May 25, 2015

Airlie Beach and Whitsunday on a Sunday

christinelouise Oceania, Travel Talk 2015, Airlie Beach, Australia, Big Fury, whitehaven beach, whitsunday

Airlie Beach and Whitsunday, Australia: We spendin’ most our lives tryin’ to get to this Aussie Paradise

Craig and I go ahead and drive to Airlie Beach without Sharon and Nick. We check into YHA for one night, just to have an actual bed and a shower. We have to park the van over at Base hostel, which is a bit of a walk from there, but we don’t mind too much, until Nick and Sharon arrive and we need to walk back so she can get her bag from the car and put it in Nick’s. At the same time, I get a text from the Council in New South Wales about a fine I haven’t paid yet, so now instead of $63 I owe them $173. I panic, but decide to call them and they assure me that it was just a mistake. I’m still shaking though, and am not too happy about running around town just because some guy decided to stay up all night so he couldn’t get here the same time as us.

He decides to stay in for the night, so Sharon meets us at the hostel for some overly sweet goon, while we watch “Ew” skits and listen to Lonely Island songs. We are all pretty tried and decide to go to bed fairly early.

The next day, the sun is scorching hot, even in the early morning. Craig and I check out of YHA and park our car in the camping area of Base. With the guests almost exclusively being backpackers, it has a very hostel-y vibe. Before settling down at a table with some goon, we go to the lagoon and lay out all day to tan.

I am swallowing book after book on this trip, and having a whole day of laying out and reading seems like a luxury to me at this point. For me, it’s an early night, since waking up early and having no naps during the day is messing up my sleeping cycle. I get tired by 8 o’clock! Also, the goon has gotten to me, and I start throwing up violently, just like I would do at home. I guess even my body’s starting to feel right at home here in Australia.

The next day is an exciting one: it’s time for a day tour to the Whitsundays! We go with Big Fury, whose guide, Grant, is such a star. We are taken to a snorkeling area, and Sharon, who is afraid of the ocean, joins us! I am so proud of her.

After that, we go to Whitehaven Beach, where we have an amazing lunch, followed by a trip to a lookout, before playing in the crystal clear water and laying on the white silica sand. This is the most amazing beach I have ever been to!

When we get back to Airlie, we decide to make dinner an easy one, so we buy boxed red wine, crackers and 4 different cheeses. Gotta stay classy on the road, peeps. After a dairy overload, I am drunk on half a glass of red wine, and Sharon ties the ends of my leggings together so well, that no one can undo the knot. So I pull off my leggings halfway, and just sit in my long sweater and underpants, drinking wine until I decide I need to sleep. Again.

We all decide that Airlie Beach could be home for us; it’s small and cozy, but has a lot of opportunities. We can’t stay in one place just yet though, so on to our next destination!