Tuesday, September 20, 2005
Mi' hols
Airlie Beach is something of a misnomer. Perhaps a more befitting name is ‘Muddy Flats’ or ‘Backpackers’ Retreat’. It has no beach; its sea front is a modified mangrove and it is fast developing as a rival to Cairns as an adventure tourist playground: not much in itself, but certainly in the middle of it all.
Walking down the high street you would struggle to hear and Australian accent.
Day 1: Crocodile Safari
Though sharks are currently leading the crocs 3-2 in the human fatality stakes this year, another croc-death in late 2003 (in fact the day after we first arrived) underlines just how dangerous these beasts can be.
As such, you expect these things to life ‘out in bush’, using Billy Connolly’s parlance, pointing over my shoulder away from the sea. It comes as quite a shock then to see them living on the Proserpine River, a few kms out of out, at the end of people’s back yards and next to fishing spots.
From Airlie Beach you can take a great tour through the tidal mangroves to see Estuarine Crocodiles, aka ‘Salties’. About pretty healthy population of 200 adults life along this river, feasting on mud-crabs and barramundi. We got to see 6 of these adults – up close - and another handful of cute little baby crocs.
We could have been in for even more excitement though. It had been reported that one of the crocs had a fisherman’s net caught in its teeth. Dead set, if we found it, out guide was going to leap out the boat and try and free it.
Alas, we couldn’t find it and we had to settle for the other fella running through the bush catching tree snakes and frill necked lizards on the afternoon trip through the bush. Also spotted was Australia’s largest flying bird, the Wedge Tailed Eagle.
A nice lunch time BBQ and afternoon tea (from a billy, of course) and damper were thrown in to boot.
Day 2: The Whitsunday Islands
No trip to this area is complete without a trip around the islands, in particular to visit Whitehaven Beach. This 7km stretch of nearly pure white sand will never fail to take your breath away each time you see it.
James will now also remember it for the place he lost his first tooth. It had been wobbly for a few days, but after jumping off the back of the boat to swim to shore with snorkel in mouth it was never going to last long. And finding a white tooth on a white sea bed in 10 feet of water was not really an option, despite James’s concerns that he wouldn’t get a tooth fairy pay-day. One day we shall return and do some bush camping here, to allow us more time to search for it.
The first stop for the day was South Molle Island. In 1988 I spent Christmas here with my father, with a broken arm. Couldn’t do much except bush walk for two days. But the hour we were allowed there was somewhere between being too much (no time to do anything worthwhile) or too little (not enough time to do anything worthwhile).
Later in the day we went snorkelling off Whitsunday Island. James was pretty comfortable – albeit with a float – and loved every minute of it. But Matthew was a bit panicked and spent most of the time clinging to my back. When he did put his face/snorkel in the water he was pleasantly surprised, but not enough to dispel the terror.
Many of the fringing reefs inside the Great Barrier Reef suffer from being a little murky, with fine sediment being churned up in the 30km leeside lagoon. Whitsunday Island was no exception, with really only 10-12m visibility. Despite this, the coral was abundant and healthy, but few fish were apparent. We will have to take the boys to Lady Elliott Island to experience the reef in all its splendour.
Day 3: Conway National Park
On our last full day we walked a little way through Conway National Park. This is the mainland section of the mountain range that once incorporated the Whitsunday Islands, before post-ice age rising sea levels filled in the valleys and created the islands.
Will post the rest, along with pics tomorrow.
Mi' hols
Posted by Living with Matilda at 6:12 PM
Airlie Beach is something of a misnomer. Perhaps a more befitting name is ‘Muddy Flats’ or ‘Backpackers’ Retreat’. It has no beach; its sea front is a modified mangrove and it is fast developing as a rival to Cairns as an adventure tourist playground: not much in itself, but certainly in the middle of it all.
Walking down the high street you would struggle to hear and Australian accent.
Day 1: Crocodile Safari
Though sharks are currently leading the crocs 3-2 in the human fatality stakes this year, another croc-death in late 2003 (in fact the day after we first arrived) underlines just how dangerous these beasts can be.
As such, you expect these things to life ‘out in bush’, using Billy Connolly’s parlance, pointing over my shoulder away from the sea. It comes as quite a shock then to see them living on the Proserpine River, a few kms out of out, at the end of people’s back yards and next to fishing spots.
From Airlie Beach you can take a great tour through the tidal mangroves to see Estuarine Crocodiles, aka ‘Salties’. About pretty healthy population of 200 adults life along this river, feasting on mud-crabs and barramundi. We got to see 6 of these adults – up close - and another handful of cute little baby crocs.
We could have been in for even more excitement though. It had been reported that one of the crocs had a fisherman’s net caught in its teeth. Dead set, if we found it, out guide was going to leap out the boat and try and free it.
Alas, we couldn’t find it and we had to settle for the other fella running through the bush catching tree snakes and frill necked lizards on the afternoon trip through the bush. Also spotted was Australia’s largest flying bird, the Wedge Tailed Eagle.
A nice lunch time BBQ and afternoon tea (from a billy, of course) and damper were thrown in to boot.
Day 2: The Whitsunday Islands
No trip to this area is complete without a trip around the islands, in particular to visit Whitehaven Beach. This 7km stretch of nearly pure white sand will never fail to take your breath away each time you see it.
James will now also remember it for the place he lost his first tooth. It had been wobbly for a few days, but after jumping off the back of the boat to swim to shore with snorkel in mouth it was never going to last long. And finding a white tooth on a white sea bed in 10 feet of water was not really an option, despite James’s concerns that he wouldn’t get a tooth fairy pay-day. One day we shall return and do some bush camping here, to allow us more time to search for it.
The first stop for the day was South Molle Island. In 1988 I spent Christmas here with my father, with a broken arm. Couldn’t do much except bush walk for two days. But the hour we were allowed there was somewhere between being too much (no time to do anything worthwhile) or too little (not enough time to do anything worthwhile).
Later in the day we went snorkelling off Whitsunday Island. James was pretty comfortable – albeit with a float – and loved every minute of it. But Matthew was a bit panicked and spent most of the time clinging to my back. When he did put his face/snorkel in the water he was pleasantly surprised, but not enough to dispel the terror.
Many of the fringing reefs inside the Great Barrier Reef suffer from being a little murky, with fine sediment being churned up in the 30km leeside lagoon. Whitsunday Island was no exception, with really only 10-12m visibility. Despite this, the coral was abundant and healthy, but few fish were apparent. We will have to take the boys to Lady Elliott Island to experience the reef in all its splendour.
Day 3: Conway National Park
On our last full day we walked a little way through Conway National Park. This is the mainland section of the mountain range that once incorporated the Whitsunday Islands, before post-ice age rising sea levels filled in the valleys and created the islands.
Will post the rest, along with pics tomorrow.
Posted by Living with Matilda at 6:12 PM
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