| 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.
Walking out
onto the beach is almost blinding. The white sand feels like powder on
my feet -I've never felt sand so soft. It’s still stinger season, which
means you shouldn't swim without a stinger suit for fear of being stung
by a dangerous jellyfish, so we suit up and run to the water. The shallow
water lapping at the sand is bath water warm and I have to swim out farther
to cool down. I shufle my feet to scare away stingrays and plunge into
the most amazing water I have ever seen. Tiny fish dart around my legs
and a small, harmless shark swims by.
The tide is
coming in, and slowly, the strip of sand running out into the blues is
getting smaller. I walk along the edge, marvelling at how the ripples in
the sand are visible beneath the lapping water. On one side, the water
gently rolls up the beach, on the other, larger waves crash onto the land.
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.
We see the
usual colorful fish on the reef, but the "piece de resistance" is
saved for last. We're led over to an area where a huge table coral lies
flat below us. To the left, a white, gel-like anemone waves in the current.
And within it live some of the cutest fish I have ever seen - clownfish
(think Nemo!). The tiny orange and white striped fish hide in the protection
of the anemone, darting out just long enough for me to appreciate how adorable
they really are. It's easy to see why Disney/Pixar chose this fish for
their main character.
We love the
snorkelling so much that we decide to join in on the afternoon dive. It's
rare to find a great dive site so close to a beach, and I'm astounded to
see even more fish that I have never seen before, like coral trout and
beaked angelfish. The coral looks even more beautiful up close and
I almost lose my regulator as I swim over a gigantic green turtle nestled
on the sandy bottom. The divemaster points out a lobster hiding in a cave
- it's easily the size of a small dog.
That night,
sadly back on land, I open the curtains covering our sliding glass doors
to watch the sun set over the water. I'm surprised and pleased to see several
wallabies nibbling on the grass right outside our room. The small marsupials
make my sunset photos even more special.
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. Long Island is only a 20 minute ferry ride from the mainland
at Airlie Beach. Another Club Crocodile is located in Airlie Beach and
although there is no beach, a lovely pool with a waterfall provides the
perfect place to cool down. Both locations are kid friendly.
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.
At a secluded
clearing the truck pulls over and we’re given our final lesson of the day
– how to shoot a gun. Our guide, Rich, who lives and works at the station,
demonstrates how to shoot a rifle and lets one of the group try it out.
The loud shot makes my ears ring for a good five minutes. Next, Rich brings
out a shotgun and asks for volunteers to donate their clothing. He places
several shirts and pairs of jeans on a log and blasts them with the shotgun.
They come out with a spattering of trendy holes, the kind of look you’d
pay a pretty penny for in a designer label store.
Back in the
truck, we bump along until Rich spots a herd of cattle grazing in the field.
The cows are foreign looking to me – they look nothing like the famous
Alberta cows I am used to seeing at home. Brahman cows are bred here and
they move away as the tourists descend from the truck. Rich points out
a female who is closer to the size of a rhinoceros than any cow I have
ever seen. They all seem larger than normal and the huge bump just behind
their head reminds me of buffalo.
After returning
to the accomodation area, we shower the dust off and sit down to a cold
beer at the open air bar. A buffet style dinner is followed by a bit of
line dancing (it’s considered very cool way out here) and even a
tug of war. It’s not your typical holiday experience, but it’s one of those
places that makes you glad you strayed off the beaten path.
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:
To contact Dawnelle
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