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www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver Weekend, Saturday March 8, 2008 - 23 Birds, fish and rain on Great Barrier Reef getaway M other and daughter getaways are very special. My daughter Jayne and I have been having them since she was about 10. Sometimes it was an overnight at the Sheraton Centre in Toronto, sometimes more exotic, like a trip to Costa Rica. This year, we flew from Sydney, Australia, where she lives, to see the Great Barrier Reef from Hamilton Island. Hamilton Island is nestled amongst the beautiful Whitsunday Islands and has its own airport, a choice of resorts from three-star bungalows to five-star accommodation. We stayed in wonderful digs at the four-star Reef View Hotel. When we opened the front door of our new home, we raced for our cameras. There were two huge cockatoos perched on the railing of the balcony. By the time we started taking pictures there were seven lined up posing. This was only exciting for the first few minutes, as these birds would steal anything and everything left on the balcony, and come right in if you left the door open. It is a bit off-putting to find three of them on the coffee table. Hamilton Island has its own shopping village, marina, restaurants, bars, and takeaways as they call fast-food joints, a sports complex and a relaxation centre. There were grocery stores for those who wanted to cook and a wide range of restaurants for those who didn't. The island offered a free island shuttle for which we never seemed to have to wait, and golf buggies to rent. It dawned on me after we arrived that our getaways usually involve bad weather, and this trip was no different. It was the coldest weather they'd had in 100 years, and it rained all day and most nights for the six days we were there. That's life, in the real world, and as usual we found other ways to entertain ourselves. The pool was not full of people and was heated, so we enjoyed it. She went bushwalking (we call it hiking) on some of the 20 km of bushwalking trails, and came back full of stories about the bird life, hidden coves and stunning views to photograph. I went swimming. We spent a pleasant time at the spa, and then compared our new relaxed selves. And relax we did. We talked; we worked on our laptops, followed a tradition of watching a video of the Sound of Music and took turns enjoying the luxurious bath tub. We were there though to see the famous Great Barrier reef. The highlight of the trip for Jayne was our day with Fantasea cruising out to Hardy Reef. We traveled in style aboard a large, high speed, air-conditioned catamaran bound for Reefworld, our base for exploring this natural wonder. Hardy Reef is a healthy platform reef, which allows for sheltered and protected snorkeling and swimming conditions year round. Once we were there, we had four hours to explore. We took a tour aboard one of the semi-submarines; and then took it again. We spent magical time underwater, in awe of the fish. Fish species included Queensland Groper 'George,' who measures three metres in length, playful Maori Wrasse 'Wally' -- plus thousands of other marine residents. Jayne took hundreds of pictures of Wally and George. We spent time in the underwater viewing chamber where George hung out, and looked for Nemo. We didn't need the air conditioning or covered deck; we did use the wetsuits available to us, and under the water who cares if it is raining. As always holidays are what you make of them, and perhaps if the weather hadn't been quite dreadful we wouldn't have met Saurin. Saurin, one of Australia's most common bird of prey, is huge, though the females of his breed are even larger. He has become a celebrity, does wine commercials, and gets regular work gigs. His job the week we were there was to scare the cockatoos back into the trees where they belong. In spite of the signs in every hotel room, asking people not to feed them, people do, and it is making them ill. We noticed him while having breakfast one morning. You couldn't miss him he is so huge. There he was flying free, and he mostly came when he was called. Like my golden retriever not always instantly, sometimes he was enjoying the wind currents too much to return for a few minutes. "Does he kill the cockatoos?" I asked. "No, he prefers his food in a bowl," was the answer. He also liked the raw slab of beef that Paul had draped over his leather glove. Saurin was staying on the next floor up, so we got together every day. I couldn't stop asking questions, never have I been up close and personal with such a magnificent eagle. Paul Mander, the director of Broadwings Raptor Training & Conservation Centre, has been working with birds all his life as his father did before him. Saurin was rescued when he was just days old, and to see him snuggle up to Paul is amazing. And that was the highlight of our mother and daughter get-away for me. For information visit www.hamiltonisland.com.au. Sam Ion can be reached at sion10@cogeco.ca. HAL PRINSENDAN 2009 GRAND VOYAGES Prinsendam, Holland America Line's most intimate ship carrying just 793 guests, will sail two Grand Voyages in 2009. Guests will cruise around South America and discover the wonders of Antarctica on the Grand South America and Antarctic Voyage, as well as explore European favourites and uncover lesser-visited ports on the Grand Mediterranean and Black Sea Voyage. For those seeking a true journey of exploration, the ship first departs 02JAN09 on a 68-day South America and Antarctica cruise round-trip from Fort Lauderdale. During the circumnavigation of the continent, Prinsendam will journey more than 17,700 nautical miles and visit 32 ports of call in 14 countries, including overnight stays in Manaus and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Buenos Aires, Argentina; Callao (Lima), Peru, and Fuerte Amador, Panama. Prinsendam visits an impressive total of 13 different ports in Brazil, including maiden calls at Maceio, Ilhabela (Sao Sabastiao) and Itajai. For guests who have always wanted to explore Europe without flying, Prinsendam departs Fort Lauderdale 11MAR09 for a 50-day round-trip cruise to the Mediterranean and Black Sea. After calls at Caribbean ports, the ship sails eastbound across the Atlantic where 25 centuries of history, art and culture await. During the voyage, Prinsendam will sail more than 14,400 nautical miles and visit 25 ports of call in 15 countries, including more unusual ports of call in Bulgaria and Ukraine. After sailing westward back across the Atlantic, the ship calls at Bermuda before ending in either New York or Fort Lauderdale. Overnight stays in Barcelona, Spain, and Istanbul, Turkey, as well as late-night departures in Arrecife, Canary Islands; Monte Carlo, Monaco; Kusadasi, Turkey; Santorini, Greece, and Lisbon, Portugal, allow ample time for shopping and exploration. See the full itinerary at www.hollandamerica.com MAGAZINES RATE WINDSTAR TOPS Windstar Cruises, which operates a tree-ship fleet of luxury yachts that explore hidden and secluded corners of the world, has been recognized by the readers of four prominent magazines. It was voted World's Most Romantic Cruise Line and Best Tall Ship line by Porthole Magazine readers; picked up top ratings in Travel + Leisure's World's Best Awards; all three ships were included among the World's Best Small Ships by Condé Nast Traveler's readers and it was rated Best Small Ship Cruise Vacation by readers of Celebrated Living. Check out the details at www.windstarcruises.com then call us for special pricing and flight options. Visit McTavish At: www.mctavishtravel.com