Along the coast of Queensland are a collection of islands called the Whitsundays. There are 74 islands that constitute the Whitsunday islands. Last Christmas holidays we had the opportunity to visit some of these beautiful islands and the famous and beautiful Great Barrier Reef.
We made a trip to Airlie and Cairns. From Airlie we took cruises to Hamilton island and the beautiful Whitehaven beach. From Cairns we took a cruise to Green Island and the Outer reef.
There are many islands in the Whitsundays that you can visit from Airlie. Fantasea Adventure cruises provides many cruise options to these islands. We chose to go to the Hamilton island and Whitehaven beach.
Hamilton island is the center of Whitsundays . It is a perfect place to relax, with a wonderful beach and golf course. You can spend the day either enjoying the sun on the beach or by snorkeling to the reefs, since Hamilton island is situated on the edge of the great barrier reef. You could also take a tour around the island either by foot or by the free shuttles that frequently run around the island. Hamilton Island also provides accommodation for people who wish to stay back and relax in the beauty of the place. The resorts are beautiful and well equipped to provide visitors with a memorable and comfortable stay.
The beach at Hamilton island
View from Hamilton Island
View from Hamilton Island
The Fantasea Cruise ship we took to the island
The Fantasea cruises gives us plenty of time to enjoy the island. We were dropped at the island in the morning and we returned back to the cruise in time for lunch. After a sumptuous and tasty barbeque lunch on the cruise ship, we headed of to the Whitehaven beach. This beach is indeed a white heaven . The white Silica sand and the beautiful green/blue waters make this beach one of the 10 most beautiful beaches around the world! The beach does not have any facilities and is just a 6 kilometer stretch of delightful sand. The beach sand is white silica and it reflects most of the suns rays that fall on it, so be prepared to face the sun with hats, sunscreens and the like. If not prepared, the amount of tan you can get from this beach will surprise you! Since the beach does not have any facilities, the cruise provided us with all that we would need, deflatable beach shacks, swimming gears, gears for beach games, sting suits and much more. The beach is a must visit for its beauty.
The beautiful Whitehaven beach
The beautiful Whitehaven beach
The beautiful Whitehaven beach
Amphibious plane for visitors who would like to get an aerial view of the place
After a wonderful day at Hamilton island and Whitehaven beach we headed back to Airlie.
To visit the Great barrier reef the beast option would be the Great adventure cruises from Cairns. These cruises take you to the Great barrier reef and Green island. In Green island you can do various activities like para-sailing, under sea walking, snorkeling etc. You can also enjoy the beautiful beach here. Since the green island is along the great barrier reef, you can see a number of colorful fishes and also if lucky tortoises.
We chose to do the undersea walking and were amazed to see the colorful fishes and plants of the great barrier reef. The under sea walking was a great experience and the trained and experienced people around will guide you safely through the whole process.
Green island
Beautiful waters of Green island
Life under the sea, around the reef
Life under the sea, around the reef
Life under the sea, around the reef
After spending time at Green island enjoying the beach and the reef the cruise takes you to the outer reef. The Great adventures have a floating platoon at the Outer reef . We can snorkel, dive, take a helicopter ride, go on a Scooba-Doo(this is similar to under sea walking but with a water scooter) or take a semi submersible ride to see the beauty of the outer reef. All gears for snorkeling , diving or other water sports are provided by them. Lunch was provided on the platoon. Thanks to great adventures , we were able to enjoy and learn about the great barrier reef and marvel at the breathtaking beauty of the life around it.
Sun deck at the platoon
Life around the Reef as seen from the semi submersible
snorkeling around the platoon
The islands and beaches along the central coast of Queensland along with the Great Barrier Reef make a holiday to the place colorful and special. Definitely a memory to keep for a lifetime :)
No comments:
Post a Comment