It was the $10 that flew out of my husband's pocket that did it.
Jason Shearer, the boat's skipper, said it was a gift to King Neptune but it must have been the mermaids who grabbed the dough because just as we turned the corner into a cove at the back of Dunk Island we saw a female dugong and her calf.
Dugongs when first sighted by European sailors were thought to be mermaids or half-human/half-fish creatures, and they do have a bit of a resemblance to them (if you forget about the long blond locks that artists portray them with).
On the way back a herd of dugongs swam around us and several other boats in a large circle. Finally one swam towards us but dived under our boat before we could get a good photo.
"You're so lucky," Shearer said. "It's very rare to see a herd of dugongs here. Normally you will only see solitary animals or mothers and calves ... The $10 brought us luck."
But then wildlife abounds in this gorgeous part of the world.
As somebody commented, it's Jurassic Park up here - around Mission Beach, between Cairns and Townsville in north Queensland.
There's huge cassowaries wandering through the rainforest, Hercules moths, giant blue Ulysses butterflies, Ledbetter's possums, Pademelons (small wallabies), white tail rats, bilbys, Green Tree frogs, echidnas, goannas, pythons ... and crocodiles in the rivers and mangroves.
Most of these (but not the crocs) can be found at Altitude ONE40, a luxurious house/resort where we stayed. We'd got in late at night (it's at least a two hour drive on the badly-lit Bruce Highway from Cairns) and followed the owner, Shane Hunter, up a hill behind a property and other houses.
But we woke the next morning to one of the best views I've ever set eyes on, looking out across cane fields and the small village of Mission Beach to Dunk Island and its tiny neighbour, Purtaboi and the others - Kumboola, Timana, Bedarra, Wheeler, Coombe, Smith, Bowden and Hudson. Then further south - north, middle and south Brooke, Gould, Garden and Hinchinbrook.
On a clear day you can see Beaver Cay, part of the Great Barrier Reef to the north.
There is a walking track on the property or you can venture up to nearby Bicton Hill - a 3.9km round trip with views from both sides.
"Altitude ONE40 is all about privacy, luxury and service, if it is needed," explained Hunter. "We are trying to create an experience, not just another holiday home."
And Grace Jones must have agreed - it's kind of cool to know you slept in the same bed as her.
Jones came here to perform at The Elandra Mission Beach for its launch last year and liked it so much she stayed for three weeks - at Altitude ONE40.
The stylish house was built by Shane and her husband Craig, who have lived in the area for 14 years. They bought the then rundown property in 2000. But just as they started to build, Cyclone Larry hit and they had to start all over again.
Hunter says she sheltered in the house as the porch blew off and landed in the pool.
The house designed by a Cairns architect and decorated and filled with art work by Shane herself was finished in July 2007. It opens up to a wide terrace and an 18-metre pool and the 270 degree views.
Below is a private helipad - if you prefer to fly in.
The retreat, which takes its name from its location 140 metres above sea level, is set in seven hectares of rainforest as well as gardens.
Driving around the property, Hunter points to the former racehorses which she inherited from her days as a racehorse trainer.
The retreat is 3km from the restaurants and cafes of Mission Beach and only up the hill from Clump Point Jetty, where most trips to the Reef take off from.
Mission Beach is what Port Douglas used to be like many years ago - it's where the rainforest meets the sea - and is small, laidback and unpretentious.
About 4000 people live in and around what has become known as Mission Beach but is really a series of small villages along a 14km thin strip between the mountains and the sea. It was first settled by the Cutten brothers in 1882 who started a farm at Bingil Bay, where they grew mangoes, bananas, pineapples, coffee, citrus fruit and coconuts.
It became popular as a holiday spot when wealthy banana growers from around Tully built their holiday homes there. Now the average house goes for around $1.5m with the highest price recently reaching $1.8m.
But there's no high rise and it's one of the few places on the Queensland coast, according to Hunter, where you get crystal clear water. So it's great for snorkelling - particularly out around the islands.
But there's a feeling this could all change too quickly if too much development is allowed to take over.
"Mission Beach is in its transition period - this is the place to come and be on the beach, go out for dinner at night - totally relax," Hunter says.
We had a great meal at Friends restaurant in town, which is as good as anywhere in the country, and lunch was Malaysian curry at a stall at the Mission Beach markets held on Saturdays and full of fresh fruit and vegetables, jewellery and plants. Hippies, locals and tourists seemed to mix happily.
Dinner another night at the Elandra Mission Beach, which is filled with rare artefacts and tribal art from India, Ethiopia, Nigeria and the Ivory Coast, was also first class. During the day guests lounge around the pool backed by a different version of the spectacular view across the Coral Sea and cassowaries can be seen as you meander down the drive.
Shearer who runs Mission Beach Boat Charters grew up in the area - he's been there 35 years - and loves it. He quotes the writer and naturalist EJ Banfield, who lived on Dunk Island for many years and wrote several books about the wildlife there.
He can take people on secluded island picnics, overnight camping trips, reef and snorkelling charters and crocodile spotting tours.
Shearer says he tries to give both historical and Aboriginal background in his commentary when he takes guests for cruises, as he points out what's become known as Opera House Rock, a place where warriors came to settle disputes.
Mission Beach is named after the government-run Aboriginal settlement which operated between 1914 and 1918 when it was destroyed by a cyclone and the locals were moved to Palm Island.
He points out Coombe Island where people can camp overnight for around $5 payable to the National Parks (must be booked ahead). He can supply camping gear such as tents and cooking gear and sleeping mattresses for $30 per person. Snorkelling equipment is also available.
IF YOU GO:
Altitude ONE40, Narragon Beach, North Queensland. Call (07) 4068-7777 or 0419021291, email: infoaltitudeone40.com.au or visit: www.altitudeone40.com.au/
Altitude ONE40 costs $600 per night for two people, and each bedroom on top of that is $100, and $900 if you take the whole house. It's not designed to be shared by people who don't know each other and it's also not suitable for small children.
MISSION BEACH AAP
