I'm in Airlie Beach on the East coast of Australia about an 18hr drive south from Cairns. The town centre is a street made up of little more than pubs, clubs and travel agencies, which is a little samey, but quite fun nevertheless! The town is really just a gateway to the archipelago called the Whitsundays, which is a large group of 74 islands, mostly National Park and therefore protected land.
The Whitsundays islands were named by Cook (again), and he simply named them after the day he sailed through them! However, due to the time zone difference, it was actually a Monday!
It's one of few places where normal, smelly, scummy backpackers can spend a few days on million pound maxi racing yachts, all at backpacker prices too! So it was definitely not to be missed. I was on the Boomerang!
There were about 20 or so of us, and it was a real laugh. The food was great and we visited many famous sites. We set off from Airlie Beach, and the 30m high mast was overwhelmingly impressive! At one point, we were sailing and the boat was about 45degrees to the water, one side of the boat was almost submerged! I was sure we were going to capsize, but the crew said that as long as they're smiling, all is ok!Here's the bed I was sleeping in, suitably trashed!
We visited Tongue Bay on Whitesunday Island, and the famous Whitehaven beach, which is apparently the third most photographed place in Australia. I found this a little hard to believe, but it was certainly a beatuful postcard-worthy photo!We sailed around a few Islands, including Border Island, Hayman Island and Hock Island, and also stopped off for some brilliant coral snorkling.
So I'm here in Airlie for a few days now, until I head off to Kroombit, which is a cattle station inland! I hear many interesting things go on there...nb. pictures can all be enlarged by clicking on them.
2 comments:
Hello George: Whitsundays - what a name, what a place! Looks fantastic. And I spent the day cutting back a holly tree! I'm wasting my life. Staying at home for most of this week on leave to clear up a few things. Let's keep in touch!
Should be nice for you to be on dry land for a bit this week. There was a new and very localised viral disease of herdsmen that was found only on one Australian cattle station I believe, but I can't remmber what it was called. It wasn't serious, just an interesting example of a zoonosis! No need to stroke the cows then.
Haha, I'll ask the station owners about that one, sounds...interesting!
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