This was published 1 year ago
Nine must-do highlights of Airlie Beach, Queensland
By Craig Platt
THE WONDER
Many towns like to describe themselves as “the gateway to” a place more spectacular, but Airlie Beach really is the mainland gateway to the Whitsundays and the Great Barrier Reef. A cruise can have you on the reef within a couple of hours.
Reefworld, Cruise Whitsunday's pontoon on the Great Barrier Reef.Credit: Tourism and Events Queensland
Cruise Whitsundays runs trips out to Hardy Reef, where you can swim off their permanent pontoon (or even spend the night on board). If snorkelling or diving isn’t your thing, you can take a glass-bottom boat tour of the inner reef skirting the islands just outside Airlie Beach with Pioneer Adventures. See cruisewhitsundays.com, pioneeradventures.com.au
THE TOUR
A great way to get a feel for Airlie Beach is to take a tour with Just Tuk’n Around, where a guide will pedal you around town to show off the sites. It’s a relaxing way to orient yourself in the town while your driver cycles along the beachfront and into back streets to show off some of the lesser-known attractions. Tours range from 30 minutes to two hours and start from $30 per person (adult). See justtuknaround.com.au
THE BEACH BAR
Credit: Reuben Nutt/Tourism and Events Queensland
Northerlies is in a great location, overlooking the bay on the east side. A large, open air pub with covered and outdoor seating, it features a solid selection of pub meals and beers on tap, with regular live music. However, it is not the most convenient location to reach from Airlie Beach. The venue smartly makes up for this by running its own shuttle bus out to the pub and will pick you up and return you to your accommodation. See northerlies.com.au
THE VIEW
Once you’re off the main couple of streets along the waterfront, Airlie Beach’s terrain becomes very steep, with many accommodation options sitting high on the hills. While this presents its challenges in the subtropical heat for pedestrians trudging back to their accommodation, it also offers spectacular views across the bay. One of the best can be had from Toscana Village Resort, which offers family-friendly, self-contained apartments with large balconies. See toscanaairliebeachaccommodation.com
THE RESTAURANT
Credit: Reuben Nutt/Tourism and Events Queensland
Fish D’vin is one of the best-known restaurants in town and now, having relocated to the waterfront on Airlie Esplanade, has a location befitting its cuisine. Despite its name referencing wine, its speciality is actually rum, with the bar featuring a wide range of rums from all over the world, including some extremely rare bottles. See fishdvine.com.au
THE BEACH
Credit: Tourism and Events Queensland
Airlie Beach, as its name suggests, has a beach close to the centre of town, but from this location you would be remiss not to visit Whitehaven on Whitsunday Island, regularly rated as one of the best beaches in the world. This is mostly due to its extremely fine, white sand, reportedly the purest silica sand in the world. The seven-kilometre beach is more beautiful when seen from Hill Inlet, a short hike from the beach where you can see the swirling sands drifting through turquoise waters as the tide shifts. See cruisewhitsundays.com
THE PLAYGROUND
Credit: Tourism Whitsundays
While there is a beach here, the more popular option for families is the artificial lagoon on the waterfront - its shallowness, with a very slight incline to deeper water, makes it perfect for little ones who haven't mastered the art of swimming yet. Nearby, the Airlie Beach Playground is for slightly older, more adventurous kids, with a rope climbing structure leading to the top of several long slides.
THE BREAKFAST SPOT
Fat Frog Cafe is not actually in Airlie Beach, but three kilometres away in the adjacent township of Cannonvale. For those staying on Airlie Beach’s western side, it’s a short, pretty beachfront walk to the Fat Frog, which looks out to the bay and Pigeon Island. The menu features a range of hearty breakfast favourites like eggs benedict or buttermilk pancakes, though my choice is the beef cheek with hashbrowns and poached eggs. See facebook.com/fatfrogbeachcafe
THE RESORT
First opened in 2015, Mirage Whitsundays is a large resort featuring 74 self-contained units, ranging from two to four bedrooms, each featuring a kitchen and laundry. The spacious accommodation combined with the facilities and the two pools (kid-friendly and adults-only) make it perfect for families. It’s a half-hour walk to the centre of town, but there are complimentary shuttles at scheduled times. See miragewhitsundays.com.au
PS
The nearest mainland airport to Airlie Beach is Proserpine. Though now renamed Whitsunday Coast Airport, it’s nowhere near the coast and is nearly 40 kilometres from Airlie Beach. However, there are regular shuttle buses that will ferry you to the door of your accommodation (even if it’s a private home) for a reasonable price. See whitsundaycoastairport.com.au
The writer travelled as a guest of Tourism Whitsundays.
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