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Airlie Beach is considered the gateway to the Whitsundays and endless sailboats leave from Airlie Beach here every day of the week. The only thing you have to worry about is choosing a boat. Several companies operate out of Shute Harbour offering one-day cruises, or one and two night overnight trips. If you're a sailor, you can even charter your own boat and sail your way around the islands. I sailed with Prosail, a company with a reputation that would be hard to beat. Our boat, Iluka, sailed for three days and two nights, and even that wasn't enough. As we leave the harbour, the captain promises that we'll see turtles and I stand at the bow on lookout. But much of the Whitsunday cruises are about relaxation, and soon the warm sun and the gentle lull of the sea have me nodding off. When I awake, I see an island in the distance. The expanse of blue water is stopped abruptly by the miniature island of white sand and lush rainforest. We suit up and jump into the water for some snorkelling on the fringing reef that runs along the island. This is not the Great Barrier Reef, but you'd never know. This is about as good as snorkelling gets. A huge batfish swims lazily underneath me while tiny blue damsels dart in and out of the coral. Out of the corner of my eye, I see something huge moving and my heart stops momentarily (we are, after all in Australia where many menacing creatures reside), but it's just a big fish. A huge fish, to be more accurate - a Maori Wrasse that would probably outweigh me. I swim after him for a photo but he's shy and moves off quickly. Back on the boat, I work hard at relaxing – I find that sipping a cocktail and reading a good book generally helps. Not too long after the boat starts moving, the first turtle is spotted. It's a good way off in the water, but it's big enough that I can see it as soon as I jump up from my place on deck. On the way to our anchor spot for the night, we see two more. That night we anchor in Cataran Bay on Border Island. The crew serves a great meal and we watch the sun set over the islands and ocean. The next morning, everyone is up early when the sun rises, bringing with it relentless heat. Shortly after breakfast, the captain turns the boat around and we head for Whitehaven Beach. I've seen countless photos of this beach, perhaps Australia's most famous, and I am slightly leery to see it with my own eyes. I worry that I'll be disappointed as we're taken to the shore in a tin boat. We have a short hike to Hill Inlet - a lookout where all of the promotional photos are taken. As we walk onto the wooden boardwalk, the sight of Whitehaven Beach below leaves me speechless. I truly doubt that there is a more beautiful beach anywhere in the world. The postcards don't lie - well, maybe they do a little, because it's a thousand times more beautiful in reality than it is on paper. It's better than the postcards. As far as my
eyes can see, blue water covers the horizon. Near the edge of the island,
the sand is so white that it almost hurts my eyes to look at it. It's some
of the purest sand in the world - 98% pure white silica sand. The water
here is so clear that I can see stingrays partially buried in the sand.
To my left, a strip of white sand juts out into the turquoise water, breaking
up the shades of blue. The water and sand seem to mix with each other,
as if a child has taken blue and white paint and randomly swirled a paintbrush
through the two colors. I can't wait to get down there.
Whitehaven Beach is located on Whitsunday Island, and thankfully, the island is completely uninhabited. There are no stalls selling souvenirs or cold drinks, its just pure and natural beauty. I hate to leave. We sail on to Hook Island where a quick visit to a resort gives us the opportunity to swim in a pool - without our stinger suits. Afterwards, we anchor in nearby Nara Inlet. That night the skies are clear and we lay on the deck watching the stars. Endless shooting stars fill the sky and the view of the exuberant stars is mesmerizing, so much, in fact, that we sleep on the deck underneath them. In the morning, before heading back to reality, we are transported to the shore for another hike. We see a huge lizard skitter into the forest and arrive at our destination - Aboriginal cave paintings. The Ngaro Aboriginal group used the area prior to European settlement and several areas of a cave wall show evidence of their presence. The drawings are child-like in nature, basic circles and lines painted in red. Their magnificence lies in their history, not in the artist’s ability. As we sail lazily back to Airlie Beach, I relax some more while spotting turtles and even a pod of dolphins. More of the 74 islands, covered in thick rainforest, pass by and all too soon we are back at the harbour. The Whitsundays have captured my sun loving, island devoted and beach loving heart. Club Crocodile After getting off the boat, I knew I wasn't done with the Whitsundays. Most of the islands are uninhabited, but several do offer resort style accommodation with the opportunity to explore the islands further. The Club Crocodile Resort on Long Island is a fantastic place to enjoy the Whitsundays without the need for sea legs. Situated right on the water, the resort offers two pools - one with the ever important swim up bar - delicious meals and a variety of activities. A number of walking paths leading to secluded beaches are great for nature lovers. Not even 100 metres up the first path we come to a wild brush turkey, its bright red head giving it away in the thick undergrowth. Huge white cockatoos fly overhead, their screeches just short of annoying. A blue Ulysses butterfly flits past, flirting with us and refusing to stay still enough for a photo. But it's hot
in Queensland and Long Island's main attraction (to me, anyway) is the
water. Just off the beach lies another fringing reef and the resort offers
both snorkelling safaris and guided dives. At hight tide, we suit up for
stinger protection and hop in a small boat for the short ride to the reef.
As we climb into the boat, a shovelnose ray swims right past my feet. And
out on the reef it's even better. A school of silver trevally swim past,
their skin glinting in the sun. The guide points out various formations
of coral. "Put your ears in the water," she says, "and listen for the crackling.
That's the coral feeding." Sure enough, I can hear tiny pops in the clear
water.
It's hard to relax when there's so much to see and do, but I manage to fit in some swims to the pool bar the next day. I drag myself off my lounge chair in time for the rainbow lorikeet feeding, and I'm glad I did. The colorful parrots are seen all over the coast and I'm no stranger to their beauty. But I’ve never had the chance to see them up so close. They literally swarm to the feeding place - their internal clocks know when to show up for the free food. One of the
staff hands outs tiny bits of apples. I place some on my hand and hold
it up to the birds. Within seconds, two lorikeets land on my palm and nibble
at my offerings. A minute later, I shriek as one lands on my head. Besides
the rainbow lorikeets, you'll spot kookaburras and endless cockatoos flying
over the island.
Namoi Hills As much as I love the beach, there is more to the East Coast than the actual Coast. Cattle Stations are big a part of Australia, and Namoi Hills is a working cattle station which provides travelers with the opportunity to explore a different sort of lifestyle. Be warned – this is adventure travel at its best. There are no luxury hotel rooms and fancy restaurants here. But what you do find will be remembered for a lifetime. When we arrive at the 40,000 acre cattle station, our tour begins. We are instructed in the art of whip cracking, a vital tool used in herding the cattle, and given the opportunity to try it ourselves. (I can’t do it – but several others in my group do it quite well.) We’re then given a boomerang throwing lesson, which is slightly easier, but requires more practice than we have time for. After a snack
of damper and tea, we climb into the back of a big truck and find a place
to hold on as it’s standing room only. As we bump along the dirt road,
two huge emus look up from where they stand in an empty field. After a
few more minutes, kangaroos are spotted hopping away from us. They’re the
first kangaroos I’ve seen in the wild and I’m enthralled. We also see several
dingoes, which are considered more of a nuisance out here as they can attack
the precious cattle.
Namoi Hills is reached from Dingo, about a two hour drive from Rockhampton on the East Coast. From the north, head inland from Mackay to Nebo, and then on to Dingo. The following is a list of articles that Dawnelle has written for the magazine:
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