What is a helicopter tour over the Great Barrier Reef like? — featuring Jill Sharples

0:01 I'm currently on a 2-week trip [music] in Australia that's taking me up and down the East Coast. It's so pretty. Australia, I cannot get over how beautiful you are. The first week I'm traveling solo in the second week I'm [music] meeting up with my best friend.

0:30 I just finished three incredible days in Sydney. It doesn't feel real that these monuments I've seen in photos all my life I'm now standing right beneath and I'm just so grateful. Wow. Now I'm about [music] to start the final leg of my solo journey by heading north to Hamilton Island in the Whitsundays.

0:52 [music] And I'm finally here. I'm just so [music] grateful, so thankful, so in awe. I only have 2 days here to explore before I jet off again.

1:20 This hike is legit no joke. Oh my gosh. These views. >> [music] [music]

1:56 >> After exploring Sydney on my own, I continued my solo trip to Hamilton Island. I was only [music] here for two nights, but I already knew this was going to be one of the most unforgettable parts of my trip. >> [music] [music]

2:22 >> My room's not ready yet. Check-in is not till 2:00 p.m., so I still have another hour and a half. But, what I want to do is to check out their wildlife cafe. They have a wildlife center here on the island, and they have a resident koala that's in the cafe. They have all sorts of animals. This

2:42 place is absolutely beautiful. I love all of these palm trees. Ooh, hello. The birds. Oh, and while I'm thinking of it, I want to keep my eyes out. There's supposed to be a lot of wallabies that's just, you know, hanging out on the lawns here doing their thing. So, that'd be incredible to see. I

3:01 haven't seen them yet. Wallabies are like a smaller version of a kangaroo. So, yeah, we'll have to keep our eyes on on that. >> [music] >> Oh, you're cute. Hi. Oh, I see them in the tree.

3:29 Sleeping, of course. >> [music] >> I still have a little time before my room is ready. I thought I'd go down to Front Street where the marina is. There's a place there called Bob's Bakery, and then they close in about an hour. But, looking at their menu, I want to get a few things because tonight I want

3:54 to go to One Tree Hill Lookout to watch the sunset. So, I thought I'd bring some food with me, have a little picnic. Here at One Tree Hill Lookout, the view is absolutely beautiful. You can see so far out into the distance. And I came early, so I have a table right up next [music] to

4:18 the railing where you can see the best view of the sunset. It's nice just to chill [music] out and relax. I've been going non-stop since the start of the new year. It's just nice to slow down, to pause, watch the sunset. It's the little moments. >> [music] >> This was one of those quiet moments

4:42 where I allowed myself to be fully present, [music] to take in the beauty in front of me, and to absorb the energy of the island. I felt a sense of calm and excitement. There was a feeling of being in the right place at the right time. But the next day was the one I'd been waiting for my entire trip.

5:27 Good morning. Oh, that sun is bright. It is such a beautiful morning. The water is so calm, and the sun is absolutely beautiful. I'm so excited for today. We have something big planned, and it's something that I still can't even believe it's real. I've had it on my bucket list for as long as I can

5:50 remember. But then adding into the other the other element into it, like it's just I can't believe it's going to be real. It's crazy. But I'm excited to take you guys with me. Yes. For a little bit anyway. >> How long you been >> Um I just arrived Monday. >> All right. Yeah. Have we been in

6:12 helicopters before? >> First time. >> Perfect. Perfect day we've had all year. >> [laughter] >> This is probably the best day we've had all year. So >> Oh, perfect. >> Yeah. What we'll do all we you're going to need for your flight is obviously your camera, um >> uh cell phone, and sunglasses.

6:29 Everything else we'll chuck in this little pod here. And once we're at the beach we'll be able to pick it up. >> Okay, cool. Here we go. >> [music]

7:05 >> You can get inside. >> [music]

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9:25 >> Guys, I literally cannot believe where I am standing right now. I am on Whitehaven Beach in the Whitsundays [music] in Australia, and I got here by helicopter, a private helicopter. Like just saying that is like mind-blowing to me. Like seeing I'm like getting emotional. Because

9:51 I've seen this beach in photos since I was I don't remember how old. And it's just the number one spot that I've always wanted to go to. And I'm finally here. And I never thought I'd be taking a private helicopter to get here. I really don't know why I'm so emotional. I feel I feel kind of silly.

10:17 But I'm just so grateful, so thankful, so in awe. But anyways, I'm going to stop talking so I can get myself together. So I wanted to show you guys the sand here. So the sand on Whitehaven Beach is made up of 98% silica and that means that

10:42 it's completely cool to touch. You don't burn your feet when you're walking on it. Like it's like the perfect room temperature. And the softness of it, it's like oh my god, it's it's softer than like baking powder. Like just look at this. Mhm, it's so soft.

11:11 >> [music] >> Some places live in your mind for years and then one day you're standing in them. And somehow it's even better than you could have ever imagined. This was completely unplanned, but I'm just looking and X marks the spot.

11:42 >> I just got back from the helicopter tour. I am still on a high from it. I am still in so much shock that it just happened. It all went by way too fast, but it was absolutely incredible. Hands down, the best experience of my life. I'm just so in awe at how beautiful this world is.

