Iceberg

Airlie Beach is a cubic zirconium to Whitsunday's diamond; with sand brought in from its neighbor to the north, Bowen, Airlie was constructed as a gateway to the famed Whitsunday Islands. Bars, ethnic eateries, and the ever present Subway line Airlie's main strip, but the town has no genuine charm. We spent the night in a park populated by "schoolies"--Australian school kids (16 & 17) on holiday. They drank and sang all night long, answering the lingering question of why the park receptionist wanted to make sure I was not indeed a schoolie. Unfortunately, her question did not deter the kids, known all over OZ to wreak havoc in this week of holiday celebration.

On no sleep, we arrived at Abel Marina, where we met the ten other folks with whom we would spend the next two days sailing around the Whitsunday Islands. The group was a mix of Brits, Germans, Dutch, and an Aussie--all mellow and friendly. The boat, the Iceberg, set sail around 8:30 am and sailed for about three hours between the larger, outer set of islands. We dropped anchor about lunchtime, pulled on wetsuits, and spent the better part of an hour snorkeling around some amazing reef. The sea floor is an altogether mystifying thing--purples, turquoises and hot pinks existing in a complex system of eat
and be eaten. The beauty is unparalleled and the ability to observe it up close is a true gift. Not yet dry from our time in the water, we pulled close to Whithaven Beach. As we stepped out of the dinghy into the crystal clear water, it became clear that we had the beach to ourselves. The sand is white--gleaming--and so soft it feels like someone spilled bags of flour on the ground. A helicopter hovered above , taking in the view, and added to the surreal rock star quality that comes from the combination of a sail boat, a helicopter and a white beach. We walked on the hot sand until we reached a marshy area--if the beach felt like flour, this stretch was like bread dough right after the yeast has been added. Our feet sunk to mid calf and each step took effort but it was worth it--we trudged across the marsh to a little ocean pool, an inlet created by the tide patterns. By far, this is the most beautiful beach I have ever seen--Australia recognizes its gems and keeps them protected, clean and free of commercial development. We returned to the boat, and the drinking commenced. Dinner was hot and full of vegetables.

Lack of a door and an early sunrise made for an early morning. After a quick breakfast and a short dinghy ride, we were back on Whithaven, this time at a different bay. Still gorgeous with water colored in every shade of blue, Benny Bay offered a maritime treat--just at the shoreline, groups of stingrays crowded the water, digging under the sand to camouflage themselves and reappearing again. While I have no fond feelings for them, to see so many at such a shallow depth was lucky. Back on the boat, we sailed to our last snorkeling spot which was full of angel fish and clown fish.

To see photos of the Whitsunday Islands, please click me