East Coast - Whitsundays

Melbourne - Hamilton Island was December 16, 39 Advert No. in the city, time for me to head east towards the Whitsundays. 74 islands, peaks of a mountain range underwater, part of the famous Great Barrier Reef. And the start of a two-week trip to Airlie Beach in Sydney ...

First day on Hamilton, a small island belonging to a Resort (where the airport), which over the building has lost its charm ... Although the tower that stands in the middle is not to my taste, I must recognize that it offers apartments with magnificent panorama! People come here to enjoy the beach, cocktails, water sports, hiking quad ... the all-inclusive, where the airport just in my case. But it is the only ride which would have offered a 360 ° panorama of the surrounding islands. And take the boat end of the day is always a means of transport which I never tire.

Base to a J: Airlie Beach. Small town party girl, although very quiet at this time of Christmas. Some outdoor pubs, a marina, a giant pool on the beach, and shops: tourist resort par excellence starting point for cruises around the islands. So I used the artificial lagoon (tiny but extremely venomous jellyfish in this season ...) 3 days before leaving aboard Powerplay, a catamaran to explore the ocean floor ... No underwater photography without the equipment but a simple search on the net will give you an overview of the flora and fauna underwater: a colorful paradise! Even without a bottle (I made the mistake of saying that I had to Asthma ...), open eyes wide to "fly" the corals at arm's length ... 3 days of the program: beach, diving , breakfast at 5 am and morning swim in water at 26 °. In the evening barbecue on the deck (and yes it is Australia!), And discussions late at night watching the fish attracted by the lights of the boat ... early holiday ...

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