The M1 continues to flow south, camper vans and surfer trucks all roll at a suitably relaxed pace towards Airlie. The Mecca for school finishers and teenage gappers - Airlie draws in the young travellers by the thousand.
Nothing more than a small town, flanked by swanky marinas - Airlie is the gateway to the Whitsundays. In town - a strip bustles to the beat of the hottest 100 tracks, as budget travellers crawl out of their hostels to munch their way through their hangovers. McDonalds, Hungry Jacks and various kebab shops feed the masses. In between low cost shops and tour providers crank out their best deals.
Aside from the strip - Airlie boasts a wonderfully spacious and well maintained coastal lagoon. Away from the marine life and the irritant of sand - the lagoon is surrounded by grassy area, shaded by palms. Families wile away the day, whilst British tourists discuss their latest one night experiences. The lady from Essex, caked in make up and flaunting more than was necessary shared a disturbing amount of detail. Especially given children were merrily splashing in the near vicinity.
Despite the occasional expletive from another kid trying to find themselves, this place epitomises everything which is awesome about Australia. Especially for young families. A fresh lagoon, beautiful weather and everything for free. It begs the question why more families don’t make the long trip down under when their kids are wee. Imagine the cost of a gym membership to access these class of facility at home?!
With a little studio flat the most affordable accommodation - we seemed to have struck gold. A small kitchen facility and balcony made cooking a possibility. We avoided the shooters and quad vods, opting for rice and beans and a workout on the balcony. If you are passing through - check out Mango House - I don’t think you’ll beat it. Clean, spacious rooms and with an awesome communal pool for those hot evenings!
Our second day in Airlie had us teaming up with ZigZag boat trips, destination The Whitsunday Islands. An archipelago of 74 islands, the Whitsundays are a popular destination for honeymooners, the Beatles and gap year travellers. Sadly, with our budget not reaching that of Ringo Star and not even a ring on either finger, we were spending another day with the youngsters.
We boarded the speed boat at 0830 from the southern marina. A beautiful boat, decked with two crew members and a skipper called Taz. Taz was a proper Aussie. Top knot. No shoes. And weathered skin. A young guy with a good sense of humour and an even better playlist. As we cruised out of the harbour, the tunes were turned up. The five 250 horse power engines were cranked up and the boat began to glide across the waves.
Our first stop was Palm Cove resort - where two guests joined us. Following the brief interruption, the soundtrack was back on - Meg and Kerry the crew were back making small talk and Taz was up to his usual antics of throwing the boat around from side to side. After all - he had to keep the thrill seekers happy.
Cruising past Hamilton Island amongst others, within 40 minutes we arrived at Whitehaven beach. A breathtaking strip of the whitest sand I think I have ever seen. They say that previous volcanic activity thrust silica into the atmosphere, creating unrivalled white sand. I have to give it to Taz and his chicks, I have never seen sand quite like it. As we approached the shallower waters, the turquoise waters became increasingly clear. This had to be as close to paradise as one could find on earth. It rivalled French Polynesia.
As lunch was served on the beach - we wrestled with our stinger suits to fend off the would be eaters in the sea. It is hard not to be frustrated by these pests. The water was so bloody inviting - but despite my desperation to run and dive like Tom Daly straight into the mix - the wretched stinger suit had to be donned first. Not only that - but the photos would have been so much more appealing - if we weren’t dressed head to toe in such ridiculous suits.
Stinger suits or not - this beach is epic. We soaked it in as long as we were allowed by Taz. Let’s face it - we will probably never be back. It is truly incredible. Worth every bit of the price tag to get there and more.
With our time up - it was back on board the vessel. A slight turn to port had us cruising along the beach. Honeymooners camped under the shade of their helicopters. I kid you not, a line of ten to twenty choppers lined the beach - catering to the needs of the vast number of honeymooners in the vicinity. That is the way to do it! Hey ho - we had Taz, Meg and Kerry!!
Second stop aboard the fun boat was at a little snorkel spot. Nestled between banking corals - Taz dropper anchor and did a back flip into the water before cruising the waters on a paddle board as our lifeguard. His street Cred amongst the kids (and my eyes) rising pretty rapidly. Underwater, our immersive experience was pretty phenomenal. Stingrays and colorful fish cruised past healthy and vibrant corals. Red, yellow and blue corals swayed in the ripple as clams opened and closed. We splashed around for a good hour before Taz was calling us back aboard.
All that was left was the cruise home. Although Taz and his mates had a different idea. The chilled sound track had us all drifting off - as the warm sea air pounded our faces. With half the boat asleep and others in a weird trance - listening to acoustic numbers, the atmosphere could not have been more mellow. When bang. The music was thrown to a whole other decibel level. Meg and Kezza were throwing dance moves and more hand signals than an airport controller. Taz was wanging the boat around in circles and the dred-locked clients were throwing their hands in the air. The party had obviously started and it took no warning or invitation. Whether we liked it or not - there was no need to RSVP!
The party didn’t stop there.. as we floated back towards our dock, the music still upbeat and the youngsters still dropping moves - Kerry invites us to the after party. You’ll be surprised to know - we didn’t attend. Instead - we went back to the Lagoon to debrief the day.
If a party town - with chilled vibes and a handful of shops and bars is your requirement - why the hell are you not in Airlie? If you want to be a stones through (or a 40 minute blast with Taz) away from the whitest, most idyllic sandy beach in the Southern Hemisphere - Airlie is the place.
If you are coming to Airlie and don’t go to the Whitsundays - I think you will most certainly be regretting it as you rejoin the M1. We loved it.