DAyrdream Believer …

Day 22: Saturday 14 April (10pm, Airlie Beach)

Long, long day today, but absolutely worth it - we decided to do a full day cruise around the Whitsunday Islands ...

 

View from the rainforest walk
on Daydream Island

Funny feathered friend
from Daydream - a curlew

Daydream Island was our first stop and we had an 8am departure so up without breakfast – that’s a rare event for me! Made up for it when we arrived 20 minutes later though, as we were in a paradise, surrounded by that specifically ‘island blue’ shade of water, neatly trimmed lawns and hedges, sculptures strategically placed for effect and that island feel of ‘round a random corner could be a hammock’ – just gorgeous! But, nice as it is, you can pretty much see everything within a couple of hours as it’s quite a small island and only has one resort. If you manage to catch the fish feeding show, walk the rainforest path, visit all the coves and beaches, do a spot of shopping, grab a meal, and enjoy the many pools and games within the first 2 or 3 hours, you could spend the rest of the day in all the water sports before leaving, having maximised your time and use of all the facilities! I am being a bit cheeky as anyone who knows me knows that I’m no good at sunbathing, so island sunshine is possibly wasted on me!





Whitehaven Beach - was like this for miles
(well, 7km anyway!)

After lunch and a sampling of many of the aforementioned activities, we headed off through the Whitsunday Passage, past the Molle Islands (humming Perfect Match in my head!), Hook Island and a few more. We slowed down as we came around Whitsunday Island to Whitehaven Beach – this is the 7km stretch of sunshine and sand that you see in brochures when anyone mentions the Whitsundays – nothing but sun, sand and bush to enjoy and the sand is almost pure silica and quite unique to even this part of the world. This sand is so precious and beautiful, that after our couple of hours here, we were asked to wash the sand off our feet as we got back in the boat to ensure we left as much of it behind as possible. I took so many photos, it was just a picture everywhere I looked, but I promise not to bore you with them here. Wait till I get back – no, of course not! Actually, the only problem with this beach was the possibility of stingers so we got to wear a very attractive stinger suit to protect us. I managed to stay in my suit, in hiding, in the water, for almost an hour, watching a classic game of beach cricket from my vantage point of sunny-mid-water where I didn’t have to catch a single ball either! Brilliant day!


On Whitehaven and just out of the sun
(in my stinger suit!)



Back home past the Lindeman Islands, Qualia Resort on Hamilton (where Oprah stayed!), and a bunch of others that were all as beautiful as each other, so no point really in trying to name them all here – just come in up for yourself and be blown away by how beautiful and accessible this part of our country is.

And so a link back to our purpose here – the Ngaro people, whose country Shelley is working in, once roamed these islands, so we did spend a few minutes contemplating how it must have felt for the ancestors as well as Cook and his crew to see each other for the first time. This was easier to vision here than almost anywhere else we’ve been, because the islands are so unspoilt. Another magical day, even though the weather wasn’t the best. Shame we have to head back tomorrow!