AN AUSTRALIAN PARADISE

Airlie Beach is a quiet North Queensland seaside village in the Whitsunday Shire with a population of just over 3,000. The Great Barrier Reef stretches for two thousand kilometres along the coast of Queensland and Airlie Beach is positioned on the coast half way along the Reef. It is 1,123 km from Brisbane and just 25 km north of Proserpine. Airlie Beach is a pretty town with cool shady tree lined beaches and an attractive outlook.

Airlie Beach enjoys a tropical climate, and is a major tourist destination. Shute Harbour close by is a convenient embarkation point for the Whitsunday Islands and the Great Barrier Reef.

The Whitsunday Islands were named by Captain Cook when he passed through in 1770 on his way down the coast of Australia around the time of Whit Sunday. At the same time each year, the residents celebrate The Blessing of the Fleet in honour of Cook's naming of the Whitsundays.

Because of the danger of marine stingers to swimmers in the open sea from November to May, the local council has built a safe swimming lagoon on the foreshore at Airlie Beach.

There are plenty of water activities to be had such as snorkelling, diving, and cruising around the many islands in a yacht. You can fly over the islands or try sky diving. There is wide variety of accommodation around Airlie Beach to suit everyone from backpacker resorts to four star first class hotels. There is nightlife aplenty in Airlie Beach and you can dance the night away in the many bars and clubs around the town. Whale watching is offered in the season between July and September. Boat trips leave from Abel Point Marina or Shute Harbour.

A visit to Australia and the Great Barrier Reef would not be complete without calling in at Airlie Beach, the gateway to the Whitsunday Islands.

Learn more about this author, Patricia Young.
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