Dan's Adventure

The Whitsunday Islands are an island group off the main coast of Queensland, Australia, situated between Bowen and Mackay. The island group is centred around Whitsunday Island. The name comes from Captain Cook’s naming of the Whitsunday Passage. The Whitsunday Islands are a popular destination for everyone travelling the east coast of Australia with an entire industry set up to take people there.

Airlie Beach is the gateway to the Whitsundays. Despite the name, Airlie Beach no longer has a beach. The beach has been filled in and a lagoon has been built in its place. Airlie Beach is plagued by the deadly stinger jellyfish, so it is not possible to swim in the sea there, hence the development of the lagoon. Besides the lagoon, there is absolutely nothing to do in Airlie Beach (apart from drink), the entire town really is focussed upon sending people off on boats to the Whitsundays.

Boats of all shapes and sizes are available to take tourists to the Whitsundays, from tall ships to racing yachts there is an option for everyone. I chose Siska, an 80 foot maxi yacht, that has circumnavigated the world twice and has won races all over the world. With only 3 crew onboard, everyone would be required to pitch in to go sailing so it sounded like a more active option than those that are all about the sun bathing.

For two days we sailed around the Whitsundays. We visited Whitsunday Island and the stunning Whitehaven beach, dived off Hook Island, did a bit of snorkelling and lazed around on the deck getting sunburnt. The reefs around the Whitsundays are in no where near as good condition as those on the outer barrier reef, there isn’t the same colour and no where near as much life.