Airlie Beach is awesome. I have had an amazing trip so far, but I think that Airlie Beach is my favorite place that I have been. I love the Whitsundays, love the ocean and lagoon here, and love the nice people. The town is a bit smaller than Cairns, and the downtown is quite short, but it is such a variety of places and cool atmosphere that I want to come back. It is a backpacker type town, it seems like, and if you walk around and look you can find all of these offers for free food accommodation in exchange for work, or opportunities for free sail in exchange for help on boats. I think if my Dad visited here he would never want to leave, because of all the time he could spend on the water!
When we arrived Thursday night after our Greyhound bus trip, we were ready to plan something for our free day the next day and go out on the town. We checked into our hostel, Beaches, and discovered it was nicer than our hostel in Cairns. We actually had a TV in the room, and a balcony overlooking a nightclub. We got pizza from Dominos because it was fast and we were hungry, and ended up staying in.
On Friday morning we got up and walked around town. There are many different little tourist shops around here, and they all sell something sort of different, unlike the shops in Cairns. We wandered up and down the streets, looking for new flip flops (the only ones I had were leaving blisters on my feet L) and lunch. After lunch, we planned on going fishing on the Reel Deel reef fishing charter boat. The captain picked us up around downtown about 12:15, and we were out on the water by 1:00. Eight people total were fishing on the boat. The captain drove us 45-minutes out to Hook Island to fish over reefs. It was so nice to get out on the water- we didn’t even feel sea-sick! We moved spots maybe around 5 ot 6 times, and fished until about 4:45. Kaitlyn and Laura had never really been fishing before (or since they were small children), so it was fun watching them learn to bait their own hooks and seeing the excitement when they reeled one in, even if it was small. We didn’t catch many fish big enough to keep, but we did catch enough reef ‘pearch’ to eat for dinner.
After dinner we rolled all of our luggage up the street a few blocks and checked into our sailing package (after a small fiasco over which hostel we were staying in), and learned that we needed to turn around and roll it all the way back to Beaches. A little frustrated, and a little worn out from fishing (and stinky), we returned to beaches and took some much needed relaxation time. For dinner, we decided to splurge a little and have a nice seafood meal. We took our fresh catch (2 whole fish we carried around) to the chef at an awesome restaurant called Fish D’vine (as part of our little charter deal). Ashley and I also ordered a fried giant prawn, calamari, and salads. The fresh catch fish was fried in a beer batter, and we were surprised at how much fish we ended up getting on the plate! It was such a yummy meal, and nice to finally enjoy some fresh seafood on our tropical vacation. The restaurant was the coolest place I have eaten on this vacation. It was very busy, and we had a hard time getting a table. The chef seemed like he was also the owner, and spoke to us personally several times. The restaurant also has a built-in rum bar, with rums from all over the world (we didn’t try any). I loved eating out there!
On Saturday I woke up bright and early because I wanted to check out the famous Saturday morning Airlie market by the beach. I got my stuff packed for our sail quickly and walked down past the lagoon area to the markets. Many different local artisans were selling their crafts, old men and women were selling their old things, and farmers were selling fresh produce. There were also quite a few people selling jewelry and stuff like that. Nothing was really expensive; I bought a pair of earrings and a butterfly magnet to turn into a Christmas ornament. I didn’t get much time at the market, however, and I strategically did not take that much cash, so that I couldn’t buy very much (haha).
After walking around the market I walked up a coastline walkway to the Able Point marina, where we were to meet our crew and get aboard our sailboat. The first crew member we met was a very pretty young blonde from California, who just started working for Prosail a week ago. After graduating from college and being unable to find a good job, she decided to come work in Australia and save lots of money to return home (because minimum wage here is $20/hr). Like this girl working on our sailboat, Airlie Beach attracts a lot of people with interesting stories and different backgrounds and is a good place to come and get a job for awhile, because the tourism industry is so solid and pays so well. I would even think about returning later on to save money for grad school.
