“Wonder why we couldn’t spot a single clam today in the lagoon? They must be ‘clamouflaging’,” jokes Peter, a Master Reef Guide with 30 years of deep-diving experience, as we emerge from the depths of the sea after a breathtaking exploration of the farthest crevices of the Great Barrier Reefs in the middle of the Coral Sea on the last day of our trip to the Whitsunday Islands. A fascinating story in vivid colours unfolded in front of our eyes as we scuba-dived into the lagoon gliding past a maze of underwater creatures inhabiting the pristine reefs of Australia’s Whitsunday archipelago. If the deep blue sea and the life beneath never cease to amaze you, then the breathtakingly beautiful coral reefs nurturing over 500 species and myriads of sea plants in Australia’s Queensland can be an experience of a lifetime. What's more, it's the only World Heritage-listed wonder that's visible from outer space!
It took us 12 hours of flight (a relaxing business-class experience in Singapore Airlines), an overnight stay at Brisbane, a short domestic flight to the windy Hamilton Island, and an hour-long luxury catamaran ride before we reached the idyllic Freedom Shores Resort in Airlie Beach -- our cosy home in the lap of nature for the next four days. All the soreness and fatigue of an over-stretched journey disappeared almost instantly as we geared for some fun days ahead. Our boat bungalow accommodations facing the cerulean sea had everything we needed for a tropical region including a bug protective spray to shoo away the friendly gecko and a grandpa brolly to combat the sporadic downpours.
Apart from some unannounced spells of heavy showers and unpredictable sea winds, the weather was relatively pleasant in the last leg of April, which marks the onset of autumn Down South.
Around Airlie
With all our grand plans centred around the sea suspended due to strong winds, the first day saw us exploring the Airlie beach town in electric totos. As we swirled around the sleepy town covered in tropical foliage amidst rain and shine, the beautiful bungalows and houses surrounded by frangipanis, alongside countless hotels and highrises gave us an insight into how fast the area is turning into a veritable tourist spot with most of the residents, young and old, gainfully engaged in activities around tourism. Our toto driver, Tenielle Dior Matheson, a mother of two toddlers, is a case in point. A trained animal rescuer, Tenielle showcases Australian native wildlife to eager tourists and takes them around the town in her e-rickshaw during free time. There are beautiful community parks and a very well-maintained public pool overlooking the sea where you too can take a dip for free. If luxury cruises are your thing, there are a variety of luxe charters at Coral Sea Marina’s Gold Anchor in the Turtle Bay area where you can avail of a luxury charter for as high as half a million Aussie dollars a week with staff and provisions apart from a whopping 40 grand to fuel up!
Riding the waves
With the winds slowing down a little the following day, we got ready for the much-anticipated day-long ocean rafting session in the high waters of the Coral Sea. The menacingly speedy jet boat with open sides drenched us as it cut through the rough waters like a sea monster. The bumpiest ride ever, ocean rafting is surely not for the faint-hearted or those with severe back issues. Steering the boat deftly across the swelling waves, our captain for the day, young British marine biologist and master reef guide, James Unsworth, acquainted us with the beautiful and out-of-bounds coral isles like the Hook, Dumbell and Teague islands that we sped past before reaching our destination of the day --- Whitehaven, a regular in the list of top ten beaches around the world.
Covered in fine white sand, the picturesque beach of Whitehaven felt nothing short of Peter Pan’s Neverland and just like the boy who refuses to grow up, we let loose the child in us, frolicking in the sand, enjoying every moment in the lap of nature. Braced up in stinger suits, we snorkelled around the shores of the Hill Inlet, fed the friendly seagulls, and relished every bit of the goodies in our picnic hamper.
