Family pictures at Arlie Beach marina before departing on our catamaran!
Whitehaven Beach at Whitsunday Islands…the most beautiful beach I have seen!
August 11
We left Magnetic Island and headed to Airlie Beach, which is about three hours south of Townsville. On our way out of town, we stopped at our first McDonald’s of the trip for a quick bite. They are all over Australia and New Zealand, and the nickname for the restaurant is Macca’s (the slogan is “more bang for your buck” instead of “I’m Lovin’ It”). The saving grace was their coffee; most of the coffee we bought elsewhere was pretty bad. At Macca’s, we ordered a nice tasting flat white (coffee with cream) served in a china cup with a saucer instead of a normal Styrofoam cup. We arrived at Airlie Beach and checked in for the highlight of our entire trip – a three day, two night sailing adventure on a catamaran through the Whitsunday Islands. If you’ve ever seen Australian pictures of beautiful white sandy beaches with sparkling blue, green, and turquoise water, then you’ve seen the Whitsundays. And the pictures don’t lie – the place is spectacular. Our boat had room for 10 passengers and two crew members (the captain and a first mate who cooked and cleaned – how awesome is that!). We weren’t sure what to expect but we had some great people on board with us. There was a family of four from France with two teenagers, boy and girl, who were close in age to Thomas and Megan. And quite coincidentally, the parents were both accounting majors in college (though they were no longer in the accounting field). We also shared the boat with a couple from the Netherlands (they were probably in their 30s). The captain was a 30 year old Aussie who was on her first trip since taking a year off to travel South America. The first mate was a Brazilian native but had lived in Australia for the past ten years. She was very friendly and made us delicious food while we were on board.
We had time to walk around Airlie Beach before we boarded the catamaran. The town has a beautiful waterfront with a large man-made lagoon for swimming (probably about three acres) which is free to the public. The lagoon is for swimming, but there are sandy beaches and grassy areas along its banks for sunbathing and just hanging out. Beyond the lagoon is the blue ocean water scattered with sail boats, so you can imagine the scenery at the place, just breathtaking.
We boarded the catamaran (a no shoes boat) and departed the marina within minutes of stepping on board. We had a safety briefing, and then we pulled up the sails and headed out. The views of the coastal mountains were phenomenal, especially when the sun started setting behind them. As it got dark, we saw the outline of whales in the distance blowing out their air as they surfaced. We anchored for the evening in a place called Hook Passage, and the crew cooked us chicken “on the Barbie” at the aft of the boat. We relaxed on the deck with drinks before heading down to our cabins for the evening. Our family had two private cabins, each with a double bed and a bathroom. It was tight but comfortable.
August 12
We started our day with an early breakfast before taking off for a morning of snorkeling. The reefs in the Whitsundays are fantastic. The coral is in great shape, and there is an abundance of tropical fish. It was a bit chilly at first (it is winter here), but once we were in the water, it was comfortable. The water is about 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Plus we were wearing wet suits. They call the suits “stinger suits” because they also protect you from the jellyfish. We got back on the boat and sailed to the aptly-named Turtle Bay where we anchored for lunch. We saw many sea turtles that stay in that bay because of the abundance of sea grass that provides a large part of their diets. After lunch, we took a dingy to Whitsunday Island, the largest island in the chain. The island is part of a national park and is not developed at all. After a walk across the island, we arrived at Whitehaven Beach, which is arguably the world’s most beautiful beach. We arrived at a low tide, so the beach was hundreds of yards in width. The sand is a pure white powder with very few granules or shells. It felt so soft like you were walking in 2 inches of white flour. The water was blue in some places and emerald green in others, yet it was always crystal clear to see through. We saw lots of stingrays in the shallows and baby lemon sharks that were only a few inches in length (our crew told us what they were). The beach was so big and there were so few people that it seemed like it was exclusively ours. Words cannot do justice in describing the beauty of this place.
After a few hours in paradise, we got back on our boat and did some paddle boarding for about an hour. We all did quite well (nobody fell, but we were in pretty flat water). John and I paddled right by a sea turtle in the water. The catamaran also had a clear kayak that some people used instead of paddle boarding. We got back on the boat and took quick showers before dinner. The showers are in your bathroom, using the sink faucet as a pull out shower head. After dinner, we set sail for another protected bay to anchor for night. On the way there, we were fortunate enough to see some whales, and they gave us a show by breaching up out of the water. Very cool. Once we were anchored, the kids played cards while the adults relaxed on the deck. Funny that the French kids on board played the same card game our kids know. Anyone in scouts or Reisch cousins will know it. We call it “Capitalism”, and the French kids called it “President”. We thought that was funny. The darkness out in the islands provided an opportunity to see so many stars in the sky. Our crew told us that a meteor shower was expected late in the night, but only Megan woke up at 4am to go out to see it. She says the night sky was wonderful, and she did see shooting stars. She said it was an amazing sight.
August 13
We awoke early again to eat brekkie and then snorkel at Black Island. The coral formations were wonderful, and we saw a few sea turtles swimming among the coral as a huge green sea turtle lounging on the bottom of the reef. Thomas discovered that if you dove down about 10 feet, you could hear whale calls. John was skeptical about this at first, but after diving down himself, he confirmed that they were indeed whale calls. That was cool. The whales come here in winter to mate and give birth (a year later). The calls travel huge distances, so it was likely that the whales weren’t too close, but they definitely made their presence known. Another cool thing that we did was try out a James Bond style underwater scooter. It looked like a handheld rocket that propelled you through the water. We also snorkeled at a coral cay, but that was a whole different experience (and not a good one). It was there that we experienced our first encounters with jellyfish. Fortunately, they were not the infamous box jellyfish, which can kill an adult in a matter of minutes, but we still felt their stings as we hurriedly made our way back to the shore. John and I just got them on our hands and feet, but Thomas got stung across his face. Fortunately, the pain and marks did not last, and we didn’t let them ruin our trip. After getting back on board, we ate lunch and set sail again. Unfortunately, we had to end our trip. We all wish we could have stayed a few more days – maybe next time we will. As we sailed towards Airlie Beach, there were many sailboats on the water. It was the end of Race Week, in which sailboats race around the bay. We cruised past the regatta and into port. We left the catamaran and went to our place for the next two nights. It is a three bedroom townhouse that overlooks the bay. While the facility is great, it lacks Wi-Fi. So basically, we haven’t had Wi-Fi for about week. And despite a questionable dinner at a place called the Hog’s Breath Cafe, we have managed to settle in and are enjoying ourselves at Airlie Beach.