We were up at 6 am and ready in record time to grab an early breakfast and be ready for our 7.17 am pick up for our boat trip. Unfortunately we arrived at the Port of Airlie only to be told that our trip was cancelled due to mechanical problems, the hydraulics apparently. Very disappointing, especially after being up so early, but we re-booked for tomorrow and just hope it's fixed! We walked all the way back along the waterfront to our hotel and were amazed at how quiet it was. Apart from the noisy parakeets in the trees, however!

We decided to have a bit of an explore and took a short drive over to Dingo beach. Definitely no dingoes in sight, but a lovely little beach nonetheless, very off the beaten track. We noticed the small, fenced off swimming area and couldn't help thinking what a shame it is to be surrounded by such beauty and yet not be able to swim or paddle for fear of the wildlife.

From there we drove on to Hydeaway Beach, even further off the track and requiring us to negotiate several kilometres of unmade up road. It was worth it though as the beach was simply stunning. We settled ourselves in a shady place at Monte's for a beer and a snack, enjoying the sunshine, looking out to sea and enjoying the view. What more could you want?

Back in Airlie Beach we had a look round at all the beautiful properties we could buy if we decided to make this our home before returning to sit out on our balcony with a glass of wine in the early evening cool.