Airlie Beach & the Whitsunday Islands
The Whitsunday’s inevitably find themselves on everybody’s bucket list for Australia’s east coast. The picturesque string of islands just inside the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park are home to white sand beaches, crystal clear water, and some incredible snorkeling.
Whitsundays with POWERPLAY
This was another tour we booked way, way in advance just because we knew without a doubt that we wanted to explore the Whitsundays by boat.
We booked with a company called Whitsunday Catamarans on one of their smaller boats called Powerplay, which housed a maximum of 18 people. This size was perfect for us. After a couple of long days recovering from Frasier Island and the long journey LOKA took us on to arrive at Airlie, we wanted something a little more chill.
If you’re looking to party, like, really party, on a boat in Whitsundays, opt for a bigger boat with 25-30+ people. There are tons of options, so take the time to find what you want or ask the travel desk at Base Airlie Beach to help you out - that’s what they’re there for!
We had an amazing time on Powerplay. With the smaller size it was easy for everyone to get to know each other and our crew, Simon and CJ were a blast. The food was amazing and everything was taken care of for you while you were on that boat.
You have the chance to snorkel, paddle board or take a cruise on the dingy if you don’t feel like dragging a stinger suit on (definitely necessary). Of course, there’s no harm is just chilling on the boat and catching some rays with a good book either.
Whitehaven Beach
This beach is absolutely the highlight of any Whitsunday adventure. This beach is famous for its iconic swirling sand that you can glimpse at low-tide from one of two lookout points. While we were a little to late to catch low tide, we still got an incredible view from above.
When the beach is at low-tide, you can walk from one end to the beach to other across the smooth, white silica sand. Even if you don’t catch the low-tide, the beach at Whitehaven is my personal favorite place on the planet. The water is the perfect temperature and the pristine white sand feels like silk.
Catch the rays for a few hours, cool off in the shallows and take a picture with the famous white-washed tree that’s a permanent fixture on the beach. If you venture deeper into the water, be sure to have a stinger suit on you! The highest number of stings by box jellyfish (those are the nasty kind) have happened at Whitehaven Beach.
Note: We didn’t have time to do this, but you can actually camp out on Whitehaven beach if you’re so inclined. It would be the perfect way to enjoy the beach at low and high-tide and get it all to yourself.
Airlie Beach
Airlie Beach is a small coastal city a few hours south of Cairns. Its famous as a launching port for the tens of cruises that leave for the Whitsunday Islands each day, but Airlie itself has a lot to offer off the boat.
Meander around and check out some of the cute shops along the main drag, take a coastal walk down to one of the beaches, or spend the day chilling by the Lagoon - the city’s amazing public pool.
At night, if you’re looking to go out, you won’t have to look far. We didn’t make it there, but Mama Africa’s is supposed to be a great time and there’s no shortage of bars that’ll keep you out unreasonably late. Just don’t miss your boat or bus the next day!
Jet-skiing in the Whitsundays
We were excited to go jet-skiing in Airlie, we booked it was in advance as well, but didn’t expect to have as much fun as we did. We took our tour with Whitsunday Jet-ski and had an absolute blast.
The hour we spent out on the water with Sean, our guide, was the time of our lives. He took us on a tour along Airlie’s coast and raced us across the open water at full speed.
We’re both adrenaline junkies, so we our hands shot up when the guides asked who had a need for speed. If this is you, see if you can get with a group that’s feeling that vibe. You can only go as fast as your slowest person!
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