Cascading golden rays drenched the passing landscape in dewy early-morning sunlight, turning the clouds into colorful puffs of pink and yellow as we crossed into the beachside town of Airlie Beach, in the northern region of Queensland. Airlie Beach, together with the adjacent Shute Harbor, serves as the gateway to both the Whitsunday Islands and the Great Barrier Reef. Few natural wonders command such attention as the Great Barrier Reef, and in the heart of this great coral reef system lie the Whitsunday Islands -- 74 of the most stunning (and most oft-photographed) beaches in the world. And we were here to experience this natural beauty the best way possible: a three day sailing trip through the Whitsundays.
We disembarked from the bus, rubbing sleep from our eyes and stretching our cold, cramped limbs as we gathered our bags and made our way to the Airlie Beach Koala Hostel (you'd think I'd have learned that this was a bad idea by now). Having set down our packs and revitalized ourselves with a bite to eat, we made preparations for our departure the next day: paid our reef tax, acquired the requisite 'stinger suits' to guard against jellyfish encounters, and spent the remainder of the afternoon soaking up some sun and swimming at the lagoon.
Day 1:
Leaving Tom and Sarah at the hostel (they were scheduled for a different cruise departing the following day), I joined forces with my two other roommates -- Swedish couple Sarah and Daniel -- as we made our way to down to the marina to meet our crew and fellow would-be sailors. After a brief introduction and a few ground rules (#1, no drinking without a life-vest. #2, no Britney Spears music), we were off! Our first day of sailing took us through channels of sparkling azure water and outcroppings of tropical islands as we charted course for South Molle Island, our mooring for the evening. Upon reaching the island, it quickly became clear we had inadvertently ended up on the "party boat," as the the drinking games were in full effect by the time we made it down for dinner. Not relishing the idea of snorkeling with a hangover, I opted to watch from the sidelines with my new Irish friends. As nighttime closed in, we retired to our bunks and were lulled to sleep by the sound of waves lapping at the shore.
Day 2:
We awoke early in anticipation of a full day of sailing and snorkeling. Our first destination was the much-touted Whitsunday Island, largest of the 74 islands and home to one of the most photographed beaches in the world: Whitehaven Beach. Our eyes met with a breathtaking view of shining white sand and irridescent turquoise waters as we were ferried to shore in the dinghy, sunscreen and stinger suits in hand. Stinger suits, while not exactly the epitome of high fashion, were necessary as we had arrived at the height of 'stinger season,' and the sea surrounding north Queensland was full of box jellyfish. A sting from one of these delightful creatures can kill you within minutes, so without further hesitation we zipped ourselves into our stylish spandex one-piece suits and dove into the sparkling blue water. It felt a bit like swimming in pajamas.
From Whitehaven Beach we sailed around to the far side of the island for some snorkeling. With masks and flippers on, we jumped into crystal clear water teeming with all varieties of marine life, catching glimpses of slow-moving sea turtles, schools of brightly colored rainbow fish, and even a small reef shark. With a full day of sun and snorkeling under our belt, we sailed back to South Molle Island for a dip in the pool, a hearty dinner and a spectacular sunset.
Day 3:
With nearly a full day of sailing back to the mainland ahead of us, we scrambled aboard with belongings in tow and headed straight for the last snorkeling spot of our Whitsunday sailing trip. The water, however, had turned somewhat cloudy so it was without regret that we changed out of our stinger suits and set sail for the marina, enjoying the cool ocean breeze and a glass of champagne, compliments of our crew. Pulling into the marina in the late afternoon heat, we made our way back to the hostel on wobbly sea-legs, ready to celebrate the end of another adventure with a round of drinks.
I decided to spend one more day in Airlie Beach to wait for Tom and Sarah, and work on my tan.
Next up, Magnetic Island...
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