The following post features student writing.

Lulled to sleep by the rocking of the boat and watching as the stars and sea blurred into the horizon, we spent our first evening in the Whitsundays in peaceful bliss. We boarded Hammer, our 23-meter monohull, early in the morning, and set sail. The hot sun was a pleasant change from the chillier days we had spent in Sydney, and we soon broke out our hats, sunscreen, and bathing suits.

Our first full day as sailors, we anchored and took a dinghy to shore to hike the highest peak in the Whitsundays. Though the hike was challenging, the view of the ocean from the lookout point made our effort worthwhile.

Back on the boat, we filled up on an amazing lunch prepared by our crew, and prepared to set sail. The endlessly blue sea amazed us all, and we spent the remainder of our day enjoying the salty air and beautiful sun.

The second day, we were fitted with stinger suits to protect our skin from any jellyfish or coral encounters, and spent the day playing in the water. Some of us went snorkeling, while a few of us had the opportunity to SCUBA dive. We experienced the beauty of the Great Barrier Reef under water for the first time, and were amazed by its extreme biodiversity. We also went on a short hike to visit some aboriginal caves. After that, we spent the rest of the day playing in the water, jumping off the boat, and listening to music in the sun.

The next day, we visited the third most Instagrammed spot in Australia—Whitehaven Beach. Not only was this the beach where much of Pirates of the Caribbean was filmed, but also the original location of the sand used to make the lens for the Hubble telescope. We enjoyed a relaxing day in the sand, though we tried not to bring any of it back onto the boat with us.

On our final day, we snorkeled before beginning our sail home. As we departed the boat that we had called home for the past four days, we all agreed that this leg of the journey would stay with us forever.

– Caroline K.