Anny Chih

Along the A1 Highway

Getting to Airlie Beach

I didn’t sleep well at all the night before last because I had unknowingly parked right beside a generator that kept going off every half hour. That combined with the barking dogs, crying children from a neighbouring campervan and angry yelling Germans (I think they were yelling at the dogs) made for a rough night.

The morning was very chilly and eerie… The crows here gave me the creeps because they seem larger, blacker, their eyes are white, and they make that croaking sound from The Grudge. They reminded me of the diseased crows from 28 Days Later, especially since I’d seen several of them picking at road kill over the past couple of days. I finished breakfast in a hurry (just bread and coffee), filled a jug of water from the one working tap in the area, and booked it.

Sam from the Wicked Campers Marketing Department had sent me a message the night before saying that I should contact a guy named Tony who would be able to help me out with a campsite in Airlie Beach. Thank you so much Sam!!

The Whitsundays Central Reservation Centre

Tony and Percy the horse in front of his authentic Queenslander home

Tony runs The Whitsundays Central Reservation Centre at Airlie Beach. Yesterday he took me on a little “Cook’s Tour” of the area and I got to meet his horses, dogs, wife (Lolita) and daughter (Jess). He’s adopted a lot of animals over the years from the crazies and untouchables to the discarded or unloved. Now the crazies like Percy the horse (pictured) are happy, tame and people-friendly and the previously unloved have a happy home. His horses roam his property as if they were dogs or house pets and you can tell they’re at ease and just enjoying their time. We talked a lot about his adventures around the world and about endurance riding – an equestrian sport based on how well the rider and horse trust each other. They say that there’s no cure for the travel bug, but but nobody ever mentions how you get it in the first place. The answer: You get the travel bug by listening to travel stories from people like Tony! When you hear about his adventures trying to find his friend on the side of a cliff in Tazmania from a rescue helicopter, or climbing a mountain covered in seaweed on the tip of South America, your list of things to do and places to see will grow ten-fold.

Arriving at Airlie Beach

The Whitsundays - this photo doesn't do it justice!

When I was driving past Proserpine and taking the route to Airlie Beach, I could already begin to feel a difference. Over the past couple of days, all I saw were small towns, cows, horses, dry land, crop fields and typical “Aussie outback” scenes. Oh, and lots and lots of dead animals. On the road that leads to Airlie Beach, you start to see lush mountains and the air gets warmer and less dry. I thought Airlie Beach would be like all the other beaches I’d seen on the way up here, but I was SO wrong.

When you round the corner towards Airlie Beach (which is essentially one street full of busy shops, hostels etc), you see a glimpse of the water and it’s just incredible! I actually found myself talking out loud about how gorgeous it was! The water here is turquoise and comes in different shades depending on the depth. The Whitsunday islands (named by James Cook after the religious holiday) are covered in greenery because most of them are protected areas, and they serve as the perfect backdrop for the crystal clear waters. When I was looking down at the water from the mountains, I was sure that I’d be able to spot fish if they were there because the water was so clear. Tony and his wife told me that the water wasn’t even nearly as clear as it usually is.

If you’re road tripping along the East coast of Queensland, I hope you’ll stop at Airlie Beach because after the hours and hours of nothingness, you’ll really appreciate this little spot of beauty.

Tips for Road Tripping Travellers

1. The stretch of road from Rockhampton to Sarina is pretty bare. When you see signs that say “last gas stop for 100km”, they’re not kidding. So, stop for gas at Rockhampton or at one of the stops just after it (there are two or three I think after the main city ends).
2. When you stop for gas, make sure you also get enough food and water to last you two days and fill up a tub of water for washing. The stops along this stretch may not have running water and they definitely don’t have any shops, food, or drinkable water.
3. Also make sure you top up the water in your car, and check the oil! You don’t want to get stuck in this area.
4. If you can’t make it all the way through this stretch in one go and need to camp for the night, try to make it to Clairview by the beach. That was my original plan but I didn’t know if I was going to make it before dark. I was kicking myself for not driving just 20 minutes more because Clairview looks a lot nicer than where I stayed! It’s right by the water and it looks like they have better facilities than my camp area (I stayed smack in the middle between Rockhampton and Mackay).
5. Once you get to Airlie Beach (and you really should!), stop at the Information / Whitsundays Central Reservations Centre. Even if you can’t afford to book a cool tour of the Whitsundays, Tony and his staff will find a way to make sure you have a great time. I would vouch for Tony and say that you can trust that he won’t rip you off on a tour and he’ll be honest with you about how much things really cost around here. Unlike other travel agencies or booking offices, the Whitsundays Central Reservations Centre also acts as an Information / Tourism office so they will offer free advice, information etc.