Travels and Tours Australia – Day 11: Airlie Beach Queensland

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Upon waking up I take a look at the map and realize that my intention of reaching Noosa by nightfall is beyond impossible. I am unwilling to spend another full day traveling without stopping to take anything in. Instead of making a rounded plan with tick-off points along the way, I decide instead to take my time and just see where I end up. I am in no rush to many my Cheerios or pack up the van.

With the all-important Big Mango just before Bowen, I decide to stop and take pictures of both the mango and its surroundings before heading on. I recognize the mountains from the poster for Baz Luhrmann’s “Australia” and my suspicions are confirmed as I pass a sign stating that Baz, Nicole, and Hugh loved Bowen, but decide not to stop and explore Bowen. Once I am finally ready to roll on, I determine that taking the scenic route to Airlie Beach would fill my morning. I had no real notion of what the scenic route would be, nor if there would be any interesting stopping point along the way. It transpires that though they’re a couple of cute towns on the route, really it is far from scenic. Only once do I stop to take photographs, but alas in retrospect even they were not worth the stop.

Airlie Beach arrives well before lunchtime. I am taken aback by how different it was from the picture I had conjured up in my mind. Somewhere between a backpacker’s haven and an upmarket resort, Airlie Beach is pretty as a picture. However, as with many of Queensland’s more popular stopping points, it is busy in proportion to its prettiness. After finding it difficult to park up, I realize that there is only an hour stopping permitted so I decide to undertake initial investigations before determining whether Airlie Beach warrants further exploration or if it is just a chance to stretch my weary legs. Now it would be unfair to write Airlie Beach off.

I have to state that it is without a doubt in the top 5 beaches I saw on the road trip, but for someone who is merely stopping by, the attractions are far from accessible. Used mainly as an access point to the Whitsundays, any stop in Airlie Beach is bound to take a couple of days, with an extra night to just take in Airlie Beach itself. So, without too much reticence, I decide that Airlie Beach, though beautiful is beyond my time limits and makes do with my hour to take in its quaint charm. Stopping on the road out for a refuel and restock, I take a look once again at the map.

I am uncertain as to how far I will get, but decide that I am better on the road than off it. I take brief looks at both Mackay and Rockhampton, but I stay focused on covering the good ground and end up sleeping just north of Gin Gin.

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