March 2022
23rd of March 2022
It didn’t take much persuasion when Cheryl mentioned a girls trip to Donna’s holiday unit at Magnetic Island, I was on board straight away!
So lovely Chez picked Jo and I up at 12:30pm on Wednesday the 23rd of March. First stop a rendezvous at The Gladstone Park hotel, for lunch with the three other girls, Becky, Donna and Maree. First cocktail for the trip Cosmopolitans for all, and lunch.
Onwards to the airport as Cheryl had prepaid car parking, what could possibly go wrong with three girls in the car chatting away? Yep the wrong ramp through to priority parking (not where cheryl had paid) So off to find someone to let us out, and another lap around the airport to find the correct parking lane! Lucky we found a kind lady to get us out and sorted!
Bags and tickets sorted, security then yep onto our next drinks at the airport bar! Cheers to a fabulous fun few days away! 🍾🥂
Our flight left at 5:30pm for Townsville. Jo and I sat together with another lady that was having a party to herself listening to The Carpenters, above the clouds with a stunning sunset. We landed around 9:30pm and quickly got our bags and the shuttle bus to the Casino. We had an hour to kill before the ferry to the island, so stored our bags then what else but hit the bar! Next Cocktail for the night London Lady, for us all! Another Cheers 🥂and wow this one was absolutely delicious. Made from Chombard, Gin, pineapple juice, vanilla liquor and a touch of lime juice, ice and shaken!
The hour went very quickly and we high tailed it for the ferry, six girls dragging our cases a few hundred meters away to the last ferry of the day to beautiful Magnetic island. Arriving late and again dragging our cases in the dark to Donnas unit. Unpacked the heavy suitcases full of Grog! A little tired from the day we all called it a night quickly.
Two more Pipers came out after from Jos case! ( Still wasn’t enough, another 7 bottles bought on the island! ) YOLO
24th of March 2022
Up early to a stunning view over the harbour to a beautiful day!
Off to breakfast over the road to Scallywags, here I could only think of our friend Sally, as it is a very eclectic decor she would appreciate! So a few photos sent to Sal!
After breakfast time for pool time, perfect temperature for a dip. We met another group of ladies on a girls trip too!
So this evening we headed off to the Arcadia Village Hotel for a Trivia night by bus. We met three other fun ladies we met by the pool earlier. Lots of laughs around the table all night at the funny events of the evening. Such as the screaming Curloo’s walking around the tables.
A Kookaburra the dive bombed one guy eating his meal, the funny host of the night, our quest to win a bag of chocolates! The fun of being away from home doing things you don’t normally do!
The bus ride home was a fun adventure also! The bus driver asking Cheryl for her Id to go with her seniors card, which she was chuffed with! Then an unconscious Bat hanging on the bus mirror, had the girls in stitches of laughter. A kind couple saving the poor thing, taking the guys shirt off to get the bat out of trouble. Then our bus driver spruking the following night at the pubs Karaoke Friday night! He had the music jumping on the bus with LMFAO – Sexy and I know it, up at full volume, going very fast around the corners! We met a lovely English young couple on the bus, who had played trivia too, the girl Ashleigh gave us all a Smooch as she left the bus! And the ladies we met where having a ball, the older Cheryl videoing the crazy ride home! We said our goodbyes to the three ladies, with them wishing they had one more night, to come along to the Karaoke night.
25th of March 2022
This morning Jo and I caught the bus to Horseshoe bay, while the other girls went for a walk. As funny incidents always happen with Jo, while waiting for the bus Jo was feeling a little hot and bothered, so she went inside to the ferry terminal for some air conditioning and instantly bumped into a very old friend of Ged’s. She said to this man excuse me is your name Owen? And off they went from there, an old friend who had been a guest at her wedding thirty odd years ago. So plans where made to meet up for happy hour at Peppers at 4pm later today!
Owens partner filled us in with all the must go places, so on Barbara’s recommendation we went for breakfast to Nourish in Horseshoe Bay, which was really nice and a lovely lady served us, with more recommendations about the area. We walked down the street to a really nice little gallery with all local artists craft. More chatting to a couple of ladies in the shop, on places to see and do.
Jo and I went for along the bay collecting shells and a bit of meditating looking back at the other side. The other girls met us back at Nourish later, for lunch at Barefoot.
