Airlie Beach, Whitsundays: How COVID transformed this former backpacker party town for the better

They've come for the weather, the water, the Whitsunday islands and the mother of all Australian natural attractions, the Great Barrier Reef.

There are still signs of COVID around during my visit – some restaurants remain closed or understaffed, particularly outside the town centre, and some businesses didn't survive long enough to enjoy the new boom times.

But for those that lasted through the lockdowns and border closures, there's a much needed positivity here.

I arrive on an early morning flight from Melbourne (postponed after the previous day's flight was cancelled by Jetstar amid the regular chaos of Australian domestic travel in 2022) and check into my accommodation with my partner and two toddlers.

For those who stick to the main drag along the beachfront, Airlie Beach likely feels flat and walkable, but much of the town is set on the steep Mount Whitsunday or its surrounding hills (not particularly pram friendly). But the reward for those staying here are spectacular views over Airlie Bay and out to the Whitsunday islands.

Indeed, after checking into Toscana Village Resort – a spacious, bright apartment with two bedrooms and a huge living area with equally large balcony – I find myself channelling Darryl Kerrigan ("How's the serenity?"). In the evening, the bay's still waters as the sun sets make the floating yachts look like they've been painted on.

The next day it's time for the first of three reef experiences during my visit. With my two children too small to head to the outer reef for snorkelling, they instead are content with a glass-bottom boat ride around Shute Harbour and some of the islands closest to the coast, delighting in seeing the fish dart about to collect (environmentally approved) food thrown from the bow.

I do take the opportunity to head to the outer reef the next day. It's a long journey to Hardy Reef with Cruise Whitsundays, stopping off at Hamilton Island on the way to pick up more passengers. Although it has (like much of Australia) been unusually wet and cold for this time of year, today the sun is shining and the wind is light, making conditions just about perfect to visit the reef.

We arrive at Cruise Whitsunday's pontoon before lunch. Some lucky passengers will be spending the night on board, as part of the relatively new Reefsleep experience.

The rest of us, meanwhile, make the most of our four hours here. After a quick look at the vast number of fish swimming around the pontoon via an underwater observation deck, I don my rashy to protect myself from jellyfish stings and swim out. A reasonably strong swimmer, I head away from most of the other visitors to get a bit of space to explore on my own. While there is some evidence of coral bleaching here, the most obvious damage to the reef in this section remains the hangover from Cyclone Debbie, which hit in 2017 with devastating impact across the region.

Sections of the reef here have collapsed, though there are signs the living corals are now growing to repair the gap. Fish of all colours and shapes remain abundant and I try – and mostly fail – to get some decent photos using my underwater camera to show the kids.

After a buffet lunch featuring an abundance of seafood, meats and salads, it's time to return to the mainland. As our ferry sails away from the reef we see the tide has gone out, exposing the top of the reef and creating fast-running channels that give the appearance of horizontal waterfalls.

My final reef experience is two days later and, aside from the reef itself, is probably the best-known icon of the region: Whitehaven Beach.

Often rated the best beach in Australia, its silica-rich, soft, fine sand is world famous. Unfortunately our luck with the weather does not hold out – not only is it cold and rainy, but the seas are extraordinarily rough, making our ferry out to the beach on Whitsunday Island a challenging experience for two small kids and a partner who suffers from motion sickness.

When we arrive, my three-year-old daughter, impervious to the cold, insists we go swimming. I oblige, despite shivering in the rain and wind. In fact it's significantly warmer in the water than out of it.

While Whitehaven doesn't look very white in this gloom, we can at least feel the sand and imagine how gorgeous this strip looks in more typical Whitsundays weather.

And while literal dark clouds might still show up over this region of Australia, the sun is at least shining on its tourism industry and the locals who have managed to keep going after a tough few years.

DETAILS

MORE

Traveller.com.au/airlie-beach

tourismwhitsundays.com.au

Nine must-do highlights of Airlie Beach, Queensland

DO

Tuk'n Around runs tuk-tuk tours around Airlie Beach, ranging from 30 minutes to two hours and starting from $30 per person (adult). See justtuknaround.com.au/

Cruise Whitsundays runs various trips out to the reef as well as the islands including day trips to Whitehaven Beach. See cruisewhitsundays.com

Pioneer Adventures runs glass-bottom boat tours of the reef and islands around Shute Harbour, starting from $79 for adults. See pioneeradventures.com.au/

STAY

Apartments at Toscana Villa Resort start from $325 per night. See toscanaairliebeachaccommodation.com

The writer travelled as a guest of Tourism Whitsundays.