Thursday 30 May 2019

Airlie Beach

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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