QLD - Day 5-7: Whitsunday Islands

The Whitsunday Islands!

Leaving Airlie Beach for our three day cruise!

Joanna setting the tone for the following couple of days - shades, hat & sun cream!

En-route to Whitehaven Beach!

Standing in the crystal clear waters and the beautiful white sands of Whitehaven Beach!

A pair of feet!

Two pairs of feet!

Whitehaven Beach, with the numerous visiting boats anchored off the beach.

Not entirely happy with this look, but hey!?

Classic Whitehaven scene!

More classic Whitehaven Beach!

You wouldn't believe from the collection of people (from our boat) but there were five kilometers of empty beach!! We ensured that we had our own space!!

As the sun set, the moon followed! Weird I know, but it did happen.

This is the view from Hill's Inlet towards Whitehaven Beach. These photo's were taken first thing in the morning, although the tide was out slightly.

Down on the white sands watching the tide coming in!

So, a little later I headed back to up to the lookout to take some more photos showing the crystal clear waters over the white sand.

One of the numerous sightings of migrating whales heading south with calves in tow! We also saw turtles, dolphins, stingrays and a range of tropical fish!

Just chillin' on the boat! It has been asked why Joanna is sitting at the back of the photo in her nice blue bikini. I think someone must have got confused or she's enjoying Melbourne's cafe culture too much!

The boat is fully decked-out, including a barbeque!

Looking into the galley wondering what culinary delights await us!

Sunrise the following morning, next to South Molle Island.

Views from Mount Jefferys on South Molle Island over the Whitsunday Islands. Ben, Jess & Joanna 'Going Asian'!

A few hours were spent relaxing in the Resort, before our return to Airlie.

This was our transport and accommodation for the three days. But just like our Great Barrier Reef trip there wasn't enough wind to sail, may be next time!

White Wine Wendy's back! The only reason was that it was free and courtesy of the Ragamuffin II! Which can, and did, lead to...

...a bit of confusion when trying to work out which way the 'C' went in YMCA! Don't worry about it girls, have another drink!!

Sculpture at Airlie Beach Lagoon.

A little light reading!!
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Accommodation Review: Bush Village, Airlie Beach, Australia
We stayed at the Bush Village for two nights, one before our sailing trip and the other when we returned. We had a double room, which had a shared bathroom & kitchen with one other room. The bedroom was clean and comfortable, with the bathroom being of a similar standard too. Shame that the kitchen area didn't match the bedroom & bathroom. The fridge in one of the lodges didn't work either, which is quite important in Queensland's heat! However, breakfast was included and we were allowed to park our car on site while we were sailing. We would recommend it for value for money, but the kitchen facilities let it down if you want to self-cater. Bush Village is located about a kilometre out of Airlie Beach, they do however run a shuttle bus.

Trip Review: Ragamuffin II (Southern Cross Sailing), Airlie Beach, Australia
We booked this trip direct with Southern Cross Sailing, located in Airlie Beach. The trip was a three day/two night cruise around the Whitsunday Islands. We chose the Ragamuffin 2 for the small group experience. The boat was well equipped and surprisingly spacious, we had bunks in the bow of the boat. The crew (Ian & Benny) were attentive and knowledgeable. We visited Whitehaven Beach, Dunbell Island (for snorkelling) & South Molle Island. We saw loads of wildlife including whales, dolphins, & turtles. We would definitely recommend this trip if you'd like to just chill out for three days and just be taken places. Our itinerary was as follows:
Day 1: Airlie Beach to Whitehaven Beach (with 3 hours on the beach). Anchored at Hill's Inlet for the night.
Day 2: Hill's Inlet (with 3 hours at the lookout/beach) to Dunbell Island (snorkelling). Anchored at South Molle Island for the night.
Day 3: South Molle Island (Resort - 3 hours) returned to Airlie Beach.
We had a fantastic time, the weather was beautiful, although not enough wind to sail. If we had had wind then I expect that we would have been able to travel and seen a little more of the Islands. Some of the stop-off's are great, as you get to see the Islands from amazing vantage points but they can feel that they're a little too long sometimes (I'm not a 'sit on the beach' person). The snorkelling was the best we saw on our entire Queensland trip, with amazing colours and plenty of fish.