Airlie Beach

Day 20: 09/09/2018 - Airlie Beach

As usual, we left Bowen early for our next destination: the tropical tourist town of Airlie Beach. After about 90 minutes of driving, we found a nice spot without electricity on a large campsite. There were many young people around us, including numerous compatriots, as is the case almost everywhere here. Before we set off to explore the city, we ran a load of laundry. It was a very hot day, perhaps the hottest so far, so our towels and sheets would dry safely by evening (even though we found them everywhere but on the clothesline in the evening, due to the wind). We had a slice of bread each, then we headed out with our backpacks.

The sun was so high that we had no chance of finding shade on the way to the town center. We walked about three kilometers along the well-kept promenade, which passed by fancy hotels, upscale restaurants, and yachts. Occasionally, we stopped to take a photo or simply sit on a bench by the sea, enjoying the view. Several times along the way, a white cockatoo flew over us, squawking loudly.

We finally reached an artificial lagoon, where we stayed for a while with our feet in the water and protected from the sun, watching the kids splash around. Once our legs and feet were slim again, we strolled towards a street with many bars and restaurants. We didn't get very far - after a few meters, we lounged in an oversized light blue lounge chair and watched the hustle and bustle once again :)

Finally, we made it to the restaurant street and leisurely walked through the street. According to the travel guide, Airlie Beach is known for people having a few drinks, which is reflected in the selection of bars and pubs. Loud music, happy hour offers, and many cheerful young people with a beer in hand. We considered coming back in the evening for a cocktail.

However, that didn't happen because back at the campsite, we played a long game of UNO and enjoyed a cool glass of white wine. Then we realized that with a slight buzz, we probably couldn't drive into town anymore :) Instead, we had a great evening at the campsite, with Juli beating me in UNO and Yahtzee (so everything as usual..) and we heated up the pasta from the day before, which tasted even better today. After a warm shower, we soon closed our eyes in our camper...

See you soon! 👋😘 Juli & Nina