Airlie Beach - The Heart of the Whitsundays

[maccazftw]

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It was July 19, 2021.

Covid was still preventing international travel, and strongly affecting domestic travel too. My wife and I were itching to get away from the stresses of our everyday lives. Cue a 4 day trip to Airlie Beach to explore the beauty of the Whitsundays.

Airlie Beach is a coastal town that is the access point and gateway to the Whitsunday Islands. It is therefore referred to as the heart of the Whitsundays, and is also an access point to exploring the famous Great Barrier Reef. 

With a population of approximately 13,000, Airlie Beach is a hidden gem surrounded by plenty of nature. The towns economy is essentially built around tourism, thriving from the huge amount of tourists that want to experience what I perceive as one of the most beautiful locations I've had the pleasure of experiencing.

I won't keep you waiting any longer, check out an array of the picturesque highlights we experienced on our brief, but revitalising holiday.

We stayed at the Martinque Resort in Airlie Beach, and this was the view we would wake upto each morning. Unbelievable.

I'll take you for a virtual walk around the coast, which is only approximately 3km. The coastal views are unreal, and there's such an excited and happy buzz around the community. It's definately an infectious vibe.

Airlie Beach Lagoon. This is a man-made swimming area that is an extremely popular swimming spot as the temperatures climb during the day.

There are lots of palm trees located on the beach front as you make your way along the coast.

The sun glistening on the ocean as we made our way around. We stopped here with our coffee and absorbed the beauty on offer. The sea breeze made it super refreshing

More views of the ocean and the many boats in the vicinity.

Coral Sea Marina. This is where many of the boats are docked, and also where many of the adventure activities depart from.

After exploring Airlie Beach on our first day, soaking up plenty of sun, and indulging in some exceptional food, we were ready for a more adventurous day. We booked a day tour with Ocean Rafting, a double engine jet boat, that took us speeding around some of the many islands that make up the Whitsunday region.

Ocean Rafting - Located at the Coral Sea Marina. This was the view before we boarded the boat for an awesome day trip.

All smiles as we boarded the boat and were ready for departure.

Cruising through the crystal blue waters that surround the Whitsundays Islands.

The tour guides spotted a Stingray. Of course we had to pull over and check it out. How's that for some epic photography.

Snorkelling on the edge of the Great Barrier Reef. Saw an array of different fish swimming around, lots of different colours too. 

Whitehaven Beach, one of the more famous tourist islands. The beach is so secluded, feels like you have an entire island to yourselves.

Hill Inlet Lookout. This is located on the Northern side of Whitehaven Beach. It looks over the turquoise waters and sandy swirls that these amazing land formations possess.

Another photo looking out at the vast waters surrounding Whitehaven Beach. 

In conjunction with the beautiful scenery that Airlie Beach possesses, there is also a wide variety of cafes and restaurants that have some exceptional food. Being the massive foodies that we are, it was inevitable that we made the most of what Airlie Beach had to offer.

Seafood Platter Number One. Yupp we love fresh seafood, so this was always going to happen.

Garden Bar Bistro, excellent spot at the Coral Sea Marina. 

Slow cooked sticky pork ribs, and fish tacos for dinner. Awesome poolside restaurant, that's also a popular watering hole for tourists and locals.

Another highlight of the holiday was witnessing some of the superyachts lurking around in the area. These boats are super impressive, with many of them costing in excess of $100million. There was a large number docked in the vicinity too, highlighting that the Whitsundays is sought after by many of the richest.

We absolutely loved our holiday in Airlie Beach. The weather was beautiful, the views spectacular, and the food delicious. There is an abundance of tours and water activities, that could keep you busy for days. It really feels like a world in its own out there. Airlie Beach, and the Whitsundays are true hidden gems of the world, a place that I would highly recommend for a revitalising and refreshing holiday. 

Airlie Beach we'll be back ❤

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