My first solo travel trip was 6 weeks spent exploring around Bali and the east coast of Australia. Airlie Beach and the Whitsunday Islands were at the top of my list. I really appreciated how there was something for everyone, whether to go diving, sailing, sky jump, party or just relax.
Off the state of Queensland in Australia, there are 74 gorgeous islands called the Whitsunday Islands – one of the main attractions to visiting the east coast.
I stayed and explored around Airlie Beach for a few days before choosing a yacht company to take an overnight tour of the islands with. There were so many leaflets and brochures of activities to do, it seemed impossible to only pick one!
Airlie Beach is the cutest seaside town. It’s small and just has the most relaxed, cool vibe about it. There’s a lot of backpackers there, mostly in their 20-30’s. Everyone is super easy-going and generally out for a good time, hence the great nightlife! It’s refreshingly easy to make friends there if you’re travelling solo and feeling sociable.
The yachts depart from Shute Harbor at Airlie Beach, so it’s a very convenient stop-over to get to the islands.
Similar to Cairns (north of Queensland), there’s a large man-made lagoon right by the shore, to prevent people from swimming in the sea and getting stung by the nasty jellyfish. It makes for a perfect chill-out day, lounging on the grass in the sunshine and a great place to chat to the locals and approachable backpackers.
I stayed at a great hostel called Airlie Beach YHA on Shute Harbor road. It’s a close walk from the Greyhound bus station (where I arrived from) and 400m from the lagoon. It really is the perfect location – surrounded by restaurants, cafes and bars. Right next door is a popular bar with backpackers that has great food deals and was packed every night.
The hostel conveniently has a tour desk which helped me to choose the sailing company New Horizon, to explore the famous Whitehaven Beach. It advertised as a more traditional sailing experience – old, dark-wood, traditional yacht. It’s sister company called the Atlantic Clipper is popular for being a party boat. It looked like they were having a blast when we saw them sail past.
Our first stop was the ridiculously picturesque Whitehaven beach. We followed a narrow path through the tiny island and up to the looking point. That moment is one of my favourite travel experiences. I’ll never forget how breathtakingly stunning the beach was. Dazzling-white sand with ribbons of bright blue sweeping through it. It looked amazingly perfect! Our guide told us how the it’s the purest sand in the world. With almost pure silica, you can clean your jewellery with it and even brush your teeth!
Our next stop was Blue Pearl Bay for some fantastic diving. The water was so clear, it felt like I was swimming around an aquarium. It’s no surprise the Great Barrier Reef provides some of the top dive sites in the world. We then sailed to luncheon bay for more diving and snorkeling. Other possible stops were Langford Reef, Manaray Bay, Butterfly Bay, Nara Inlet and Tongue Bay (as mentioned on their website).
The islands are stunning and really worth spending a few nights sailing around them. If you don’t dive or snorkel, even just taking in the views is worth every second. It really is a photographer’s and island-lover’s dream come true!