12:05 The Great Barrier Reef, the clear waters. We saw dolphins in the water. We saw stingrays, turtles, lots of turtles. And then just the beautiful white sand on Whitehaven Beach in the Hill Inlet area. Oh my gosh, it was just it was better in person than pictures and videos could ever do justice. And

12:31 those are absolutely gorgeous. I'm just I'm just so grateful. It was from start to finish the most incredible experience. Campbell, the helicopter pilot, he was fantastic. Gave a great tour. He was really cool to chat with. Yes, I am I'm still in disbelief. I'm just so grateful and

12:57 even that the weather turned out perfect because I'm only here for 2 days. So, I took a huge gamble on having nice weather for a helicopter tour and it couldn't have worked out perfectly. I am just beyond blessed. So, now I am starving. I'm going to go have some lunch. So, I'm right now at the Marina Cafe. I

13:23 ordered an acai bowl with fruit and chocolate. That's going to be my dessert. And then I got a delicious mango passion fruit smoothie and a pumpkin salad, but it has some fruit orange or mandarins, pomegranate seeds. They look so delicious. I've been eating so healthy since I've been here in

13:42 Australia. All the food is so fresh. And here at the marina you have a beautiful view. Sitting outside there's a beautiful breeze and you get to hear all those crazy cockatoos. My point exactly. >> [music]

14:09 [music] >> All right guys. So we are at the resort trail entrance of the walking path. There is nine different trails that we can take. The furthest one out [music] is called Passage Peak and it's also the tallest mountain where you could see spectacular views. So I'm going to make

14:29 that my [music] last stop so that I can kind of see the sunset from there. Now I just got to decide which ones I want to see in between then. Okay, so right now we're going to go to resort lookout and then [music] we'll make our way to flat top hill after that. Resort lookout [music] is what the name

14:49 suggests. I believe I read it's the second tallest peak and then [music] you know it looks out over all of the resort side of the island. And then flat top hill you could still see [music] the resorts. I think just from a different angle. >> [music] >> Apparently the trail started

15:09 right at the billboard sign. And I just [music] continued walking. Didn't realize that. Butterflies [music] were just flying all around me. So pretty. There's so many butterflies here. >> [music]

15:35 >> I have to admit I was not expecting the [music] trail to look like this. Nor was I expecting to be out of breath already. I literally just started. The first part [music] of it is steep and then it leveled out. >> [music]

16:04 >> So for those of you that see this and [music] you come to Hamilton Island and want to do the walking paths, definitely bring proper sneakers [music] or hiking boots, hiking shoes. Definitely bring bug spray, water, food. Some areas, especially right away, are super steep. >> [music]

16:23 >> And when they say it's a moderate hike, they're not joking. [music] I consider myself, you know, to be a active, fit person. And I've been huffing and puffing from the moment I started. Ooh, the views. I'm constantly looking down as I'm walking, you know, obviously so I don't trip.

16:46 But be sure to look up every once in a while. Make sure you take in the beautiful view. Well, we made it to Resort Lookout. It's just 100 m ahead of us. Wow. Oh, the views are incredible.

17:16 >> [music] >> Well, that view was pretty spectacular. Now, we're going to make our way to What was it called? Flat [music] Top Lookout? Flat Hill Lookout? I don't remember. We're going to see if we can find it. If not, we're probably just going to head straight to Passage Peak. I hear a helicopter. [music]

17:39 I want to go back on that helicopter. That's just like all I've been thinking about, just, you know, pondering while I'm walking these trails. I flew almost 10,000 mi just to walk [music] a trail and ponder about life. Yeah.

18:06 Absolutely [music] crazy to think about. >> [music] [music]

18:31 >> I didn't really have much planned for my time here. The only thing [music] I had planned was the helicopter tour, and other than that, like I'm just being. And walking [music] and hiking. It's just nice to be, to pause.

18:56 And honestly, I [music] don't feel lonely at all. Like, yeah, I'm traveling solo for right now, but really, if there's something you want to [music] do or a place you want to go, just do it, regardless of whether or not someone's [music] going to join you. Honestly, it's the moments that I'm by

19:16 myself doing my own thing. I feel like [music] that's when I shine. It's just It's just nice. Okay. Break's over. Off we go. Let's see if we [music] can go find Passage Peak.

19:46 We're almost there. 900 m. Uh I said about a half hour. So, should be perfect timing. We'll see if we can beat it. The very end, there's 125 stairs that you have to go up to reach the summit. And I guess they're supposed to be super steep.

20:12 I see a spider web attaching to my shoulder and camera. Oh god. I made it. This hike is legit, no joke. Oh my gosh. These views.

20:41 >> [music] >> I made it to Passage Peak. All those stairs, all that climbing, huffing and puffing. Absolutely [music] out of breath. Absolutely worth it is what I meant to say. Oh man. Oh my gosh, this view [music] is incredible and I have it all to myself.

21:16 >> [music] >> This has been such an incredible [music] day. Like words cannot do justice of how I feel. I can't believe I am here right now. [music] I can't believe that I am seeing this beauty with my own eyes. Oh my gosh. And I'm leaving tomorrow. I wish I had another day just to [music] soak it all

21:42 in. But honestly, what [music] an epic way to end my time here on Hamilton Island. It's just surreal. Australia, you did it [music] again. You haven't stopped amazing me yet. I'm probably going to end my Hamilton [music] Island series here.

22:07 And be sure to stick around because my Australia travels are not over yet. Tomorrow we're heading off to I'm going to keep it as a surprise. But I will tell you that I am meeting up with my best friend. So, this will be the end of my solo adventure part of Australia. And next, my best friend's going to join

22:31 me and we're going to explore a few stops together. So, many great things to look forward to. Thank you so much for joining me. I'll see you in the next one. Bye. I'm so glad you're here. >> Birthday, dear Marjorie.