Road Trip Diaries # 6 - Entering the Gateway to Paradise
The trip from Cape Hillsborough to Airlie Beach was the longest drive so far – about two hours. After a quick stopover at the beautiful village of Haliday Bay to visit Charles’ relative, we speeded North on the Bruce Highway towards the bustling and touristy town of Airlie Beach. The town is situated in a picturesque peninsula that reaches out to the Whitsunday Islands, which was the main reason for our visit here. The cosmopolitan town offers wide-array of accommodation and all sorts of tours to the Whitsundays, Great Barrier Reef and even Crocodile Safaris. With so much on offer we decided to camp here for two nights.
Pioneer Bay
The Beach
It was late in the afternoon when we finally reached Airlie Beach and it was the scenic palm fringed beach peppered with sunbathers and the charming Pioneer Bay dotted with yachts that caught our attention first. The town was surrounded by the usual tourist and souvenir shops, fancy hotels and backpackers’ accommodation, and lots of holidaymakers. It wasn’t our ideal place to hang out but it’s the gateway to the Whitsunday Islands where you can find one of the Top 5 Best Beaches in the world according to National Geographic – this was our next destination.
Cheeky Seagulls
Airlie Lagoon
Part of the Parkland
After finding a free parking spot, we wandered along the beach and around its shady parkland until we had reached its vast lagoon. I was surprised to learn that man-made pools and lagoons like this were open for public and free of charge. Charles says it’s common in many towns in North Queensland because it provides alternative place for the locals to swim in during the stinger season when deadly jellyfish drift close in to the shores of the mainland.
We wandered further around the village streets before finding a caravan park to camp for the night. We ended staying at Flametree Tourist Village, which was a bit further from the town but cheaper compared to the one in town.
Airlie Beach Saturday Market
Loading up on veggies
Stalls of clothes and local art and Handicraft
Busker at the market (I should try this one day!)
It was perfect timing for us to be at Airlie Beach the next day. The town’s foreshore parkland turns into a festive and bustling market every Saturday morning. There were stalls selling local arts and crafts, fresh produce from the locals’ farms, and all manner of goods near the beach and under the shade of coconut trees. We stocked up on more veggies, bought some souvenirs and feasted on the street food. But one thing that amused me the most was the caravan of camels that offered rides along the beach for kids and young at heart. I never thought I would see my first camels in Australia, let alone on a beach.
Camel Ride
Later in the afternoon, we scouted for a tour to the Whitsundays that would include White Haven Beach and Hill Inlet in it. There were just so many choices and different modes of transport to the islands on offer. We ended choosing the Ocean Rafting tour, which is not recommended for speed-phobic tourists. We had a lazy day in town checking out the souvenir shops and catching up with our books at the park. We capped the night with an early dinner at The Beach, one of the popular backpacker’s bar and restaurant. But to our disappointment, we could not get into any bars, after dinner because I didn’t have my ID with me. (Me thinks, I don’t look 17 though). Well, at least we were able to get a good night’s sleep because the next day had a lot of wonderful things in store for us.
(This is part of our 6-week North Queensland Road Trip Series, which took place July- August 2010)
Australian Road Trip: A Vantastic Beginning
Road Trip Diaries # 1 – An Encounter with the Strangest Animal in the World
Road Trip Diaries # 2 - Of Strangler Figs, Leeches and Long Holidays
Road Trip Diaries # 3 - Exploring Finch Hatton Gorge
Road Trip Diaries # 4 - On Bush Walks Beach Strolls and Star Gazing
Busking! Parang masaya nga sya gawin. I’ve read somewhere of some travelers who earn a living by busking around Europe. That’d be lots of fun, save probably for those places where the police will hunt you down for that. Hehe.
karamihan puro backpackers nakita namin along the way, not bad di ba, earning while traveling and doing something you love
I wanted to go there or Europe and just recite poems (hopefully people give me money to travel more hehe) reminds me the scene in Before Sunrise where they met a poet reader in the street by the river.
