Captaining your own boat to explore the Whitsundays adds yet another layer of magic to this already enchanting destination.An archipelago of 74 tropical islands, Queensland's Whitsundays are the stuff of dreams; turquoise waters, secluded beaches and hidden bays with silky white sands and year-round sunshine. With a modicum of boat experience under your belt, now imagine having a vessel to yourself to explore this oasis - and you've discovered the very real option of bareboating. The term describes skippering a boat yourself, without the need for a boat licence, and is perhaps one of the most intimate ways to acquaint yourself with this famous patch of ocean paradise, nestled next to the Great Barrier Reef. And before you assume that being captain of a boat is out of your reach, a bit of boat experience, a drivers licence and common sense are all that is required to take up the mantle, with your family and friends playing crew (so choose those travel companions wisely!). If you do want to scrub up on your boating skills, short sailing courses can help you feel more confident, and those still nervous can employ a sail guide to ease you into a solo voyage. But plenty of instruction and support will precede your adventure in any case.
Bareboats are hardly bare – they come with everything you need to enjoy days and nights aboard, including bed linen, cooking equipment and utensils, plus navigational aids. A floating hotel, if you will. Most boats sleep between six and 12 people and there are usually two types of craft to choose from; the monohull (a traditional sailing boat) or the multi-hull (better for beginner sailors). Once you're stocked up on gourmet goodies (you can opt for a company, such as Whitsunday Provisioning, to do the hard work for you) and adventure gear (think snorkels, kayaks and fishing rods), all that's left to do is decide where to visit and how to spend your days.
Whitehaven Beach is a must. It regularly features on the world's top 10 list for very good reason (just recently it took out the top spot of Best Beach in the World on TripAdvisor). A picnic, swim or stroll on the unbelievably pristine sand will linger long in the memory. But beautiful beaches are in no short supply – Catseye Beach on the resort side of Hamilton Island is sheltered and has water equipment available for hire. Turtle Bay, on the same island as Whitehaven, has excellent snorkelling and keep your eye out for turtles too who may be swimming right next to you. Blue Pearl Bay is a blissful place to moor, and a good place to spot the rather comical looking plump-lipped humphead wrasse fish. At Butterfly Bay in the winter you'll find thousands of the winged beauties its named after fluttering around, and there is prime snorkelling to be had just off the beach.
For a cultural wow moment, head to the protected anchorage of Nara Inlet on Hook Island. According to Dreamtimes tales of the Ngaro and Gia peoples, the 74 islands of the Whitsundays were born from the eggs of a serpent, and in a cave at the furthest end of Nara Inlet you'll find drawings dating back thousands of years, one of the oldest discovered on the Great Barrier Reef.
If you time your bareboating experience for June through to September, you could be in for front row seats to witness humpback whales as they migrate north, using the calm waters of the Whitsunday Islands to birth their calves and teach them 'how to whale', a truly momentous sight and on a bareboating experience, a truly intimate one too; just you and the whales without the crowds.
Then there's the sunrises and sunsets shared with your 'crew', the moments you find yourselves alone on a picture-perfect beach after the day-trippers leave, the joy of knowing your holiday is completely unique to you as you chart your course according to your own rhythms. With all that and more, it's easy to see why bareboating has itself become one of the wonders of the Whitsundays.