We were lucky enough to spend two incredible days sailing around the Whitsunday Islands in a racing yacht called the Iceberg. For the sailing enthusiasts amongst you (Tom) it was a 52 foot fractionally rigged sloop, originally built for the 1992 Sydney to Hobart Boat Race, which it competed in for four consecutive years. Neither of us had ever been on a proper sailing boat before and so we were pretty excited.

We were a little nervous initially as the weather was not great: overcast with a changeable wind, which made the sea pretty choppy. On the first morning we motored out through the waves with our sails down. Everyone was starting to feel a little bit seasick, and so our first lunch was a fairly quiet affair. However, the weather gods were smiling upon as, as the skies cleared up and the sun came out in the early afternoon. And so we saw the Whitsundays in their absolute best conditions – blue azure seas and clear skies during the day, starry skies at night.

The Whitsundays are made up of some 60 islands off the coast of Airlie Beach. Almost all of them are partially or completely designated as national park, and only a handful are actually open to the public at all. As a small boat (just 12 passengers on board), we had close access to some of the islands' highlights, which most bigger boats are not allowed near. The most famous of these is Whitehaven Beach, a 6km stretch of white sands and blue seas – we were the only people on the beach, with the exception of the owners of a helicopter which landed moments before us. Alright for some.

There was also time for a 'bonus beach' on our second morning. The Langford Sand Spit is a stretch of sand between Hayman and Hook Islands which only appears at low tide. This was a natural paradise, with turtles and stingray swimming in the shallows. Our trip here followed a morning of impromptu whale watching from the boat – July to October is whaling season, when pregnant humpbacks come inland to give birth. We saw about 8 or 9 whales in fairly close proximity, including one who, showing off, spent a good 10 mins with her fin in the air. It was an amazing sight.

But the absolute highlight had to be the snorkelling. We had two snorkel stops in all, both on the fringes of the Great Barrier Reef. The best of these was a stop just off Blue Pearl Beach on Whitsunday Island. The water was crystal clear and so we saw shoals and shoals of colourful fish, including yellow-tailed fusiliers, sergeant fish and parrotfish. But most impressive was the enormous Napoleon Reef Wrasse, a fish bigger than me which was happily swimming among us. It's left us feeling incredibly excited about our upcoming diving trip further north.