Setting Sail
Salt in the air, breeze in your hair, and sea spray waking up your senses: summer and the ocean are calling. From glamorous gourmet cruises to island-hopping by sailboat, these are the best ways to spend sun-soaked days out on the water.
WORDS Anna Christensen
PHOTOGRAPHY Lee Matthews
ROTTNEST ISLAND, WESTERN AUSTRALIA
While some prefer their boat rides to be leisurely, others crave a bit of speed. The Rottnest Express Thrill Boat Ride on the Eco Express – a high-powered vessel that skims across the turquoise waters around Rottnest Island (Wadjemup) – is for those in the second camp.
It’s a decided change in pace for the laidback island which is more often experienced languidly on foot or pedal. The purpose-built, high-powered vessel departs in the summer afternoons, zipping around the coastline for a thrilling 45 minutes as the waves lick your face and the wind whips your hair.
As you hurtle past limestone-edged reefs and remote bays, you might spot shipwrecks, stingrays, tropical fish, and western rock lobsters – the Indian Ocean is home to a curious mix of marine life.
Back on land, you can dial down the adrenaline. Snorkel in protected coral pools, cycle to saltwater lakes, or get a selfie with a quokka.
Take a thrill ride around the island with Rottnest Express.
THE WHITSUNDAYS, QUEENSLAND
Emerald islands, gleaming white sand, and impossibly still waters; the Whitsundays (Ngaro Country) appear as if they were designed by the gods for sailing.
There’s no better way to explore the 74 idyllic islands than under the billowing sails of a catamaran, like Cruise Whitsunday’s Camira, an 85ft ocean-going catamaran. Leave Airlie Beach behind as you glide on unruffled azure waters past idyllic spots like Daydream, Hamilton and Hook islands.
At Whitehaven Beach, regularly dubbed Australia’s best, you’ll hop off to sink your toes into blinding-white silica sand. Here, you can swim, snorkel, or hike to Hill Inlet lookout for spectacular ocean views before feasting on a BBQ lunch cooked and served on board Camira. After lunch, you will head to one of the Whitsundays’ fringing reefs to meet some of the diverse marine life in the area while snorkelling in the brilliantly blue water. If you’ve burned off your lunch by then, don’t worry. Afternoon tea will see you through as you sail back to shore.
Sail through the Whitsundays on a Camira Sailing Adventure, an all-inclusive experience.
KANGAROO ISLAND, SOUTH AUSTRALIA
While land creatures may get top billing on Kangaroo Island (Karta Pintingga) – there are around 65,000 kanagroos after all – the marine life is every bit as showstopping. On board a two-hour coastal safari, you can experience it up close – coming nose to nose with curious seals, swimming with a pod of dolphins, and snorkelling through an underwater playground in clear waters.
Get fitted out in a wetsuit, mask, and snorkel before jumping on board the swish, well-appointed vessel. Then, you’ll set sail along the rugged, sculptural coastline in chase of seals or dolphins.
You’ll find friendly long-nosed fur seals sunbaking on ancient rocks and frolicking in the shallows. Dive in with your snorkel to join them, taking in epic coral formations and colourful reef fish as you swim in the clear waters. Or tick off a bucket list experience and swim in the wild with graceful dolphins dipping and diving around you – something you’ll honestly never forget.
Swim with dolphins and seals on a wet and wild adventure with Kangaroo Island Coastal Safari.
PORT STEPHENS, NELSON BAY, NEW SOUTH WALES
Sunny skies, turquoise waves, playful dolphins, and water slides. For families with kids – or just the young at heart – it would be hard to find a more joyful adventure than a splash-and-slide boat tour through Port Stephens (Worimi Country), a two-and-a-half-hour drive from Sydney. As you cruise through the Yacaaba and Tomaree headlands, sipping an icy beer from the bar on the sundeck, keep an eye out for fins bobbing in the water. Port Stephens has around 140 bottlenose dolphins roaming the seas, so you’re almost guaranteed to see a few. (In the unlikely occasion you don’t, you’ll get a complimentary return cruise).
The vibes get even better when the boat docks at a local bay, where you can whoosh down the waterslide directly into the crystal-clear waters.
Splash with the dolphins at Australia’s ‘dolphin capital’ of Port Stephens.
“As you hurtle past limestone-edged reefs and remote bays, you might spot shipwrecks, stingrays, tropical fish, and western rock lobsters.”
DARWIN HARBOUR, DARWIN
Thousands of people congregate on shore to glimpse a legendary Darwin sunset, but on the sundeck of the Charles Darwin, a spacious three-level catamaran, you’ll have a front-row seat.
As you sail through Darwin Harbour – over twice the size of Sydney’s – keep an eye out for dugongs or crocodiles splashing in the salt water, if you’re lucky you’ll spot quite a few. Later, with the tropical sun warming your back, nibble on oysters, prawns, and a chef’s selection of cheeses, cooling off with locally made mango ice cream and a flute of sparkling. Or tuck into a Territory-style buffet, starring native flavours like Australian prawns with Kakadu plum sauce and slow-roasted beef sirloin rubbed with bush spices. With the harbour twinkling as the tangerine sun explodes into the ocean, this is a dining room with a view.
Experience the true beauty of a Top End sunset with Darwin Harbour Cruises.
SYDNEY HARBOUR, NEW SOUTH WALES
Forget harbourside dining, you can savour multi-course gourmet fare and regional wines directly on the glittering waters of Sydney Harbour aboard a luxury cruiser, Spirit of Migloo.
Sharing the spacious boat, you’ll have uninterrupted views of Sydney’s (Warrane) iconic architecture and city bushland – minus the crowds. Begin by floating under the Sydney Harbour Bridge and past the famous sails of the Sydney Opera House before weaving through gold-sand beaches and inlets.
Keen for a sun-drenched long lunch? Book an all-inclusive lunch cruise to pair your views with flavours from the local regions. Or if you’d prefer a rose-tinted sunset with three-course fine dining, the dinner cruise plates up artful, quintessentially Sydney fare. While all cruises include a welcome glass of bubbly, you can order beer and delectable regional wines from the bar to top off your perfect summer day.
Enjoy fine dining with a side of iconic views with Journey Beyond Cruise Sydney.
Enjoy lunch on the Sydney Harbour while taking in the iconic sights.