Airlie Beach - Whitsunday Island & Whitehaven Beach (Australia)

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.

Day

of our Trip around the World

Table of contents

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.

Ocean Rafting Airlie Beach

The port in Airlie Beach

The boat of the agency Ocean Rafting

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.

The boat of the agency Ocean Rafting

Die Insel Border Island

The corals at Border Island

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.

Whitsunday Islands National Park

The view from Hill Inlet Lookout

Whitsunday Island

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.

Mooring at Whitehaven Beach

Der Whitehaven Beach

Lizards on the beach

Der Whitehaven 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.