Anyway, 21 passengers boarded Hammer, our maxi- sailboat. Hammer is a retired racing sailboat that won a few races like the Sydney-Hobart. It had a very nice cabin underneath, and Laura and I were assigned a double cot on the top bunk. Of the other passengers: 8 were German (and a little rude), 3 were English, 2 were from Switzerland (and very dull and miserable looking the whole time), and the others I am not sure about. It was a very mixed group, and at one point the skipper asked one couple where they had been sleeping, as they had bed bug bites all over their bodies; their answer- a campervan. Ugh, this really freaked me out, so I avoided them for the rest of the time, as I am not looking to get bed bugs. Period.
Anyway, we sailed around the islands at a cruising speed, and our first stop was the Langford Reef, where the girls would snorkel and I would do my first dive. I signed up for a dive while in the check-in shop, as the introductory dives were on special for only $50, and I figured while in the Great Barrier Reef I should investigate whether I would like it or not. We were taken over to a dive boat on a tender, and taught some safety rules, like about our regulators, equilibrating, and ascending and descending. Next, I was strapped into gear, and taken to the dive spot. Before descending, I learned to clear my mask and regulator. Breathing underwater for the first time was absolutely crazy, and thrilling, and exciting. I cannot describe how excited it made me for the actual dive!
We descended pretty slowly, and eventually made it down 10m. I could not keep up with the group because I just wanted to look at everything! It was really beautiful underneath the water, and crazy exciting that the water surface was so far above my head! Diving was one of my favorite things I have done. I had some trouble not focusing on my breathing while I was down there, as it seems to be the only thing you can hear. The colors down deeper were brilliant, and the coral was healthy and fish were abundant. We spent about 30 minutes down under, but I was enjoying myself so much that it felt like no time at all. By the time the instructor was signaling me to go up, I had chased all kinds of fish, and gotten up close to all sorts of coral… The experience was awesome. When I came up, the other people diving told me they were slightly disappointed, as other dives some of them had been on were better; one guy said he had seen more before snorkeling. But I didn’t care what they said- I saw A LOT of things I had never seen on our dive, and loved every minute. The dive makes me want to get certified, especially while I am young, healthy and able.
After the dive we set off to sail towards Whitsunday Island, the biggest of the Whitsunday Islands and the first one discovered by Captain James Cook. The skipper told us that the island is the size of Barbados, but has never been developed because of the strong environmental protection over it. One thing that that is very noticeable about the Whitsundays is how fiercely they are protected; I did not see a single piece of litter in the water or on the shores.
In the evening we moored at Tongue Bay, right on the other side of Whitehaven Beach. There were probably 6 or 7 other boats moored there. We watched the sunset and had dinner underneath the stars. Our mixed group onboard enjoyed socializing and hanging out pretty late into the night, but I went to bed around 10pm. I was assigned to a cot on the top, and didn't sleep very well because the boat rocked back and forth all night long. Also, I could not get the random foreign couple with the bed bug bites off my mind.
In the morning we awoke early to breakfast on the water, and around 8:30 were tendered over to the nature path that would take us to Whitehaven Beach. The path went up to a small hill/mountain thing where we could look on on the beach. Unfortunately, it was high tide, so our pictures did not turn out like the ones on all the postcards, and it didn't look like the beach I had imagined on all the postcards. I would recommend anyone planning a trip here to plan a trip when the tide will be low, as you will get a better shot...
We frolicked around the beach for a little while, and had a little photo shoot. The sand at Whitehaven was absolutely unbelievably soft, almost like flour. The tide was coming in even more while we were there, too. There were a lot of people on the beach, especially the longer and later we stayed. We left Whitehaven around 11am, and started sailing back towards Airlie Beach. Before we got back we stopped and snorkeled at one more spot; the water was clear and there were many different types of fish to see! It was getting chilly out, so I considered not going on the snorkel, but I am so glad I did... It is probably the last time I will get to snorkel for awhile.
