We have spent the last two nights at Airlie Beach having. a break from driving and doing a spot of sight seeing. We left Eungella down the steep and windy road to the bottom of the range and back to the sugar fields.
I must be vary naive as I had assumed that the town of Airlie Beach would be sometnhing of a quiet village. This impression was erased immediatley as we entered the town. The marina has more boats than would have been needed to evacuate Dunkirk twice over.
The hillside above the town is densley covered in multi storey apartments and a parking space in the main street is almost impossible to find. It is difficult for disabled people to get around with the steep hills and limited parking. The population of the town is only around 1600 people, yet with tourists and vistors it must reach around five million. (much less, really, but it seems busy enough for millions of people).
When I awoke yesterday ar Eungella, I was presented with a wonderful view out of the window from our cottage. It was far superior to the cabins that we had booked at Airlie Beach which were very rustic. The bathroom and shower were not at all suitable for Jill with her mobility issues, so we abandoned our booking as a mistake and rebooked at a much more suitable place at the Sebel Hotel nearer to the centre of town.
At the Sebel Hotel, we have a two-bedroom apartment that is very spacious. The view across to the marine terminal from our balcony is very grand and the room is more comfortable.
One of the attractions that ‘Guide Google’ suggested was the Cedar Creek Falls, abiout half way from Prospernine to Airlies. They are set in a beautiful and mountainous region on the edge of the Conway National Park. The falls normally tumble 12 metres through rainforest into a stream in a natural rock amphitheatre. The pool at the bottom is an ideal swimming hole. I would think that these falls are spectacular in the wet season but right now there is no water flowing at all.
We spent today pottering around the Airlie Baech area. This town is the gateway to the wonderfukl islands of the Whitsunday Group. They are best seen from Shute Harbour, about 12 kms further away. There isn’t a town at Shute Harbour – just a carpark and large terminal where tours and cruises around the islandsleave from. I couldn’t see any beaches from the lookout that we stopped at – all the shorelines we covered in mangroves, but the sea was a beautiful azure colour.
Back around Airlie Beach, we found a few small coves and lagoons that made nice beaches. We actually found a parking spot and spent some tome shopping.
