Airlie Beach
Similarly to other recent destinations, I arrived in Airlie Beach still not recovered. At least it was warm though - the difference in temperature a little further up the coast is really noticeable, and another clue as to how huge Australia is. With a skydive in Cairns coming up in a few days, I decided Airlie beach would be mostly somewhere to rest up and finally shake off the exhaustion that’s been lingering since all the way back in New Zealand.
As such I made fresh food, browsed shops, got coffee, read my book, got coffee in a different place, read my book in a different place. I could feel how much I needed the rest, and yet it still wasn’t quite enough. Keen to see something special while on this part of the coast, I took a boat tour of the Whitsunday islands. I’ve never seen such vast beaches, extending beautifully in every direction, and from a hilltop lookout you could see an almost unnaturally blue ocean broken up by swirls of sand, creating disconnected little white beaches. Some snorkelling around a reef followed, and lunch on another beach of soft white sand - apparently special as it’s made from quartz and is excellent for polishing jewellery. As I lay on the sand enjoying the warmth of the sun on my skin, I could feel I still had much more resting to do, but I’m grateful I got a little peek in to the paradise that is the Whitsundays.