Anny Chih

I’m one lucky duck! I got to spend the whole day snorkelling along the Cateran Wall off of Border Island, soaking up the sun at Whitehaven Beach, and touring the Whitsunday Islands on The Big Fury.

Snorkelling Along Cateran Wall

Me and my snorkelling gear (too bad you can’t see the flippers)

It was my first time snorkelling and I really wish I had an underwater camera with me because I got to swim with a green turtle that was about a foot and a half long!! That was definitely the highlight of the day for me! I had been snorkelling for about an hour trying to find a turtle, and although I saw a ton of really cool fish and weird coral reef formations, it just didn’t compare to actually being right beside a turtle in the water. Our co-pilot for the day, Shane, knew that it would make my day if I got to swim with one so when he found one, he came over to tell me and I made a b-line straight for it. So cool!

At first, snorkelling kind of felt like I was at an aquarium except I had to breath through my mouth. By the way, I must’ve drank enough sea water to make a dog sick! It didn’t really feel like I was diving overtop of a living organism until I saw the bright blue and purple clams close up when I got close. I saw lots of different types of fish, but my favourite was a rainbow coloured one about 12 inches long that spread its fins outwards like you do when you make an angel figure in the snow. It’s fins were a sheer green and would glint under the sunlight.

Sometimes snorkelling felt like I was in outer space because the reef formations can look pretty alien. There were some larger rock-like things that looked like giant alien skulls, and large mushroom-like reefs that reminded me of ‘70s shag carpet.

The snorkelling portion of the tour was about an hour and twenty minutes, but it didn’t feel that long. It was a great experience!

Whitehaven Beach

Whitehaven Beach

Hmm… what do I say about Whitehaven Beach… I know I’m going to get dirty looks when I say this, but I wasn’t as awed by Whitehaven Beach as I had anticipated I would be. It’s like a great movie I guess. Everyone hypes it up so much that when you go to see it for yourself, even thought it’s a great movie, it’s just not as good as you had expected it to be. My expectations were too high.

Yes, Whitehaven is just as pristine and beautiful as the postcards and the brochures. Yes, it looks just like the guidebooks say it does. Yes, the sand is both incredibly fine and white. And yes, the sand has a lot of history and little unknown facts surrounding it. For example, did you know that Nasa has used the sand from Whitehaven Beach to make special telescope lenses? By the way, don’t try and take any sand for yourself. It’s illegal.

I think what made Whitehaven Beach more special to me than any other beach wasn’t the sand or the the views though, it was the fact that there weren’t any bugs or twigs along the shore! You don’t always think about this, but what’s the most annoying part about walking along or lounging on a beach? For me, it’s the roughness of all the stuff that gets washed ashore that you have to avoid stepping on or have to brush away to make room for a good tanning spot. I didn’t bother using my towel as a mat at Whitehaven. The sand was bug-free (save for one poor little ant that I think got lost), not too hot (the sand reflects the heat so it’s always just the right temperature to sit on), and so clean that you can lie right on top of it without worrying about what might poke you in the back.

I was trying to figure out a way to describe the sand to those of you who haven’t been to Whitehaven Beach. This is what I came up with:

When you first start to walk ashore from the boat — across that area that is just starting to dry — it feels like you’re walking along the top of a giant creme brule. When you reach the dry sand, it feels like fluffy snow that isn’t cold, and you can pack a small sandball with it too. It has the consistency of green tea cakes that crumble in your hand if you’re not careful with them and is so fine that you worry the sand might get into the smallest of your little cuts and scratches.

The Whitsunday Islands

The Big Fury at Whitehaven Beach

After we left Whitehaven Beach, we zoomed around about 27 of the Whitsunday Islands including Hamilton Island (where I tried to take some stalker photos of Ben’s new place but I didn’t actually know where it was so I just got shots of the island in general), Long Island, Daydream Island, and South Molle Island.

The Big Fury is probably the fastest boat that’ll take you out on a day tour of the Whitsundays (about one hour to get from Airlie Beach to Border Island). Though you might not think that’s a big deal, when you realize that it takes about two hours for other boats to make the same journey and you’re already getting a bit tired of the one-hour trip, it’s a significant difference. Besides, you don’t want to be wasting four hours of your day trip just commuting from one beach to another.

Tips for Travellers Along the Whitsundays

1. When you’re choosing a tour that will take you out to the Whitsundays, keep in mind that most boats that make the day trips won’t have a washroom on board. The Fury does, but I’m pretty certain it’s an exception.
2. The public washroom at Whitehaven Beach is disgusting. To avoid having to use it, go to the loo right before your trip, or on the boat if your boat has a toilet.
3. If you’re going on a small boat (anywhere from 20 — 45 passengers), keep in mind that the front of the boat doesn’t necessarily have the best views. The back seats usually have better views because you’re closer to the water. But, passengers on the back are also more likely to get splashed. Take your pick.
4. Sunscreen is an absolute must! I got super-tanned today and I put sunscreen on twice. Because the ride to the islands takes a while and you’re undercover most of the time (so long as you’re not sitting in the front), it’s not a bad idea to put on sunscreen when you first get to your destination to avoid having to lather it on one more time. If you do not put on sunscreen, you WILL burn.
5. Because the sand is so fine at Whitehaven Beach, it’s likely to get into your camera if you’re not careful. If it does, your camera is toast. Be careful with your camera. It’s also not a bad idea to keep it in a ziplock bag when you’re not using it.
6. Buy or rent an underwater camera before going. A disposable underwater camera will set you back between $20-$25 at the shops at Airlie Beach. I wish I had gotten one before going.
7. You can choose whether you want to rent a wetsuit (~$10) or a stinger suit (~$7) for your trip. There have been cases where people have been stung by jellyfish. But, they’re few and far between. Personally, I opt not to wear one because it’s uncomfortable to change in and out of them. Plus, you get a great back tan when you snorkel!

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Thank you to Shane, Rick and everyone at The Big Fury for a wonderful day on the Whitsundays! Thank you also to Tony from The Whitsundays Central Reservation Centre for arranging the tour and Sam from Wicked Campers for putting me in touch with Tony!