The nine-day journey, hosted by R Marine Jacksons, enticed loyal Riviera owners from far and wide.
Oh, the places your Riviera can take you.
Pristine waters, secluded coves and breathtaking islands provided the perfect backdrop for an incredible cruise for those aboard 11 luxury Riviera motor yachts at the start of Spring in tropical Queensland. The nine-day journey, hosted by R Marine Jacksons, enticed passionate Riviera owners from far and wide, including Riviera veteran, Ray Haddrell, who travelled from Martha Cove in Victoria aboard Rayzaway, his Riviera 645 SUV.
“We took our time coming up the coast, as the weather was pretty rough,” says Ray. “But the 645 SUV is the most seaworthy boat I’ve ever had. It maintains 20 knots in a 30-knot wind offshore and never takes water over the top. Plus, it’s very comfortable with a full-width master bedroom,” he says of his seventh Riviera.
“On the way north around Hervey Bay, we picked up friends, Sergio and Leanne, on their Riviera 4600 Sport Yacht and we travelled up to Airlie Beach together over a week or so. We went out to Lady Musgrave Island, some 60 miles offshore cruising at 24 knots and anchored out there for the night. It’s magnificent out there.”
The white sand and turquoise waters for which Hamilton Island is famous.
(Left) 4600 Sport Yacht Platinum Edition (Right) Uniquely accessible cruising destinations.
(Left) Coral Sea Marina, the gateway to Airlie Beach. (Right) Spectacular Lady Musgrave Island.
"The 645 SUV is the most seaworthy boat I’ve ever had."
RAY HADDRELL
Rayzaway and Dory joined another six Riviera motor yachts at Coral Sea Marina at Airlie Beach – their base port for the following nine days – from which they’d cruise out to various destinations for day trips or overnight excursions with the rest of the flotilla, including experienced captain David Prior and his wife Rose. Despite having cruised the tropical north on various occasions, this year offered Ray a novelty.
“Hayman Island – we’d never been able to get on to the island before. But there are new owners now, open to taking boats onto the marina – and it’s very well set up for it. We arrived at noon and explored the island for the afternoon, which was marvellous. Then we had a wonderful dinner, all set up in the garden with big tables under tall trees; there must have been around 40 of us together and it was a fantastic experience. We overnighted on the boats and left the next morning. It was a definite highlight since Hayman had been so difficult to access.”
Leanne and Sergio signed up for R Marine Jacksons Whitsundays Cruise a year in advance, in anticipation of receiving their 4600SY in March, their fifth Riviera through R Marine Jacksons. “It was an amazing journey with Rayzaway just to get there,” says Leanne. “Between getting up there, being in the Whitsundays, and travelling back to Hervey Bay, we spent three weeks full-time on Dory and it was just fantastic. We were so comfortable.
“This Riviera has been a dream. Stuart Jackson is always onto anything that comes up – never a hassle, never a no – and the team are just so approachable. We’ve known them a long time now, so they feel like part of the family.”
The itinerary was well-planned, balancing structured events with ample free time for personal exploration.
(Click the arrows on the left or right of the image to view the full picture gallery)
(Left) Cape Gloucester, the Whitsundays’ best kept secret. (Right) Aerial view of Hamilton Island.
"Being all together as a group was a lot of fun. I think this trip really will get us to venture out of our comfort zone in the future."
“The whole trip was so well organised with events every second day, subject to weather,” says Leanne. “We went to Whitehaven beach one day and sat in the sun on that beautiful silica sand beach and swam in the magnificent clear water; we overnighted at Nara Inlet which is a really great sheltered spot that’s well protected from nearly every wind direction. Stonehaven was another great anchorage and we moored there overnight. We also headed out to Gloucester Island on our last day, anchored, and took the tenders to the beach for an outdoor pub meal.
“Being all together as a group was a lot of fun. There was a lot of laughter, whether we were at a more formal meal or a casual chill out, it was a great chance to get to know people from outside our usual group.
“I think this trip really will get us to venture out of our comfort zone in the future. Going to the Whitsundays from Hervey Bay just opened things up for us. We wouldn’t hesitate now, we’d go for it. Next June, we plan to bring the Riviera back up for four months. We’ve got the confidence now that we’ve done it with others, so we’ll do it ourselves next time.”
While the Whitsundays might be a familiar sight to some, the journey left everyone with memories of an Australian paradise that only a few are lucky enough to experience from their own luxury Riviera motor yacht.
The joy of boating brings together happy people.
A Riviera 6000 and 51 Enclosed Flybridge were part of the fleet of 11 yachts to enjoy the Whitsundays in Spring.
There really isn’t anything quite like being part of the Riviera family.
R Marine Jacksons Whitsundays Cruise – Social Gallery
To enjoy the social gallery, click on the first image on the top left-hand corner to enlarge the preview
and then click the arrow on the centre of the right side to advance through the full gallery.
MORE RIVIERA NEWS
Popular TV cooking presenter Sally Jenyns has created a fantastic series of recipes exclusively for Riviera owners.
Riviera world premiere at the 2025 Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show beginning on May 22.
“Mercoeur also includes Mer and Coeur – translated from French, meaning sea and heart. She is a yacht that will know how to go to sea in her heart! ‘The Heart of the Sea’ or ‘The Sea at Heart’.