We had a really lovely lunch here at Barefoot in Horseshoe Bay! Then back on the bus back to our unit, to get ready for our 4pm date at Peppers with Ol Mate Owen and Barbara. Six girls and two bathrooms to get freshened up for a big night on the town in Magnetic Island, takes a bit of patience all round!
So our 4pm Happy hour at Peppers next, we walked over and arrived on the dot. We met up with Owen and Barbara also a couple of their friends, Doug and Ian. A couple of Cosmo’s 🍸all round worked a treat! As Jo mentioned we couldn’t get a booking on any of the boat trips, when Ian said “Should we take the girls out Owen????) next we are on for a Sunday Morning sail trip! Yay !!!!
After our new friends left, we ran into the gorgeous young English couple Ashleigh and Josh, more laughs and 🥂🍾 cheers to Josh for his birthday.
After our happy hour that turned into three hour happy hour, a taxi to the Arcadia Village pub for Karaoke night! Tonight the pub was jumping. We had a ball again, dancing, laughing at all the brave people getting up and singing their hearts away! Becky and Donna where the only brave enough ones to get up in our group, singing Bon Jovi “hold on to what you’ve got” it was like our days at the Cabal lunches, so much fun!
An English guy called Jade that was at the pub the night before with his teenage daughters, was back for karaoke night. His wife is a doctor in the emergency department at Townsville. So while she works, Jade entertains the kids at the pub. His teenage daughter and her friend got up a few times singing by themselves, good for self confidence just a shame about the crowd! Very laid back Island life for sure.
Unfortunately our bus ride wasn’t as entertaining as the night before, but still we had such a fun time doing stuff we all don’t do in our regular life! Saw some memorable sights along the way.
26th of March 2022
Saturday morning waking feeling a little shabby for me so I slept in a little. Jo and Maree headed off to a Ashtanga yoga session, while the rest of us walked to Picnic Bay, which was really nice. We caught the local bus back to the unit and met up with Jo and Maree sitting by the pool looking very yoga chilled out!
The girls had been raving about the pies from the little shop over the road, so that meant pies all round for lunch by the pool. We had a nice afternoon by the pool chilling, then more bubbles before saying goodbye to Maree leaving earlier than us. Maree is one very inspiring lady, who I have just met on this trip, she is so positive, friendly and a happy vibe kind of lady. I feel like I’ve learnt a lot in a short amount of time knowing her. 😘 And need to learn her carry on packing abilities!!!! Actually all five of us girls can take note!
Donna had made a booking tonight at the number one restaurant in town called Saltwater. We had an early booking, so we all frocked up and walked down to the restaurant. Lucky for us lot of menopausal women feeling the heat, we had a lovely table outside and it was BYO bubbles. Another really nice meal had by nearly all of us!
Of course the night was still young, so we headed to the next restaurant, Smugglers for one more cocktail 🍸 or two, but who should we bump into again but Ashleigh and Josh. Lots more giggles and a face time call to Ashleigh’s mum in Spain. You never have an uneventful night with this lot, I can assure you! A fun walk home to our holiday unit, and direct to bed ready for another big adventure tomorrow!
27th of March 2022
This morning we where to meet up with Barbara and Owen for a sail on their very Luxurious Catamaran, at 10am in the foyer of Peppers hotel. They insisted we only bought our own drinks, so of course lots of bubbles bought on board for a very fun day!
Ian and his wife Antonia sail the catamaran for Owen. So all the introductions made to Antonia and David, Barbara’s brother and then the safety drill . Then we where quickly off out of the harbour to Florence Bay to feed the huge fish, trevally and a big gropper fish. Here after feeding the Bat fish we all jumped in for a swim in the very warm sea. Lovely Barbara had made fresh sweet potato warm scones, which where delicious 😋 a nice way to start the day! Ian and Antonia where amazing hosts, getting out all the snorkel gear, bread for the Bat fish and rash tops. We could not of been any luckier with the weather, as it was perfect. After our swim we got the bubbles out, cheers 🥂 all around.
