Airlie Beach and sailing to the Whitsunday Islands

After a few great days in Townsville and Magnetic Island, we continued south to the beautiful Airlie Beach and the Whitsunday Islands.

On Saturday, May 26th, we stopped in Bowen. We first got an overview of the beaches and bays from the Water Tower Lookout. Then we had lunch at Queens Beach, but we didn't want to swim because it was quite cold. So we went to the Rotary Lookout. It was more impressive and we enjoyed the sun, which was starting to come out. We spent the rest of the afternoon reading near Horseshoe Bay before heading to the campground by car.

Rotary Lookout Bowen

At the Miowera Camping Ground, we were greeted by many cute puppies. There were also horses and other dogs. We both found it quite nice, and the night was quiet and pleasant, though a bit windy. However, we both agree that the landlord, who lives on site in a makeshift hut, probably runs the small campground past the state and earns his livelihood through the campers.

We reached Airlie Beach on Sunday. Unfortunately, it was a bit rainy and we didn't know what to do here yet, so we decided to have lunch on the beach and compare Whitsunday Island offers. We sat at a table with two Australians who were training for a marathon and calculating their route by hand. So we got some tips on what else we can do in the region.

Fortunately, the rain cleared up quickly, but our indecision about the program for the next few days did not. The countless offers for tours to the Whitsunday Islands and the corresponding prices had frustrated us a bit, so we decided to get advice from the tourist information office. We ended up in a travel agency where we were nicely advised and offered a last-minute deal for a sailing ship called the Waltzing Matilda. We were both satisfied with that, even though it didn't include the desired diving trip because the underwater visibility was apparently no better than our last dive - only 3m. Relieved, we went to Base Backpacker Hostel, where we would spend the remaining nights in Airlie Beach. We decided to go partying and warmed up in the car with music before heading to the Boom nightclub.

The next day started a bit hectic as we had to check out by 10 am. Still feeling hungover, we drove to the check-in for our boat tour the next day. Once we got that over with, we laid back in our car to sleep. In the late afternoon, we treated ourselves to a beach lunch. So we didn't do much on this day :D In the evening, we went shopping for bikinis for Krissi - without success - and bought alcohol for the boat tour, which we weren't really in the mood for, but we had to... The boat itself didn't sell anything, but you were allowed to bring your own drinks.

On Tuesday morning, it was time to start! After the 8 am meeting (of course, all the tourists were already there, but the boat owner was late), we settled into our triple cabin with an Englishwoman. The two of us had to sleep in a tight double bed on the upper level, but it was okay for one night.

It was a bit cloudy when we set sail. Kenny helped set the sails after a short time and off we went to the sea. Luckily, we escaped the rain and had a nice trip to the first snorkeling spot. The water was relatively cold at 21ºC, and it took us some courage to jump in. But it was worth it! Right from the start, we swam with a turtle, and later we saw a big reef shark, which quickly disappeared. There were also many colorful fish to see during the second snorkeling session of the day. Our captain fed them, and hundreds of fish swam around us. Sadly, the reef in the area is quite damaged.

For the night, we went to a calm bay so that the boat wouldn't rock so much. A seasick passenger had already been taken back to land. We met another ship on the sea, which resulted in a wait of over half an hour.

We were treated to a beautiful sight of the sunset and moonrise between the islands at our overnight spot. However, sleeping was a bit odd because of the constant rocking.

On the second day aboard the Waltzing Matilda, we set off early. We left at 6 am heading for Whitehaven Beach. We arrived on the island at 8 am and started a hike to the Hill Inlet viewpoint. The view of the white beach and turquoise water was truly unique. The sand always has a different shape as it is constantly moving due to the tides and the river. The rain in recent days had also drawn some light brown streaks in it, which is rare and special.

We spent the rest of the time on the island at the beach and saw some stingrays and small lemon sharks swimming in the shallow water.

At 12 pm, we walked back to the ship, where we had a sunny return journey with more sailing. It was a very nice tour that we would do again anytime.

On Thursday, May 31st, we went to the Honeyeater viewpoint in Airlie Beach. An 8 km hike led us to a beautiful view of the harbor and the nearby islands. On the way, we saw a small snake, many geckos, and a really big iguana.

In the afternoon, we rested from the hike and spent our time at the Airlie Beach Lagoon. It's so big and great that you would expect it in a 5-star resort at most. But here it's available for free to everyone. It's amazing what cities in Australia make possible for their residents and guests. :)