memilesaway: Whitsundays And The Whitehaven Beach

Yesterday we came back from our sail excursion to the Whitsunday Iselands and I have to say this was the best trip I have ever done! The excursion has begun from Airlie Beach, a small place approx. 1100 km above Brisbane. From here many tours depart to the Whitsundays and to the Great Barrier Reef. We have booked ourselves a three-day sail trip. From Airlie Beach we sailed for four hours to the Whitsunday Islands, an island chain which spreads itself from Bowen to Mackay. Our boat was like in the Great Barrier Reef a catamaran and we spent the time again in the big nets scarcely above the water to relax. Immediately on the first day we already visited the highlight of the excursion, the Whitehaven Beach. The 7-km-long beach is in a bay of the Whitsunday Iselands and counts to one of the most spectacular beaches of the world. The sand of the beach consists to 98% of silica which colours it almost purely white. You believe yourself rather walking on powdered sugar as on real sand. Because of his extreme cleanness the sand was even used for the construction of the Hubble telescope of the NASA!

Airlie Beach departure to the Whitsundays

We have spent almost the whole day here. From a viewing point above the beach we where able to observe the rays swimming in the crystal-clear water. Then after the sunset on the beach we went back on our boat. The next day was all about exploring great bays all around the Whitsundays where we did some diving. Spending the nights on a ship was completely new for me. I have never been on the open sea by night. However, this experience was very impressive, at night i was mostly laying on the nets with the night sky above me looking at the stars. At our last night aboard I was hardly trying to count all the shooting stars flown by but there where just to many, unforgettable!! Then on the last evening we have visited a small sandy island where we had our dinner and again enjoyed a phenomenal sunset. The last day existed of a very early last dive and the return journey.

By the very small travel group of approx. 20 people you get in touch with the other people on board very quick which made the trip very family, also the crew was great, In all conscience i can recommend the "Wings" tour to the Whitsunday Iseland!