach

So alas, pushing myself out of my comfort zone turned into something completely different. I still did snorkel in the Great Barrier Reef like planned, but the diving portion was replaced with exploring a foreign country by myself for a day.  Solo travel is something I’ve never done, but I have kind of always wanted to try it. While I wouldn’t say that my time on Hamilton Island fully counts as traveling alone, it was a little taste...an amazing day trip adventure and a great way to dip my toes into solo travel. 

Just like so often happens with traveling, pushing yourself out of your comfort zone often doesn’t go as expected. If this day taught me anything, it is that sometimes you just have to go with the flow, and find a way to make whatever happens amazing.