If I were a mobile phone, I’d swear I’ve just had an upgrade!!! Maybe I’m just done with the pithy excuses, maybe all that drama knocked it out of me earlier this year and the ‘old Anna’ has been replaced. These days I’m all about chasing those moments that make life worth living, trying new things, conquering my inner scaredy cat and pushing a few boundaries. RIGHT ONNNN!
Too many affirmatory statements to choose from. Life is very…YES!!! 
My adventures of late have been all about exploring my own backyard (The incredible Whitsundays), one of the world’s most-buzzed-about travel destinations with its postcard-perfect beaches, turquoise waters and lush, diverse landscape and gorgeous gardens that surround the path that take you right to the beach.
Never thought I’d find myself saying this, but I have fallen in love with nature! In particular, the ocean and this tropical paradise. This place appears to be teeming with life with amazing coral sponges, rays, dolphins, sea turtles and giant clams that mix it up with a breeding area for humpback whales visiting from the Antarctic in late winter and early spring.
With over 1,500 species of fish, the Great Barrier Reef is a snorkeler and diver’s paradise! What kind of tropical fish have you seen or would love to see when visiting the Great Barrier Reef? 
You never know what locals you might meet when you’re cruising through the Whitsundays!
Did you know that 10% of the worlds total fish species can be found just within the Great Barrier Reef?
Living in a city for way too long, I never really thought about birdlife, but there are tons of birds here too, over 200 types in fact, on the downside there are frogs, lizards and creepy bats and snakes that I prefer to stay in denial over. Yep, it’s a regular Garden of Eden here.
Marine life is not the only wildlife you may encounter touring through the Whitsunday Islands!
With only a couple of days a week free to explore, I’ve been focusing on seeing as much as I can as quickly as possible. This week I taste tested a day trip on Thundercat Whitsundays with Red Cat Adventures, and made my third visit to Whitehaven Beach, Hill Inlet with snorkelling stops at Mantaray and Butterfly Bay. I doubt these stops will ever get old for me and standing on Betty’s Beach…… PHEOWW! It is absolutely breathtaking and my idea of perfection.
My day with Thundercat Whitsundays ranked ‘way above expectation’ and I’ll absolutely do it again. The sun shone as we zoomed out to remote spots and snorkelled in the clean crystal waters.
Mick and Cam, both fun and super accommodating locals were Thundercat Whitsundays crew that day, and as this wasn’t my first trip on one of these cool high-powered rafts, I chose to plug my music in and doze in the sunshine on the way out. Bliss! Sidenote…. the vessel has been designed and built for stability and speed so it’s perfect for passengers who are concerned about seasickness.
One of the highlights of this trip was our tour guide and my friend Cam, who I’d first met on another tour. He generously shared his own philosophy about the environment around us, along with interesting stories of his life growing up in the Whitsundays. For me, having an intelligent, fun and passionate tour guide with LOADS of local knowledge and experience of the area TOTALLY made the day shine all the brighter.
Awesome vibes and amazing tides at the hill-inlet at Whitehaven Beach!
I opted to spend one of the snorkel stops in the boat with Cam viewing the coral through a view finder, before I knew what was happening, he had pushed his fancy sunnies (sun glasses) onto my face so I could see into the water better, plonked his hat on my head and jumped in to the ocean, swimming around till he found a giant clam to show us.
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take but by the moments that take our breath away! 
Medicine heals the body, ocean heals the soul
What’s not to love about having one of the seven natural wonders of the world in your backyard?
Lunch was an amazing selection of sandwich fillings, zucchini frittata, quiche lorraine and salads, the most delicious brownies I’ve ever eaten for morning tea and fruit skewers for afternoon tea. Thundercat Whitsundays have designed a menu to suit most dietary requirements, however if you want to bring extra food and drink, there is an eski on the boat.
Lunch at Whitehaven is what WINNING at life looks like! 
A simple sambo served at sea is the ducks nuts, the bees knees, the whales tail, the deers ears… you get it right, totally delicious.
Just being out on the water zooming across the ocean at impressive speeds on Thundercat Whitsundays in the sunshine with the beautiful islands flitting past is a treat I recommend everyone experience.
So, tell me dear reader, do tour guides influence your day when on tours?
shenANNAgans was a guest of Thundercat Whitsundays but all opinions remain her own.