Airlie Beach
From
Proserpine airport it is only a 40-minute drive to Airlie Beach, affectionately
known as The Gateway to the Whitsunday Islands and the Great Barrier Reef. I
had booked a hotel in the town for a few days so I could do some exploring - in
particular a few of the Whitsunday Islands and the Reef.
I
had made reservations with Cruise Whitsundays for each of the day trips well in
advance, and was so glad I had; as they were nearly all booked up when I
arrived. All Cruise Whitsundays vessels leave from the Port of Airlie, although
other trips also depart from Abell Point Marina and Shute Harbour.
I was lucky
that my hotel overlooked that Port and was easily within walking distance. The
terminal is a modern building with a café, toilets, shop and a very efficient
passenger enquiry and embarkation system. They can even arrange transport to
and from wherever you are staying.
Apart
from spending my days out on the Cruise Whitsunday boats www.cruisewhitsundays.com it
was very pleasant to explore the town of Airlie in the evening or on my free
day. Airlie has a reputation of being somewhere tourists, especially
back-packers, pass through, but it is a town with lots to offer as well as
being a base for at least a few days. The main street is crammed with shops, where
you get buy everything from swimwear, souvenirs, locally made jewellery and
very special polished marble sculptures, some which were several feet high (I
just had to buy a tiny one!).
There
are numerous bars, restaurants, and take-aways – selling cuisine from all over
the world – at prices to suit every travellers budget. Some of the classier
restaurants in Airlie have fabulous views out over the ocean, such does Hemingways
at Abell Point Marina – another beautiful spot.
There
are several tourist information outlets where you can book varying types of accommodation,
as well as many of the different trips that are on offer in this fabulously
diverse region. Airlie isn’t just the place to go out onto the ocean and visit its
neighbouring islands. Just a few minutes from here is one of the area’s
best kept secrets - Conway National Park, where you can walk to scenic lookouts
and along numerous trails that wind through the rain forest seeing the
occasional seasonal waterfall and maybe an endangered Proserpine Rock Wallaby.
The Coastal Fringe Circuit is a flat, easy walk of 1.2 kilometres (0.7 miles).
You
can book countless trips to various places from Airlie both south – such as
Bowen or if you want to go further north up the Queensland coast, you can go to
Magnetic Island, Townsville and Cairns. If you fancy taking to the air, there
are many scenic flights out to see the reef, some of which will land on
secluded beaches. You can experience the ocean in so many ways - from diving,
kayaking, thrilling jet boat rides or relaxing by cruising on sailboats – not
only just for a few hours, but for several days. There are various companies
that specialise in sport fishing, taking customers out to try their luck
catching barracuda, tuna, sailfish or even marlin – I would love to have had the
time to try that! Each
of the days I had booked to go out with Cruise Whitsundays were all very
special; a day on the Great Barrier Reef, a day on Whitsunday Island and one on
Hamilton Island (details can be found below).
But
my final day was spent exploring Airlie itself, from the famous Blue Heart at
the top end of the main street and passing where the market is which is held
every Saturday on the esplanade (with locally made jewellery, clothes and
crafts).
If you look down the side of the buildings, you may find a
surprise, as wall-art is becoming increasingly popular in this area.
Between
the main street and the beach is a huge man-made lagoon that is surrounded by
immaculately kept parkland with shaded areas and free barbecues. It is free for
everyone to enjoy, no matter where you are staying – like having you own
private swimming complex. The friendliest lifeguards are on duty, keeping the
separate lagoons safe for everyone to enjoy during daylight hours.
It was early
in the morning, there was hardly anyone about and the calm, clear, safe water
was a refreshing change from the nearby ocean - which is full of things that
can kill you in an instant. There are several colourful blocks with toilets and
changing areas – it has been very well designed with plenty of amenities close-by.
It is a delightful walk along the esplanade each direction from here, palm
trees fringing sandy beaches, (where you can hire paddle boards), colourful
marinas full of millionaire’s boats to admire; and little cafes and bookshops
to stop at and while away the hours.
The
only downside to this tropical paradise, as mentioned earlier, is that no
matter how inviting the ocean looks, it is a perilous world full of deadly
beasts. As well as sharks, rays and crocodiles, marine stingers may be present
in these waters all year round, with October to May having the greatest risk.
When
taking part in any organised tour in the Whitsundays, all operators have
protective stinger suits available for its customers - for snorkelling,
swimming and diving; but when walking along the beach by yourself – I felt it
was too risky to go in the water even for a paddle. Apparently, in the summertime
when the water is warm, calm sheltered sandy bays are somewhere of particularly
high risk from poisonous jellyfish, and as they are my favourite sorts of
places - I found that frustratingly disappointing!
There
are 2 main types of 'stingers' in this area, the Irukandji Jellyfish and
the Box Jellyfish. Irukandji are a group of small jellyfish whose
stings can cause serious illness but there have only ever been 3 recorded
deaths. Irukandji species have small, box-shaped bodies, ranging from only
1cm wide, which are transparent and virtually impossible to see in the water, having
4 tentacles, 1 on each corner. The
less common Box Jellyfish are larger 10-30cm, transparent again but with
numerous tentacles. Their stings cause immediate severe pain, especially if the
tentacles are left wrapped around the body, and need to be immediately
neutralized by vinegar, as substantial stings covering half of one limb can be
fatal. All beaches along this coast have vinegar to treat stings whilst waiting
for urgent medical attention.
Don’t
let what is in the ocean put you off visiting the North Queensland coast and
Airlie itself, there are plenty of ways to enjoy the ocean without being put at
risk. It is one of the most picturesque areas with so much to offer and if you
are ever in this part of the world – make sure you reserve a few days here to
explore. I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Airlie Beach and everything that I did
whilst staying there.
http://lynnemorley.blogspot.com/2019/06/great-barrier-reef.html
http://lynnemorley.blogspot.com/2019/05/hamilton-island.html
http://lynnemorley.blogspot.com/2019/06/whitsunday-island.html
Thanks for following............
Lynne
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