Gateway to Great Barrier Reef and Whitsunday Islands
Airlie Beach is located at the east coast of Australia in the state of Queensland between Cairns and Brisbane. In the immediate vicinity are the Whitsunday Islands and the Great Barrier Reef. Despite its name, Airlie Beach is not a good place for the beach itself and even in the water lurk several deadly jellyfish so that stinger suit is necessary for bathing and diving. In order to allow residents and tourists to swim without a suit, the city has built a large pool on the beach. It streches over two hundred metres in length and fifty in width, landscaped with a bridge and surrounding grass to lie on.
Very commercialized small city
From Magnetic Island I travelled around 7 hours to Airlie Beach. I did not like that little place at all. The center consisted almost only of hostels, restaurants & bars. It used to be a backpacker haven but recently beame more commercialised with many large resorts style accommodations. Outside the center there were expensive self-built apartments and at the harbours lay costly yachts. All the hostels in the city had rather a party hostel atmosphere, not my kind of place at all. I chose the most decent one, again the YHA. Even here the rating was not outstanding and it gave off a cheap motel aura. Not surprisingly I was bitten by fleas in the night.
Most people come to Airlie Beach to visit the Whitesunday Islands. Backpackers rave about a 3-day sailing trip there, which you have to do. The backpackers, who usually keep a strict eye on the budget, do not even shy away from the crazy price of almost 600AU$. Well, if you don't have enough money, you just have to ask mum again if she sends some money Down Under. For me the price was much too high and I didn't want to spend 3 days in a confined space with people who might annoy me. So I booked only a one-day trip by speedboat.
Speedboat to Whitehaven Beach
The speedboat trip included several snorkeling sessions, lunch and a visit to Whiteheaven beach. The snorkeling dives were not bad, but after my great scuba diving dive in Cairns just before, it didn't knock me off my feet. When the captain took a few sharp turns and took waves at high speed to add a little thrill, it only brought a tired smile to my face. Because the swell in Cairns blew me off my seat more. Even though the tour supposedly took a reverse route in order to get the tourists out of the way, there were still a lot of tourists on the island who took pictures of the crystal white silica sands of Whiteheaven Beach with its turquoise coloured waters.
The purest sand in the world
Whiteheaven Beach prides itself on having the purest sand in the world (99% quartz). Even NASA allegedly used this sand to build one of their best telescopes. Those who are caught smuggling the sand from the island have to expect horrendous fines, as the whole area forms a national park. The area is also known as a breeding ground for sharks that raise their young there.
After the tour I took the night bus to Hervey Bay for 12 hours.
