Airlie Beach is this tiny little town that everyone everywhere seems to talk about. Before I first visited in 2005.. I had never actually heard of it.
Airlie is a beautiful little town and when I say little.. I mean one street.. really it is the gateway to the Whitsunday Islands.
The main street is pretty much the only one.. but amazingly enough, its all you need. It is jam packed with hostels, hotels, pubs, coffee shops,pubs, dive shops, pubs, travel info places and sailing trip booking offices.
If boating and drinking sounds like your kind of holiday then Airlie is the place for you... otherwise... you might get a touch bored.
There are markets every sunday down by the beach, a beautiful waterfall just out of town and some lovely drives to be had.. but mostly... people are there to sail the Whitsunday Islands and do their best to drink the place dry.
A trip out to the reef with Fantasea Cruises or Cruise Whitsundays will set you back about $150 but I have to say it is pretty worth it. They supply you with lunch and a couple of snacks through out the day, your snorkel gear and some interesting information about what you're going to see. The trip takes an entire day.
If you are not up for the long boat ride and want something faster but still want to have bit of a dive or snorkel.. then Ocean Rafing is for you. It is a bit cheaper as the day isnt quite as long or the journey quite so far. They still supply lunchg for you and the trip out there is far more exciting.. they surf the wake of the bigger boats... HANG ON! You will be taken to Hill Inlet for a short bush walk to a stunning look out over Whitsunday Island.. where one of the worlds most famous beaches lays... Whitehaven.
Following this you will have some time to chill out on the beach before being whisked away to snorkel with some stunning fish and view the vast array of colourful corals.
Anyway, enough of that.. if boating isnt really your style but you want to get out and see the islands, Fantasea Cruises offers the 'Discovery Cruise'. This is a day pass for their ferries to Daydream Island, Hamilton Island and Long Island. You can choose to stay with the guide or make your own way around the islands in your own time.
Airlie Beach really is party centeral. Drinks are reasonably priced with a basic spirit being around $5.50 and a jug of beer about $10. Food at Beaches backpackers and Magnums is cheap and tasty.. they are also a good place to start the arvo drinks...
To get out and about and have a look at some of the sites I suggest you hire a scooter or mini moke.. cheap and fun!
Getting there is CHEAP especially if you fly and book early... you can snap up a flight from Brisbane for $70. It is best to fly in to Proserpine as the flights are generally cheaper and once you get there you can share a cab in to town. However.. if you fly in to Hamilton Island, the flights are more expensive and you'll have to pay for a ferry back to the mainland which can get quite pricey.
All in all, I love the place.. first visited in 2005 intended to stay a month and left 18 months later... I still get back there every six months
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