After a gruelling night bus down the coast from Cairns we arrived safe and sound in slightly less humidly in Airlie Beach. This is another popular backpackers retreat down the east coast with a glut of the accommodation vastly overpriced and in an alarming proximity to really bad club or two. We decided that we and Frank the Foetus did not need this so we opted for something a bit quieter out of town. It was another dorm share room that we thought was vastly overpriced but that's the price you pay when you don't want o stay with a group of 18 year old drunkards in a 20 person dorm room!

Airlie Beach was hot! So after looking through the myriad of boats companies offering anything from half day trips to 2 week live aboard trips around the islands we took a dip in the pool and spread ourselves out on a couple of sun loungers to bask and make a decision on who to go with. As we were hard pressed for time we decided on a day trip using the fastest possible boat to maximise our snorkelling time and sun bathing on the famous Whitehaven beach. We were heading out on a 900hp rigid inflatable raft early the next day that would blast us out from Airlie Beach north to Hook Island for some premium snorkelling at a couple of spots before heading down the east coast of Whitsunday Island for a walk on the island and lunch on the beach.

Early the following morning the sun was blazing down even at 9am and with not a cloud in the sky we knew it was going to be a good day. When we arrived at the launch for the boat the sea was glassy smooth which meant that the ride out would be rather tame but fast (probably best that the boat wasn't throwing itself out of the water on a choppy sea for Franks sake!) We flew past all the sailing boats as we headed out to our first snorkel spot. We threw ourselves into water in our rather attractive stinger suits (imagine a head to toe lycra outfit not to dissimilar to speed skaters suit) to protect us from the ever present jellyfish in the region and started to float over towards the coral heads. Suddenly we were surrounded by a feeding frenzy of all sorts of fish from the tiny reef fish to the large schools of fish the size of your head. What we didn't realise was that the crew on the boat were peppering the water with fish food pellets right in front of us. This makes for a very good snorkelling experience but I don't wholly agree about the feeding of the fish as they become dependant on the tourists for their food and it upsets the delicate balanced ecosystem in the reefs.

After half an hour or so we were back in the boat heading to our next site. In the words of David Byrne same as the other one, except at this site there was a regular visitor called Fat Albert. Now Albert is a Blue Napoleon Headed Maori Wrasse which is a fish to you and me. We were told that he would hang about under the boat as soon as we arrived and had the temperament of a puppy dog. I was the first in the water this time and as soon as I put my mask under the water there was Fat Albert. He must have been 2 meters in length and half a meter wide from belly to dorsal fin and he had the biggest blue lips I have ever seen on a fish. It wasn't too long before he was joined by a couple of Giant Trevally with their shiny silver bodies and massive silver eyes looking into you mask as they swam past. They had of course turned up for their daily feeding.

After snorkelling was over it was time to head down the coast from Hook Island to WhitSunday Island. Half an hour at full speed with a brief slowing down to look at a passing school of dolphins and we were there. The first thing that strikes you about Whitehaven Beach is how blindingly white and clean the sand is despite the amount of tourists that head here.

After a quick walk to the viewpoint it was back down to the beach for a well needed lunch and some serious basking! Lunch was a buffet from the boat and eaten on the beach whilst shielding your food from the ever present and eternally hopeful seagulls. After a good feast it was time to loll around in the sun for an hour or so before getting back on board for the blast back to Airlie Beach.

It was pretty much plain sailing (well motoring) back to the jetty but the driver of the boat thought that he would liven things up a bit with some high speed turns and a couple of doughnuts in the harbour to finish the trip off. I think he was just showing off really!

All we had to do on our return to terra firma was wait around for yet another late night bus to take us down the coast to Hervey Bay to go and explore Fraser Island.