Hello sunshine!!!

Well we made it! No dramas, no forgetting anything and being back at the airport was strangely familiar. We've been there a few times in the last 12 months between our trips and picking up or seeing off our boys
We arrived on Hamilton Island about midday and and met Rylan (our son for those of you who don't know him) at the hotel.  As our room was not ready, he took us for a walk to show us the marina and the restaurant where he works. While down at the marina we had a coffee and sat looking out at all the boats...some were very impressive.  We found a boat we thought would be perfect ...

...then we found the reality of what we could afford.

After the marina, Rylan took us to the unit he and a few friends are renting.  Great spot, lovely unit and only about five minutes from everything. The only downside is the very steep hill you have to climb to get to it.  On way up there, we came across the island's church. It's very pretty building in an idyllic setting. There was even a couple, of what I assume were newlyweds, taking selfies in the gardens.

After visiting with Rylan, we headed back to the Reef View Hotel to pick up our keys and we are delighted with our room. Funny thing is though, we have been advised to keep the door closed when we leave the room as the local cockatoos will make themselves at home in your room while you are out. The view from our room is spectacular even when the tide is low. As I sit on our balcony writing this with a glass of wine, life couldn't get much better.

We decided decided to visit the One Tree Hill to try the cocktails at sunset. The setting is beautiful and there are lots of people but the hill, where everyone sits, is steep enough not to have your view obstructed. Poor Terry was very disppointed with the cocktail as he doubted there was any alcohol in it. He believes it was a "mocktail". I enjoyed mine though and don't really mind if there was alcohol or not. 

We recently bought a new camera and so far I'm pretty happy with it. I took way too many photos up on the hill and got some nice shots of the sun setting (some dodgey ones too). It all helps to learn more about about using the manual settings rather than just taking photos on auto, which is what I've done in the past.

We hopped back on the bus and headed for the Marina Tavern for dinner and enjoyed a nice meal. After dinner we decided to catch the free shuttle bus service and waited at one stop for a few minutes and as we weren't sure when the next bus would come, we decided we might as well walk back to our hotel as it's only a 10-15 minutes. Luckily, as we approached the next bus stop the bus arrived so we decided to jump on. Timing was perfect!

Back at the hotel we grabbed a coffee at the bar and while we were waiting we chatted to the barman. We have found all the staff on the island are very friendly and happy to have a chat. Not sure if it's because we mention Rylan is working there, but I think they are all just very happy to work in such a beautiful place.
Well, tomorrow is another busy day with a trip to Whitehaven Beach and a jetski tour in the afternoon and then a birthday dinner with Rylan and a few of his friends at Romanos.