Barbara and Antonia made a lovely platter for our lunch and later chicken sandwiches. We went around to another little bay, Radical Bay for lunch, then out came the Abba music. This became so hilarious as Barbara’s brother David loves Abba. He broke out singing along to the music at full volume then dancing with the girls on the back of the boat. Lots of laughs along the way, Donna showing her Abba weekend away photos to David who is a number one Abba fan. I absolutely think he had the best day he had had for years, one it will take him along time to forget. He loved joining us on drinking the French bubbles along the way to! On the way home Ian put the front sail up and tried very hard for a sail into the harbour. We all really appreciated and had the best fun day ever, and so glad the other yacht trips where booked out.
We arrived back around 3:30pm at Peppers, so lucky for us Bab’s lives here and opened the resort pool gate for five girls to flop into the pool. Who should be by the pool our old friends Ash and Josh about to leave, so more goodbyes and more giggling around the pool entertaining the other guests. Which Cheryl apologised to, but they said they loved listening to the banter. Another couple arrived by the pool, from the Gold Coast happily telling us it was their forty something anniversary and had just arrived to be welcomed by five very happy girls, wishing them well. With this lot, it’s always fun when we get together for sure!
By this stage I was a little tired so I headed back to the apartment, while the others partied on at the Pepper’s happy hour bar with our new yachtie friends. I set the table and made up a salad for our last night dinner on the balcony.
A few hours on the girls arrived home with, yes you guessed it another three bottles of Mumm and Piper Omg 😱 my liver will never be the same!
A funny story today, as I was the first customer of the day at the bottle shop. At the 10am opening I bought two bottles of French bubbles. The guy serving was very exited with his first sale! Then the girls went on after me bought the same. He said to them, “funny another girl just bought the same, are you girls going to a party???? “ I think their answer was, Sure are! Anyway after the girls had finished at Pepper’s they stopped again at the bottle shop on the way home. The guy serving had been warned by the mornings guy, look out for some girls, they may be back for more bubbles! It didn’t take us long here on the island to have a reputation around town! Too funny!!!
28th of March 2022
Last day blues! Up early this morning for our first cup of tea overlooking the pool and harbour with Cheryl. Donna went down and picked up a hire car near the ferry terminal, to take us on a tour of the Island. Our highlight today was feeding the gorgeous little well feed Rock Wallabies at Bright point, looking back across to Nelly Bay.
We had a quick stop off at a cute little shop by the Arcadia pub, for a dress shop. Becky bought a few nice pieces, then found somehow she had misplaced her credit card. So back to the unit for a check to see if it was back there, unfortunately not! Cards cancelled and back on the tour de Island.
Our next stop was back to Picnic Bay, hoping for a coffee but the cafe was closed unfortunately. As Picnic Bay is very pretty, so lots of photos taken here. The ferry used to arrive here years ago, sadly it now comes into Rocky Bay. Sadly as it looks like it’s had a flow on effect with the shops not being open everyday. So back in the car and we had a stop off at the backpackers Base resort, which looks like a lot of fun and in a really beautiful bay.
Next we headed back to Horseshoe bay, stopping at the old primary school butterfly track. Unfortunately it was not the right season for them, but we where lucky to see quite a few pretty butterfly’s and Bats!
We stopped in Horseshoe Bay near the house Cheryl had stayed for our friend Glen’s 60th. Note to self – a super nice house to do the same one day. We walked along the beach front to Nourish for a bite to eat, and happened to bump into our new friends Owen, Barbara and her brother David heading next door for lunch. We sat on a table with two girls, on a week away from Melbourne. Again more travel tips given and a bit of a chat!
Unfortunately it was the last afternoon so time to use up all the left for overs for lunch and last swim for the holiday.
We all piled into the rental car, balancing all the luggage as Donna dropped us off for the 4:30pm ferry back to Townsville, and the car back. Lovely Barbara and Owen came to the ferry to wave goodbye! Who we where more than lucky to met and go out in their Catamaran. Donna organised a driver from the ferry to the airport for our 6:30pm flight back to Reality!
Such a fun trip had by all, doing crazy stuff we don’t normally do! Trivia nights followed by Karaoke nights, lots of bubbles. Spending time with two girls I didn’t really know before this trip. Feeling very Grateful to Donna, Cheryl, Becky, Jo and Maree that we can spend five days together having fun being ourselves! Thank you so much Donna number 1 for inviting us all to your beautiful Magnetic Island home and your hospitality. Blessed 🙏🙏🥂🥂🥂🥂🍾🍾🍾🍾💕🦩