Pwede Marky, kung may talent lang ako mag-gitara o kumanta malamang natry ko na rin to just for the experience
.. camels! dami dito nyan claire, pero they come in herds saka di pa ako nakasakay.
Talaga, dream ko sumakay sa camel at mag-liwaliw sa disyerto
whoa, great! the last time it was kangaroos, ngayon mga camels na naman. i love that beach, especially the babes. : )
marami kayong love ang babes
aba may camel. hahaha. nagulat ako…..sandali–anu ang temperature? kasi I get the feeling na medyo chilly pero sige parin sa pag sunbathing ang mga tao. nacurious ako don sa top 5 beaches in the world. maabangan nga.D:
Actually it’s wintertime here, but unlike Sydney it’s not that cold especially in the northern part of tropical Queensland, approximately same latitude lang as Philippines ang ibang areas sa North Queensland.
Makes me want to…” Head out on the highway….” lol .
Go Mark, Queensland needs more tourists right now
ang galing! meron palang camels dito hehehe… mukhang preskong presko yung mga vegetables na binebenta sa mamâ ah…
Nagulat din ako, i wasn’t expecting to see camels in Australia, not in the zoo at least
parang nakakatakot tignan yung mga bata nakasakay sa camel, feeling ko mahuhulog.. walang katabing matanda..
korek, buti may saddle naman kaya safe pa rin sa mga kids
Wow, the beach looks so serene. I don’t see anyone swimming though, except for a duck! Is it just for sunbathing?
I guess they just like to get their tan
, most of the sunbathers are backpackers from the nearby hostels, tambayan lang nila yung beach after exploring around the area
hello claire. just curious with the lagoon. is it a safe water? baka may sisto dyan if in case those were man-made lagoons. Anyway a good alternative for city breakaway.:-).
Hey Bon, yep it’s just like a swimming pool, very safe and it is usually used as an alternative during the stinger season when people can’t swim in the beach
platypuses, kangaroos. now are camels, what’s next claire?
ganda talaga magstop by and enjoy the beach! 
whales and dolphins
Lol, i know Claire , I live in Cairns .
Wow Cairns, that’s where we took off en route to the Great Barrier Reef
The beaches are AWESOME~!! Love it! Ang ganda! May camels! Looks weird but interesting though! By the way, in that loading up veggies pic, ikaw ba yun? My GOSH I love your bag. Where did you buy it?
haha yeah it’s me, I forgot where, Sagada I think
Parang gusto ko subukan magbusking dito sa Pilipinas!
Meron naman yata sa atin di ba, pero unlike most countries, yung mga disabled ang mostly nakikita ko sa kalye, dito kasi sa OZ sa far, mga backpackers, independent artists at mga passionate sa craft nila ang buskers, masaya yan Josiah, ano kaya magiging reaction ng mga tao sayo
Ang kulit nung pics ng camels with the kids haha =P
korek, nung una ko nga nakita sabi ko pa, WTF, bakit my mga camels dito sa beach
Wow So beautiful. I wish i could go to this place.
You sure live in a gorgeous city as well, two gorgeous cities in fact
Two things that I thought you won’t see in Oz: coconut trees and camels. Looking forward to your Whitsundays entry.
Thanks Dennis, common yung coconut trees sa Tropical Queensland, sa Cairns lalo na, almost same latitude as Philippines that’s why it’s also warm
What’s up, CLaire!? Really? Busker at the market?! Ok pala dyan, kahit di bulag pwedeng mag busking… Dito sa pinas, puro mga bulag lang yata ang gumagawa nyan, hehehe! That’s a good and fun way to earn some cash! Lolz!
Marami ganyan hindi lang sa market, in most tourist areas meron din, pero meron yata permit yung sa mga major tourist areas
ang cute, may camels pa!!
lovely blue skies, beautiful day seen here
nakakatuwa naman may kapirasong sand lang pwede na sa kanila… hehehe