As expected we rose at 5:30 and prepared to drive to the Airlie Port at 6:00. We were able to park all day for $18 and the boat departed at 7:00am, a comfortable catamaran. First stop was Daydream Island, which was flattened by Cyclone Debbie a few years ago but has been rebuilt and only recently reopened. It was lovely. We had, as part of our ticket, breakfast included which was located next to a large pond with clear sides so you could watch the marine creatur...

Nice not to have to drive far today so had a leisurely breakfast, sitting outside in the sun before heading off to reception to book a boat cruise for tomorrow. I noted you had to be at the port at 6:30am yay! I also noticed a poster entitled “Be Shark Smart”, advising how to reduce the risk of “Negative interactions with Sharks” which I thought was rather like referring to a plane crash as “Unplanned Terrestrial Contact” as I remember reading in a m...

On the road early again with the aim of getting to Airlie Beach tonight. Got in the wrong lane at Sarina, a sugar cane town, and ended up at Sarina Beach, a lovely quiet spot with a long beach. We seemed to be the only tourists there, presumably no one else missed the turn off! Had a short walk on the beach then grabbed a coffee and sat at a picnic table and booked our next stop at Airlie Beach. (How did we ever do anything before the internet?) Road went via Mt ...