Golf at Hamilton Island - 21st June 2010

When we first booked our Whitsunday Island Golf Cruise I did not put a lot of thought into the logistics of getting off a ship and onto the land to play golf. The idea of cruising/golf was very appealing and is a great idea if all goes well.

Unfortunately we did have some rough seas when we reached the Whitsundays. The Ship's Captain made a decision to moor the ship at Airlie Beach to enable the passengers wishing to take tours to the Barrier Reef to leave from Airlie Beach. What that meant was that our golf tour was the last to leave the ship and we required a 45 minute catamaran & then barge trip to reach Dent Island where the Hamilton Island Golf Course is situated. Another logistical problem was that the ship could not find separate storage room for our golf clubs which meant we had to store them in our cabins (not really a problem as there was plenty of room in the cabin) but then we had to carry them off and back onto the ship/catamaran & barge which was a problem for the less agile of us. We had 120 golfers on our tour & that was another logistical problem when needing to move a lot of people in a hurry.

The end result was that we could only fit in 12 holes of golf as the return trip had a very tight schedule as we had to be back before sailing time. That was disappointing, but it was worth the effort to get there and back as the course is very unique. It is in it's early stages of development but there were beautiful concrete paths all around the course & a lot of work has been put into making the holes appealing. The backdrop is just gorgeous with ocean views at just about every hole. It is a difficult course & some of the holes are very challenging. My highlight was finishing with the same ball I started with which is quite a feat at this course. We were lucky with the weather that day & enjoyed some sunshine & blue skies even if the wind was a little strong at times. Bad weather is an issue on these tours as rough seas cause problems with the tender boats that are required to get us to/from land.

We did not have time to enjoy the clubhouse as our schedule was too tight. I would like to revisit one day & play the whole 18 holes.

Brisbane Stop Over 26th June 2010

On our recent cruise to the Whitsunday Islands we needed to fly into Brisbane to board our cruise ship. On the to-Brisbane flight we opted to go straight to the wharf and board the ship as the timing was convenient. After the cruise we opted to stay over for a night in Brisbane City as we had not been there for some years and in fact had never stayed in the city before.

I booked the Medina Apartments on the Internet (Expedia.com) before leaving home & was able to get a good deal for an overnight (Saturday) stay. For a small extra amount we were able to book a one bedroom apartment that had all the comforts of home which included a full kitchen, Laundry including automatic washing machine and dryer as well as a big bathroom & lounge area. That suited us nicely as we could take all our clothes home clean which is always a bonus.

I would recommend the Medina Apartments as a very convenient & comfortable place to stay. The Restaurant/breakfast area was conveniently placed in the hotel foyer but the waterfront restaurants were a comfortable walking distance as was the city area. The swimming pool area has a great view of the city and the Story bridge is just a short walk from the apartments.

I wished that we had taken an extra day as there is quite a bit of Brisbane to see. As we only had one day we opted for a hop on/ hop off bus ride around the city which gave us a good overview. We had lunch on the waterfront & had a walk through the city area & over the Story Bridge. That evening we dined at the Medina's Restaurant which was very convenient.

If I have the need to stay in Brisbane again I would choose the Medina Apartments for the comfort & convenience.