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The sport of surfing was in fact introduced to Australia by a Hawaiian named Duke Kahanamoku and Australian Isabel Letham in 1955. It was the duo’s impressive display that seduced and shook the nation, leading the way for a lifestyle obsession which today is woven into the fabric of Australian culture. As the frenzy of surfing as a recreational activity grew into the Aussie way of life, so too did the evolution of equipment and surfing styles. In the ’60s, Australian board designer Bob McTavish was responsible for the design of the V-surfboard and is widely acknowledged today as one of the key figures in the development of surfing. Source: theculturetrip.com/pacific/australia/articles/how-austral...

The big island at the bottom of the world has been crazy about surfing since the 19th century. Knowing how to ride a wave is a common skill in Australia, and that is why, for many, it is the ultimate surfing destination. 1867: Charles Steedman publishes the book "Manual of Swimming," which features a chapter titled "Native Swimming, Wave Mechanics and Surfboards"; 1903: Manly Beach holds the first demonstration of surf lifesaving methods; 1909: "Surf Sports at Manly," the first documentary film on a surf demonstration, is screened around the country; 1914: Duke Kahanamoku visits Australia and rides waves in front of thousands of spectators; 1919: Claude West becomes Australia's first national surfing champion; 1939: German-born Australian Harry Wicke wins the SLSA of Australia Surf Board Championship; 1963: Surfing Australia is founded; 1973: Gordon Merchant launches Billabong; 1996: "Litmus: A Surfing Odyssey," a movie by Andrew Kidman, marks a new era in modern surfing; Source: www.surfertoday.com/surfing/the-timeline-of-australian-su...

Did you know? Tug of War is one of the most ancient games known to man and there is evidence that it was played across the ancient world including ancient Greece, Egypt and China. Also known as rope pulling, tugging war and war of tug, it remains today a popular sport that pits the strengths of two teams against each other and is practiced in some form in almost every country in the world. Many of these countries have their own national governing bodies and there is an international body too known as the Tug of War International Federation which has over 50 countries affiliated with it. The sport is played by both men and women, and historically was part of the Olympic Games between 1900 and 1920, but has not been included since this dates despite attempts to bring it back. There are many variations of Tug of War around the world including Sokatira in Spain’s Basque Country, Japan’s Tsunahiki, Indonesia’s Tarik Tambang and Korea’s Jul Parigi. Source: www.rulesofsport.com/sports/tug-of-war.html

Hook Island is one of the 74 Islands in the Whitsunday Island chain, located off the east coast of Queensland in Australia. The Whitsundays Islands are known as being the home of Whitehaven Beach, Hill Inlet Lookout, and many coral reefs, as well as their many beautiful islands. The islands are a popular tourist destination, bringing in people from all over the world to explore, sail and relax. Hook Island itself is known for its amazing snorkeling and picturesque bays where you will often find boats anchored and people enjoying the warm waters. Off the shores of Hook Island, you will discover famous reefs at Maureen's Cove, Luncheon Bay, Butterfly Bay, and Manta Ray Bay, which are all known for their diverse corals, and colorful marine life, and calm waters. The sheltered bays offer an ideal anchorage place, with many boats mooring there for the night for a calm overnight stay. A popular tourist destination, Hook Island was settled in 1910 and became part of the national park in 1936, whereupon it eventually became home to the Hook Island Wilderness Resort. Hook Island is 58 square kilometres and is now only inhabited by one person who is the caretaker of Wilderness Resort, which still remains as the only habitation on the island. Long since closed, the resort was once one of the most affordable island accommodation in the Whitsundays, but is now a cluster of dilapidated buildings. It was also home to an underwater observatory, which was a big draw to the island resort when it was open and was once considered to be "the greatest tourist drawcard ever to be established in the Whitsunday area." It offered guests the chance to see the underwater world up close, with fish and corals seemingly within reach as they descended to the ocean floor. The observatory consisted of an above sea level section and an underwater section that was ideal for viewing corals and marine life and was enclosed by concrete and glass. When the observatory was originally constructed in 1965 over 200 cars were sunk in the area to encourage coral growth and provide a habitat for fish, making it a diverse marine landscape in later years. While it was once the main attraction, the observatory was closed in 2009 after the submarine viewing chamber was found to have insufficient ventilation. Hook Island remains one of the top places to visit in the Whitsundays, but currently, visitors generally stick to the reefs around the island, Marcona Inlet or Nara Inlet, enjoying the beauty that the waters and the underwater world have to offer. Source: sailing-whitsundays.com/article/hook-island-in-the-whitsu...

Butterfly Bay is on the north side of Hook Island and is the deepest indentation of all of the bays that make up the top of the island so is the most protected. You need good light to enter to see the reefs that crowd the bay. At low tide, it is only the mooring basin that has any water as all the sides of the bay dry out! There are several Marine National Park Moorings here and you need to use them. This is a beautiful spot with mountains surrounding the anchorage and there is fairly good snorkeling on the outer edges of the bay. It is better around the corner to the east however such as in Maureen Cove and Manta Bay. Daytrip boats take their guests to these bays to snorkel & scuba dive. Source: www.venturefarther.com/mapObject/MapObjectSharedInfo.acti...