Whitehaven Beach is the reason we came to Airlie Beach. Don’t get me wrong, we had a great day yesterday, but this is really the main attraction. We booked a seat aboard the Southern Cross when we arrived a few days ago and set sail with 26 other tourists and three crew members promptly at 8am.
The first stop on our trip today was a nearby island for more snorkeling at the Great Barrier Reef. It was beautiful, but not quite as nice as the reef we saw off Cairns. As we learned from our crew, we were now snorkeling at the "inner" Great Barrier Reef; the "outer" Great Barrier Reef would be at least a three-hour journey from Airlie. Because the "outer" Great Barrier Reef is what most people want to see and Cairns is only a one-hour boat ride away, many tourists head there for prime reef-viewing (as we did). Anyway, we were in the water for about an hour before it was time for lunch and another sail to Whitehaven Beach.
On our way to the snorkeling site. The weather definitely cooperated today!
Didn’t get too many good underwater pictures because the water was a little less clear than at Cairns. But I liked this black-fish, white-fish duo.
After our lunch and an hour-long sail, the only thing between us and the famous Whitehaven Beach was a short walk up to the overlook. It was really hot (think mid-day sun in 93 degree weather) but the views were breathtaking!
Whitehaven Beach!
The white sand combined with shallow water creates the amazing “swirling” effect in the water. No wonder Whitehaven was voted one of the Top Five Beaches in the World!
We made it! (And yes, I know I need a haircut.)
Once we’d all snapped a bunch of pictures we headed down to the beach itself. It’s really bright – both the water and white sand reflected the already intense sun – but a spectacular sight to see!
Driftwood at Whitehaven Beach.
Another island just off the beach.
Got another couple from our group to take our picture before heading back to the boat.
The wind had died down a bit so the sailing was slow back to the marina. Fortunately we had an engine to help us out a bit! Plus, the crew let some of us try our hand at steering the boat in the milder conditions. I guess I did a decent job because they kept me at the helm for almost an hour – pretty cool to have been at the wheel of a former Americas Cup racing boat!
"Captain" Foster. Sarah thought it was hilarious that the crew were so excited to have an American steering the Americas Cup boat.
Sarah and I were both ready for dinner by the time we pulled up to the dock so we ate at Barcelona, a tapas place right by the marina. The food was great and the views couldn’t be beat. All in all, an excellent day in Airlie – definitely a must-do if you’re a beach lover like us and make it down to Oz!