Diving Deep
The penultimate day in the Whitsundays finally saw our prayers being answered with the weather God approving of our most cherished plan -– scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park area amidst the Coral Sea! After about three hours of windy sail on a luxury vessel, we spotted the lone pontoon looming out of the sea like a den of a nefarious gangster from any of the Bond movies. Nothing prepared us for what awaited us under the sea as we went through a short and effective diving training session before being guided to the colourful world of corals. With rabbit fish, parrot fish, angel fish, clown fish and a myriad of other vivid creatures swimming past us, it seemed we were literally inside the world of Nemo and his fin friends.
The best part, however, was having a bird’s eye view of the beautiful maze of reefs weaving together to form the Great Barrier Reef and spotting the iconic Heart Reef as we took the 40-minute-long scenic helicopter ride on our way back.
Looking back
If knowing a little about indigenous culture and local history falls within your area of interest, then you can learn about the customs of the local ancient island-sea tribe, the Ngaros, through a guided tour. Led by the Ngaro descendants, the experiential tour will demonstrate how they hunted and sourced bush tucker, teaching you to throw handmade fishing spears as you enjoy a delicious gourmet lunch that includes damper and refreshing billy tea on the beach after a relaxing island bushwalk.
Gourmet delights
Apart from a heavy dose of sea adventure and beach promenade, the Airlie beach town also has quite a few remarkable gourmet dining options with crowded restobars dotting the area. You will be a tad disappointed if you are seeking authentic Australian dishes per se (it sadly has none), but with Italian and Continental cuisines dominating the scene, the country is definitely a gourmand’s delight.
Freedom Shores’ on-site diner Northerlies Beach Bar and Grill is definitely the best beach bar in the area and is extremely popular among the locals for its breathtaking sea view, weekend live music and smokehouse, an expansive beach area for the kids to explore and famously creative cocktails. We simply loved everything on their brasserie menu and light-bite section and found their sweet potato wedges and fresh calamari fritters irresistibly lip-smacking when paired with craft beers. We also loved Deck in the beach area for its informal settings and the robust fare comprising the choicest meat and fresh seafood dishes. We tried their Beef Cheek entremet served with broccolinis and washed it all down with an addictive Somersby peach cider.
There’s also this very hustling Rocks Restaurant at Coral Sea Resort that serves delectable fresh shrimp, calamari, barramundi and tenderloin preparations and some of the best desserts in that region. You can also amble to Sorrentino, a stone’s throw away from the Airlie Port, for truly authentic Italian flavours. Their fish of the day entrée rustled up with grilled barramundi fillet, and baby peas and broccolini on the sides, simply won our hearts. The one spot that you probably can’t afford to miss checking out is the famed Fish Divine, which serves some of the freshest and best seafood fare. We simply loved their Sea Food Platter consisting of a fair share of almost all the edible sea creatures in their juiciest and tastiest best.
And oh, before you bid the Whitsundays adieu, don’t forget to have a hearty breakfast and shots of award-winning homegrown Arabica coffee at Whitsunday Gold Coffee. It was the most relaxing way to draw curtains on an immersive and memorable holiday.
The author's fam trip was a part of the Australian Tourism Exchange'23 held at Gold Coast.
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Checklist for Whitsunday Islands holiday
Best time to visit: Between September and November.
You can arrive at Airlie by air to either Hamilton Island or Proserpine.
Essentials: Always carry adequate sunblock creams ( min SPF 50+ PA ++++) to lather on exposed skin to avoid harmful rays, a wide-brimmed hat, an umbrella, shades, a beach towel and slippers, swimsuits and a change of outfit.
If you have seasickness, pop a pill at least 30 minutes before you set sail.
Beware of geckos and other exotic tropical bugs all around and keep your room windows and doors tightly closed to avoid unwanted guests.
Heart of Reef Shuttles are the best mode of transport around the city and keep a few Australian dollars handy.
Any plans related to sea activities or sailing is subject to last-minute cancellations or change depending upon the very whimsical weather, especially during the autumn season (April/May).
Australians start and close the day really early and the shops around the town close by 4 in the afternoon. Make sure to wrap up curio hunting during the day.