Image Via Sharon Smallwood from iTalk Communications
The Fairytale wedding of Joshua & Joshua (also celebrated as “the Joshua’s”) didn’t end at the Pinnacles Resort, Airlie Beach. This romantic Wedding affair continued on to a honeymoon unlike any other. Here they recount their fabulous 5 night escape in the Whitsunday Islands.
When and where did you honeymoon?
We kicked off our honeymoon 2 days after our wedding. We were gifted an amazing experience from Sunsail Whitsundays of a bareboat charter yacht for 5 days to sail around the Whitsunday Islands.
Why did you choose your honeymoon destination?
We didn’t – we were lucky enough to be gifted it.
Tell us about where you stayed?
We sailed around the Whitsunday Islands, sightseeing and experiencing as many islands, coves, reefs and beaches as possible. We were lucky enough to also have our own skipper who sailed the boat and acted as our private tour guide. He knew the area really well and took us to some amazing locations that many tourists wouldn’t even know of! A highlight of our stay was a day visit to Hamilton Island, anchoring overnight just off the world famous Whitehaven Beach and experiencing the tranquillity of Mantaray Bay.
Image Via Sharon Smallwood from iTalk Communications
What did you love about your accommodation? What special features did it have that you adored?
The Yacht itself was a 40ft catamaran with a full kitchen, bbq area, outdoor shower, spacious bedrooms, bathrooms and even enough room to lay and stargaze on the nets at night under a duvet! It was incredibly spacious and so comfortable being rocked to sleep every night from the swaying of the ocean.
Did your accommodation have any “honeymoon only” specials or sweet surprises?
Yes! We were greeted with a nice bottle of champagne, some caps to keep us SunSmart and an adorable note from the Sunsail crew, congratulating us on the big event. We were also lucky enough to meet up with our wedding photographer and videographer to get some honeymoon footage and photos on Whitehaven beach!
Did you do any fun activities or take any adventures?
Plenty! As we mentioned before, stargazing and eating chocolate on the nets at night was very romantic. The stars were brighter than we have ever seen. We also spent a lot of our time laying around the front of the boat relaxing. We would go for a swim, a snorkel or a stand up paddle board in the mornings before a light champagne breakfast on the deck almost every day. We had no where to be, no set agenda and it was so nice to just lay in the sun listening to our wedding music, talking and reflecting on the event. It was also cool because a lot of the time we had no phone reception, so we filled our day exploring the surrounding waters, looking out for wildlife and relaxing in between. We were lucky enough to see Whales (really close up), Manta Rays, plenty of sea turtles and lots of tropical fish amongst some neon coloured coral reefs.
Image Via Sharon Smallwood from iTalk Communications
What about tours? Any that you loved?
We called into Hamilton Island one day and raced around on a golf buggy to explore the island. That was fun, but we didn’t stay long. We stocked up on some chocolate and strawberries (the essential supplies) and headed back to the yacht before hitting the seas again. Having our own skipper was like having our own tour guide the whole time. We learnt so much about the area (and sailing).
Now onto the good stuff! Did you have any stand out meals? Amazing experiences with food that you must recommend?
All we did was eat and drink! We cooked all of our food ourselves. Before we left on the yacht we stocked up on plenty of ingredients for daily grazing platters and fancy dinners. The boat had an excellent kitchen, which meant everything we cooked was delicious! We made pastas, chicken salads, seafood platters, salmon, Mexican food…the list goes on. We made every meal special and either ate on the front or the back of the boat so we could enjoy our surrounds. We popped a champagne cork at almost every opportunity!
Image Via Phill Gordon, Riptide Creative
Were there any other “honeymoon only” surprises you received?
We were gifted matching Budgy Smuggler’s from our friends. They were great as they were a nautical sailor theme and seeing as we had also purchased sailor hats (to have a laugh) we ended up with some great photo’s! A lot of the time we ended up wearing the silly hats and wore our Budgy Smuggler’s to sun bake!
Do you have any top tips to share for those planning their honeymoon?
Do a bareboat charter! It was the most amazing experience for a honeymoon. You will feel so relaxed, enjoy peaceful tranquility (especially if you’re out of phone reception) and enjoy the luxury of being on your own private yacht! You will be the envy of everyone. At moments we forgot our reality and became a same sex version of Jay-Z and Beyonce!
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All courtesy of Sunsail Whitsundays
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