The boat arrived back at the dock around 4pm. We wanted to get some of the salty-ness off our bodies, so we dipped in the Airlie lagoon built down by the shore. We got a good laugh; there were atleast 7 or 8 couples in the big lagoon kissing passionately all around us. We kind of figured they weren't locals, haha. For the evening, a return party was planned for everyone on board at the bar in the hostel we were staying in, Beaches. There was a table reserved for everyone on our boat, and most of the fun people came! We had a lot of fun socializing again, and partied with our new European friends late into the night. I am usually a sleepyhead, so I went to bed around midnight, but everyone else went to other bars and finished their nights in the morning.
In the morning, I did a bit of shopping, like looking for a Christmas ornament. I started collecting Christmas ornaments from places that I have traveled to when I went with my family and boyfriend on a cruise around the Caribbean. I figured the ornaments would be a nice way to remember my travels, especially when I am old and have kids or grandkids that want to hear the stories behind the ornaments. From Airlie I got a little metal koala with a santa hat on- he is pretty cute.
The airport at Airlie is really, really small, and is somewhat out of town, in Prosperpine. We arrived early, but realized that was probably silly, considering how small the airport is, and how minimal security is compared with other places. I was ready to board the plane and get back to Wollongong and Weerona, though, even if school was waiting.
In the evening we moored at Tongue Bay, right on the other side of Whitehaven Beach. There were probably 6 or 7 other boats moored there. We watched the sunset and had dinner underneath the stars. Our mixed group onboard enjoyed socializing and hanging out pretty late into the night, but I went to bed around 10pm. I was assigned to a cot on the top, and didn't sleep very well because the boat rocked back and forth all night long. Also, I could not get the random foreign couple with the bed bug bites off my mind.
In the morning we awoke early to breakfast on the water, and around 8:30 were tendered over to the nature path that would take us to Whitehaven Beach. The path went up to a small hill/mountain thing where we could look on on the beach. Unfortunately, it was high tide, so our pictures did not turn out like the ones on all the postcards, and it didn't look like the beach I had imagined on all the postcards. I would recommend anyone planning a trip here to plan a trip when the tide will be low, as you will get a better shot...
We frolicked around the beach for a little while, and had a little photo shoot. The sand at Whitehaven was absolutely unbelievably soft, almost like flour. The tide was coming in even more while we were there, too. There were a lot of people on the beach, especially the longer and later we stayed. We left Whitehaven around 11am, and started sailing back towards Airlie Beach. Before we got back we stopped and snorkeled at one more spot; the water was clear and there were many different types of fish to see! It was getting chilly out, so I considered not going on the snorkel, but I am so glad I did... It is probably the last time I will get to snorkel for awhile.
The boat arrived back at the dock around 4pm. We wanted to get some of the salty-ness off our bodies, so we dipped in the Airlie lagoon built down by the shore. We got a good laugh; there were atleast 7 or 8 couples in the big lagoon kissing passionately all around us. We kind of figured they weren't locals, haha. For the evening, a return party was planned for everyone on board at the bar in the hostel we were staying in, Beaches. There was a table reserved for everyone on our boat, and most of the fun people came! We had a lot of fun socializing again, and partied with our new European friends late into the night. I am usually a sleepyhead, so I went to bed around midnight, but everyone else went to other bars and finished their nights in the morning.
In the morning, I did a bit of shopping, like looking for a Christmas ornament. I started collecting Christmas ornaments from places that I have traveled to when I went with my family and boyfriend on a cruise around the Caribbean. I figured the ornaments would be a nice way to remember my travels, especially when I am old and have kids or grandkids that want to hear the stories behind the ornaments. From Airlie I got a little metal koala with a santa hat on- he is pretty cute.
The airport at Airlie is really, really small, and is somewhat out of town, in Prosperpine. We arrived early, but realized that was probably silly, considering how small the airport is, and how minimal security is compared with other places. I was ready to board the plane and get back to Wollongong and Weerona, though, even if school was waiting.
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