The Whitsundays

Who would have thought that the Whitsundays had so much to offer, without actually needing to get on a boat and go to an island.

Every other time I have been up this way we have headed straight to Airlie Beach/Shute Harbour to get straight on a boat and get out to the islands. And there is no doubt about the fact that they are pretty spectacular. Last time we were here, about 18 months ago, we got out to Whitehaven beach and did some snorkelling on an island hopping tour. We spent very little time in Airlie itself that time. We were actually staying in Mackay and just drove up in the morning to get on a boat, and back again in the evening.

This time around, however, we didn’t get out to any islands and just explored what the region had to offer on the mainland from Conway Beach in the south to Bowen at northern end of the region. Have to say, I was quite surprised at the amount of beautiful and safe (out of stinger season) beaches to swim at.

Proserpine which is the jump off point from the highway, and where the airport is, hasn’t really changed much since I first arrived there as a backpacker just over 30 years ago. Airlie Beach on the other hand is like a totally different place. As this is the main hub for trips out to the islands it really has grown and there is still plenty of new developments going up. Worth a visit, and we did actually find a beautiful beach to swim at, and the boardwalk between Airlie and Cannonvale was worth getting the bikes out for. But, other than that, it is another over commercialised, over priced tourist hub with the best bits of the region and cheaper accommodation to be found in the surrounding areas.

We actually spent our first few nights in Proserpine. Not that Proserpine itself has much to offer, but it is actually quite central if you want to explore Conway Beach, Conway National Park, Cedar Creek Falls and take a trip to ‘Northerlies’ for lunch or just a cold beer looking across the bay to Airlie.

Cedar Creek falls was a beautiful, if rather busy spot, with a great swimming hole under the falls. Well worth the visit.

A hike up Mt Roper in Conway National Park was well worth the effort and it afforded a fantastic view out to the islands.

But, the highlight of the region for me was discovering Hydeaway Bay and Cape Gloucester. The beaches around here are beautiful at high tide. Now I’m not saying that they have that beautiful fine soft sand like the beaches of South East Queensland and Northern NSW, and if you like a bit of surf, then you are not going to get that either. If, however you like crystal clear, calm bays with warm tropical water gently lapping a sandy beach (even if the sand is a bit coarse and corally), then you will be in heaven.

This beaches are also safe to swim at. Well, as safe as an Australian beach can be I suppose. Sure, there is a risk of stingers that can kill you if you are here October to April, and I’m sure there is the occasional shark in the water, but I’m pretty sure you are at more risk crossing the road, and there isn’t a lot of traffic around here. Like most beaches in North Queensland there isn’t any surf because of the reef and the islands, so you get mostly very calm water, so no big dumping waves, and no rips. And, as for the crocs, well, they don’t go for crystal clear water and sandy beaches, not really their thing. As long as you stay away from muddy rivers and estuaries then you are pretty unlikely to come across one of them.

Sunsets over the water on the East coast generally aren’t a thing (obviously), so when you do come across a West facing beach, without having to go to an island, it is worth hanging around for sunset. Cape Gloucester has exactly that, and, it just happens to have a small resort with a beach bar where you can sit and have an evening drink while watching the sun dip below the horizon and set the sky alight with hues of red, orange and purple.

We ended up staying at Hydeaway Bay caravan park for four nights, and we were there for the Friday night barefoot bowls and BBQ at the local bowls club just opposite the caravan park. Joined by Corey and Lisa (Notch Point survivors), who had turned up that day, we paid our $5 each and were entered into the bowls competition. We had no idea it was going to be serious high stakes bowls, with a first prize of a $10 bottle of wine and second prize of a bag of liquorice all sorts (which Ali had her eye on). After a bit of coaching from local bowls pro ‘Dot’, we were away. It was all a bit of a laugh really, especially after a few $5 glasses of Shiraz. The locals were all very friendly and welcoming and the burgers cooked up on the BBQ weren’t too bad either. And, at the end of the evening, my name was called and it turns out I scored enough points to win the liquorice all sorts! Great result. Must have been the wine, or perhaps Dot’s coaching, either way I’m not sure how the locals felt about some Pommie blow in who had no idea what he was doing taking out second prize.

So, after being chased out of town the next morning (not really), we headed to Bowen. Not sure how, but Bowen is a little gem that we seemed to have missed for all these years. Situated right at the northern end of the Whitsundays region it also has some beautiful croc free beaches. Horseshoe Bay is the pick of the beaches. Swimable at both high and low tide and there is coral and plenty of colourful fish just a short swim out, so snorkelling at this beach is good and easily accessible. There is also a lovely cafe and the walk to some pretty impressive lookouts starts from here too. Bowen also boasts a West facing bay at Greys Beach, so sitting watching the sunset is an option. We did this twice, once with an Apperol sprits (or two), and the following evening we took a couple of steaks and cooked then up on the conveniently place fee BBQ’s. Lovely.

Take my advice, next time you are in the Whitsundays, sure, get out to Hayman, Hamilton, Whitehaven beach etc. but try to make to time to check out what the mainland has to offer too, you might be surprised, I certainly was.