Life In Paradise
It's been 50 days since I made the move to this beautiful place called Hamilton Island. If you don't know where it is, don't fret. I had to look it up too.
It's one of 74 islands that reside in the Whitsundays in Queensland, Australia and coined as the heart of the Great Barrier Reef. Yes, it is as amazing as it sounds. Come visit me.
We are surrounded by water and I can see the ocean when I walk to work.
Sadly, I haven't had the chance to go full ~*~EXPLORE~*~ mode and take my cameras out. Sam recently had surgery (he's recovering well, thankfully) and, to be perfectly honest, I've been enjoying the time away from "having" to take photos of everything. We bring the GoPro sometimes, but mostly, we just lie on the beach, drink some ciders, and have the best time.
This is what we call: SUNDAYS WITH THE FAM.
Working on a resort island has its perks. We walk to the beach (or take a golf buggy), hire a catamaran ($20!) and spend an hour sailing in the sunshine. Not long after, we take out paddle boards and have the best time.
It's actually amazing. I have a growing community of incredibly awesome people that I see every week. This is huge for me, because I never really had a 'group' when I was growing up; I found it hard to fit in. I eventually found myself in one (hello youth group days), but migrating to New Zealand meant that I had to leave everyone behind and start afresh. In Auckland, I've met some of my bestest friends over the past 10 years, and I couldn't be more grateful for the friendships I've been given.
So, moving to a remote tropical island brought up some fears (what if I don't make friends / what if I don't fit in again / etc etc) but I'm thankful I moved here with Sam—who is the friendliest person.
It's quite a small community, so everyone knows everyone. It wasn't too hard to make friends, and I meet new people every day. We're starting to have Girls' Night, Board Games Night, and the usual Friday and Saturday night drinks outside on our 'deck'.
We've also gone on a sunset sail On The Edge, with complimentary drinks and snacks, and we can't wait to do it again. And yes, I know, there are no photos of the sunset, forgive me. :p
Speaking of, I'm a 10-minute (uphill) walk to the best spot on the island for sunsets. We call this place One Tree Hill. People come with blankets and drinks and sit on the hill to watch the sky in all its glory. There's a cocktail bar nearby, and it's full of delicious things to try (I personally enjoy the mojito best).
Dane & Amber (and unknown tourist) enjoying the view.
In the distance, you can see Whitsunday Island.
I frequent this spot often enough to know what it looks like on most days, and yet I never tire of its beauty.
As the sun takes its sweet time, the sky shows off with colours galore.
Only 50 days of being here, and I've already fallen in love. I miss my family and friends back home, no doubt about that. But I know it'll be hard to leave when the time comes, one day, so for now, I know I'll be enjoying life in paradise.