Blogs from Airlie Beach, Queensland, Australia, Oceania - page 56

I dont want to become a product of my environment, I want my environment to become a product of me ...Jack Nicholson in the opening line as Boston's head Irish Mob Boss, in Martin Scorsese's, The Departed. The next stop on the over commercialized and beaten track of Australia's East Coast was Airlie Beach. This time, think Sauble beach I guess...I dont know, or really care at this point, they're starting to all look the same. Each little place consists of hostels, bars, a lagoon, beaches (that you cant swim in as it is currently "stinger season"), bars and annoying travel planning shops that are all trying to lure you in to sell you a package. Essentially, the East Coast is the most beaten travel track that I can possibly imagine. Everyone is going to all ... read more

Caught the greyhound bus from Airlie beach at 9:05 and arrived in Cairns at 20:30 so another long journey then walked to the Cairns Central YHA.... read more

Woke up at 6am and placed the luggage into storage at the hostel and then the bus picked me up for the sailing trip in the Whitsundays. Arrived at the port and bearing in mind the boat can take 26 passengers, we were all relived to hear that they only had 11 passengers on board and 8 crew so more room for us We motored out of the marina at 9am and due to there being no wind motored to about 12 where we were then taken onto a beach by the little tender and we could go for a swim or snorkel, I put the stinger suit on and went snorkelling which was an experience and managed to see a various amount of sea marine and the coral. At about 4pm we motored off to ... read more

The coach turned up an hour late and there was only me waiting for the bus in Bumdaberg, finally got on it then managed to sleep through the night woke up when we stopped for the breakfast break was only 1/2 hr behind, set off then got stuck in traffic due to a overturned lorry blocking the straight road. Finally got to Airlie beach at 11.25 only 2 hours late not bad had to walk to the hostel only 10 mins nooked in then went to see what deals I could get for sailing in the Whitsundays islands and the Great Barrier Reef. Found a tall ship offer for $279 for 2 days and one night departing on saturday. Booked this through the hostel as they give a free night accomodation and storage. Best deal I ... read more

We got up bright and breezy at around 7.30am, had our brekkie and headed out of rather unimpressive Townsville and back on the road to Airlie Beach. Just at the right time too, as it was peeing it down! The rain continued to pour for most of the first couple of hours of our journey which made visibility virtually zero - especially when big double articulated lorries went hurtling past still with their feet to the boards, not letting up for the weather at all. Every passing truck was like being caught in a mini tornado! Thankfully Stu had slowed down to compensate for the conditions otherwise it might have turned very nasty very quickly. The rain eventually let up and we managed to make good time again. The distance to our stop off point called ... read more