Author: Mrs A
Location: From Halliday Bay to Airlie Beach, Queensland
The wind and showers continued as we packed up and moved just 90 minutes drive up the coast to Airlie Beach. We set up camp in a caravan park, and immediately set about getting the sheets washed and dried in the park laundry. We did a couple of loads of clothes too in our little 2kg machine in the caravan. What would we do without it?
Next it was time for our six monthly review with our financial advisor via phone, to check we could still afford to swan around the country enjoying ourselves while our house does all the earning! Happily for us, the answer was yes!
Finally the showers abated and the sun came out, so we jumped on the bikes for an explore. We last came to Airlie Beach on our honeymoon in August 2002 – hiring ‘In the Mood’, a 24 foot sailing boat with some friends for an explore of the Whitsunday Islands. Across the road from where we are staying now is a new shared pathway along the coast, taking us all the way in to Airlie via the Abell Point Marina, where we launched all those years ago.
What a beautiful pathway. The light was incredible late in the day, the sun now setting around 5.35pm, so casting fabulous shadows and a golden aura over everything.
We struggled to find anything we recognised from 16 years ago, it seems there has been quite a bit of investment in hotels and infrastructure here, and it all looks quite unfamiliar, but in a good way.
We returned via the local shopping centre for a few groceries for dinner, and settled in for a cosy evening as the wind and rain returned. Hopefully it will clear tomorrow to allow us more of an exploration.
