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HIRER’S HINTS WITH DAZ

There is no better person to give first hand tips and tricks for a Houseboat Holiday than the hirer themselves.

Please enjoy these stories, images and memorable moments captured and shared by our guests. Hopefully they will shed some insider knowledge for those considering or returning to hire a Houseboat and inspire the Skipper in all of us!

Let’s go on a journey with Daz and Amanda who travelled with us for the first time in March 2022, on Getaway. This was a week long hire to celebrate Amanda’s birthday, with many memorable tales to tell.

How many times have your hired a Houseboat?

This was our first time but hard to imagine it will be our last as we loved every minute of it. 

Which Houseboat from our fleet have you hired?

We took the Getaway out and it was perfect for us, small enough to feel confident maneuvering it around when we picked up and dropped off our daughter and her boyfriend from Jacobs Well for a couple of nights and yet so spacious inside to relax. Space upstairs to escape and read and relax if needing some time alone. The full size oven even meant I was able to bake a cake for my wife’s birthday! Plenty of room for fishing out the back or to enjoy a drink admiring the stunning views. A great size boat for either a couple or 4 people.

What is it about Houseboating that keeps you coming back?

Well this was our first time but it is the most relaxed holiday we have ever had, no having to carry everything to a fishing spot or even plan as you simply drop a line in. Same with the kayak, no lugging it to the water, simply drop it in the water and off you go. Having everything just feet away makes it so easy. Being able to see dolphins, turtles, pelicans, ducks, stingrays, birds and wallabies all from the boat is pretty cool. The serenity! So quiet falling asleep listening to the water lapping and the fish jumping or the birds singing was such a treat. 

What is your most memorable Houseboating experience?

Funnily enough the most memorable experience was the one that should have been the worst, we managed to ground the boat in some mud and spent 5 hours waiting for the tide to rescue us ! Ben on the support line was so calm and supportive that we ended up relaxing enough to catch more fish than any other day and enjoy the peace and quiet for most of that time, I rang support a couple of times to get more reassurance that all would be ok and  it turned out to be fine.

A 30 minute storm that woke us one night was pretty memorable too.

As far as the memory that will keep us coming back, I guess being forced to relax whether that meant a cold drink staring at a sunset or the surroundings or just having a fishing line in the water even though I am not a keen fisherman like the wife I found myself loving just popping a line in. 

What is your favourite anchorage in our cruising ground?

We spent most of our time at Dux Anchorage as we didn’t see a reason to move until we had to pick up our visitors. Caught some fish each day here, took the dingy ashore and walked across the island to the sand dunes and stunning beach on the other side, had daily visits by the local ducks, saw a dolphin cruise by.  Nice protection from any wind meant calm water for kayaking or dingy trips most of the time. Half a dozen boats anchored there during our stay so a lot quieter than some of the other spots we saw. (Spent 2 nights at Tiger Mullet which was even quieter with good fishing and one final night at Neverfail Island where we were the only boat).

What is your top tip for a first time Houseboat Hirer?

Use insect repellent from the first minute you stop lol. In the excitement of anchoring for the first time and setting up we got eaten alive by sand flies!

Second tip would be to not be afraid to contact support if you have any questions as they are brilliant and don’t make you feel silly no matter what the question.  

On a less practical tip, just go with the flow, don’t plan or over think things, let things just happen and enjoy every moment. 

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