To the AIR.

I spent a couple of days in AIRlie Beach, which is part of the Whitsunday Coast.  Airlie Beach is normally the stepping-off point for visiting some of the 74 Whitsunday Islands.  Heaps of visitors (with deep pockets) take to the sea and sail around the islands.  These waters are a bit calmer as they are sheltered by some reefs.  However, I decided to take a different approach.  I took to the AIR.  As you may recall from my very first blog post, my flight to Australia flew right over the Great Barrier Reef, and I was too mesmerized to take any photos.  I had learned from a fellow traveler who I met on the Uluṟu tour that you can take scenic flights out of Airlie Beach for a reasonable price.  He was lucky enough to see a humpback whale and her calf from the air!  Unfortunately, I arrived outside of the whale migration season, but I was still treated to some awesome sights.

I did the Reef & Island flight, which was an hour long.  One advantage of being a solo traveler was that I was assigned the copilot seat in the 8-passenger plane.  The other passengers were probably grateful that I did not get an opportunity to try my hands at the controls.  Here are a few photos of the islands.  In the second photo, you can see part of the 7 km long stretch of Whitehaven Beach (on Whitsunday Island, the largest of the 74) – even from this height you can tell how spectacular the sands are.

Beyond the islands, we visited reefs, mainly Hardy and Hook Reefs.  Of course, we buzzed by the iconic Heart Reef located within Hardy Reef a couple of times.  It is only 17 meters across at its widest point.  It is protected (no snorkeling or diving allowed near there), so it is best to experience by air.  On the way back to the airport, we passed by the fanciest resort on these islands, where a single night costs anywhere from $400 to $4,000.  The darker shadows in the photos are caused by clouds.

That afternoon, I hiked in parts of Conway National Park.  The mountains in that park are part of the same range as the Whitsunday Islands.  The islands are actually the highest peaks of the flooded range.  With the rising sea levels, these pristine beaches and mosaic patterns of the reefs are at risk.  The aesthetic value of these exceptional natural places may not be the same.  On my hike, I ran into a goanna.  This guy was at least 1 meter long.  Check out that tongue!

I had started off my busy day getting up early to witness the partial solar eclipse, and I finished it by catching some of the fading light over Airlie Beach... another good day.