After looking at Whitsunday Island and the Great Barrier Reef from above this morning, we wanted to take a trip to the Whitsunday Islands and Whitehaven Beach.
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The Southern Lights Tour of Ocean Rafting
Immediately after our flight we were taken by the agency to the port in Airlie Beach. From here our “Southern Lights Tour” with the agency Ocean Rafting started at 10 o’clock.
Snorkeling at Border Island
First we drove about 1.5 hours to the Whitsundays – past green islands, white beaches and expensive resorts. In a lagoon (Border Island) we made a snorkeling stop. Unfortunately, the visibility was really bad, so you could hardly see anything. The corals had different shapes and colors, but unfortunately there were few fish.
Whitsunday Islands National Park
Whitsunday Island National Park is located about 25 kilometres off the coast of Queensland at Airlie Beach and is certainly one of the most beautiful national parks in Australia. The Whitsunday Islands are protected from the fierce sea surf by the length of the islands between the Great Barrier Reef and the Queensland coast. The result is crystal clear blue lagoons, quiet coves and beaches of enchanting beauty. The seafarer and explorer James Cook discovered these islands in the 18th century on an Easter Sunday – called “Whitsunday” in English. The name stuck, not only for the large main island, but for the entire national park. There are 74 islands in whitsunday island National Park,but only a few of them are inhabited. The best known are Hamilton Island, Hook Island and Lindeman Island. These have numerous accommodation options, small ports and a well-developed infrastructure. On the main island of Whitsunday Island is the six kilometre long and beautiful Whitehaven Beach.
The Tongue Bay of Whitsunday Island
After snorkelling we went to Tongue Bay from Whitsunday Island, which is the largest of the 74 “Pentecost Sunday Islands”. From the beach a small bushwalk starts to the Hill Inlet Lookout. From the lookout point, especially at low tide, one has a great view of the bay with the turquoise water and the sand-water formations, which we had already seen from the plane this morning.
Panoramic image of The Hill Inlet Lookout
Relax at Whitehaven Beach
From here, the journey continued to the 6 km long Whitehaven Beach, which with a quartz content of 99 is considered one of the whitest beaches in the world. At one point we anchored the boat and had lunch on the beach. Interesting are the sounds that occur when you walk across the fine sand (YouTube Video). In addition to some seagulls and butterflies, there were other beach dwellers who go for a leisurely walk on the snow-white beach.
For sunbathing, swimming and relaxing we had a good 1.5 hours before we went back to Airlie Beach by boat. Around 4.30 p.m. we were back at the harbour after an eventful day and were taken back to our Airlie Beach Hotel 🙂
All travelogues from Australia (2015)
With the entry to Australia the 2nd half of our 6-month world trip started for us. During our stay in "Down Under" we experienced a lot on the east coast, in the south and in the interior of the country: We visited the big cities of Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane and Cairns, explored one of the country's most famous landmarks - Ayers Rock, held a sugar-sweet koala in our arms, experienced kangaroos in the wild, drove along the Great Ocean Road, went on a diving cruise on the Great Barrier Reef and experienced a breathtaking scenic flight over Whitsunday Island and Whitehaven Beach. We enjoyed our trip through Australia very much and the country has enchanted us from the beginning.
» New South Wales: Sydney - Tourist Attractions, Things to Do & Photo spots» Northern Territory: Ayers Rock (Uluru) & the Kata Tjuta (Olgas)
» South Australia: Adelaide - Holding a Koala at Gorge Wildlife Park
» South Australia: Adelaide – Tourist Attractions, Things to Do & Photo spots
» Victoria: The town of Hahndorf & Kangaroos at Cape Bridgewater
» Victoria: The Great Ocean Road – 12 Apostles, Parrots & Koalas
» Victoria: Melbourne – Tourist Attractions & Dendy Street Beach
» Queensland: Brisbane – Tourist Attractions, Things to Do & Photo spots
» Queensland: Airlie Beach – Gateway to the Whitsundays & Great Barrier Reef
» Queensland: Airlie Beach – A sightseeing flight over the Great Barrier Reef
» Queensland: Airlie Beach – Whitsunday Islands & Whitehaven Beach
» Queensland: Cairns – Scenic flight over the Great Barrier Reef
» Queensland: Cairns – Snorkel, Dive & Cruise the Great Barrier