Tag: great barrier reef

Why fly to Whitsundays?

A postcard -perfect beach lapped by clear waters, with swaying trees in the salty breeze and the jungle-covered mountains rising above.

Stop dreaming!!  I actually enjoyed this for real!

A 3-hour flight from Melbourne by Qantas, Jetstar or Tiger Airways, Whitsundays was my Winter Holiday destination.

Well, if you ask me to describe my vacation stay at the beautiful and 3rd best beaches in the world, it would be something like this.

The crystal-clear water and the powdery white sands of the Whitsundays island are no less than a fairy tale stay. People dream of getting married in this beautiful Whitehaven beach and I was fortunate to celebrate my 6th Wedding Anniversary in this beautiful untouched island away from all the mundane Hussle. 

So, thinking what a harbour city made up of 74 Wonder islands had to offer, other than the obvious? Here it is.

Whitsunday Islands

6 must do things at Whitsundays, Australia! 

#Stranded in Paradise

We started our Whitsunday adventure with sailing.

Have you ever thought of waking up in paradise? Well, the Whitehaven beach is nothing less than one. The Ngaro people, who used to live in these lands, no longer inhabit these parts. So, we decided to sail through in a private yacht and spend our special day on the crystalline waters.

Perched at a 2-hour long Sailing distance, this beach offers everything you want, unfortunately, there isn’t any stay on the island, the long beach stretch and a national park are what this beach offers. Our overnight stay included a barbeque by the beach and sleeping under the stars and waking up before the sunrise. Plenty of sunshine during the month of July and August, the winter sun offers a pleasant weather.

Snorkel through the Hook and the South Molle islands, the reefs are colourful and if you’re lucky enough, a turtle might pay you a visit too.

#Whitsundays Islands

The Hill inlet is considered as the 3rd most photographed places in Australia, well the picture says it all. A peaceful place, fringed by lush green bushes and mountains, overlooking the azure sea. Yes, this Hill Inlet located at a 25 mins trekking distance from the Whitehaven beach is a must visit place. Venturing beyond the resorts and catching this view at the day end of sailing took away all the pain and stress from us. There are 2 photo points offering the same view, make sure to stop by both of them to grab a selfie and a family portrait.

 

Whitehaven Bay, Great Barrier Reef
Whithaven Bay

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#Go Sailing

There’s no dearth of islands in this beautiful Part of the Great Barrier Reef, but due to the Cyclone Debbie (Well, I have no connection for this, if you have been thinking why this name sounds like mine), the reefs, islands and the shores have been devastated. Therefore, we had only 2 islands Hamilton and the Whitehaven beach at our disposal to explore.

Just an hour by a day Cruise from the Airlie Beach ferry terminal, (Whitsundays Cruise) ensures you sail luxuriously along with their wide variety of morning tea which they offer.

Hamilton is the biggest island and has an airport of its own too, so if you don’t wish to fly to Whitsundays airport from anywhere in Australia, you can fly directly here as well. There are 3 different Island resorts to choose from, however, we stayed at the Hamilton Island Resort, I won’t suggest this island has the best of the beaches, but the island stay was worth it.

Take a buggy and roam around the island, or grab a quick lunch in any of the beach shack enjoying the waterfront view with the various shades of blue. The Tavern Marina is probably the best place to relax and enjoy a meal with family. Don’t forget to pose in front of the gorgeous waterfront.

The resort has their own private beach and the villas were all self-contained, so travelling with a kid is hassle-free. My 3-year-old toddler absolutely loved this lush green island stay. There’s a Wildlife Park, but unfortunately, due to the cyclone Debbie, this was closed for renovation. My 2-day Island stays included a dip in the Catsey Beach, Hamilton Island, lazing around on the beach, spending some quality time in the pool, the Summery Winter sun is harsh, so make sure to dab a lot of sunscreen lotion with 50 +SPF.

The Resort offers a free buggy so post grabbing a seafood lunch we ventured out in our very own vehicle to explore the island.

 

#Airlie Beach, Bicentennial Boardwalk

Airlie Beach is known as the gateway to the Whitsundays, but don’t pass through without stopping here. Sailing the warm blue waters of the Whitsundays is a popular pastime for the locals here. So, what could have stopped me in doing so? We stayed at the Whitsunday Terraces, the balcony of my suite opened right in front of the water-front giving me the gorgeous view of the Airlie beach and the neighbouring islands. I had a private pool overlooking the Coral Sea, if you happen to stay here or pass by don’t forget to grab a drink and enjoy this view.

Another delight of the Airlie beach is the Bicentennial Boardwalk, which runs 3.7kms from the Port of Airlie along the coastline to Cannonvale, with fabulous views of boats bobbing on the Coral Sea. Along the main street, Airlie’s holiday atmosphere reigns, the Airlie central which is a stone’s throw from here is the heart of Airlie. They provide a plethora of dining options, pubs, bars and fast food joints.

Do stop by the Rainbow Bakery, while walking past the Boardwalk, their afternoon tea is worth a try and the views this place offers is beyond any description. The afternoon tea comes at 10AUD/person and includes a fair share of fruits, a curry puff, a home baked cake along with an English breakfast tea. I highly recommend this place for family and friends but make sure to drop down before 4 pm any day.

 

If you’re looking to gorge on a sumptuous Sea food then Fish D’vine is the place to be, we enjoyed our Anniversary dinner with their famous Chilly Mud Crab and Mojitos. The best part of this place is you can choose your own seafood platter and request them a choice of a curry you want. Super-fast service and wonderful ambience to go along.

#Sceneric Helicopter Tour

The Reefs are best enjoyed from above and ideally, this is the perfect way to catch the bay views. Take a 30 mins Helicopter ride, which makes you fly over the 6 gorgeous islands and the Coral reefs.

#Out & About in the Whitsundays

There are myriads way of enjoying the Great Barrier Reef and Whitsundays is just one of the Gateways if you missed my Cairns Travel blog and the Fitzroy Island stay do read them here.

This is out and out family destination and 100% kid’s friendly too, most of the resorts offer free meals for kids under 12 and plethora of kid’s activities are arranged by the cruising company.

So, if you’re thinking where to spend your winter school holidays or rejuvenate your wedding vows well, this is the place to be. If you have already been here before, do drop me a line on how you feel about this place. As you know most of the islands like Daydream and the Hook Long islands are closed for renovation post the cyclone damage, this destination remains on my bucket list yet again in 2018.

Wish to have a Great Barrier Reef Planner? Click here to download!

So, what’s stopping you from setting your soul free in these gorgeous islands?

 

Beach Vacation: Outfit Ideas

What to wear on your Beach Vacation?

While I am still holidaying at the 3rd best beaches in the world, Whitsundays and Mackay (ushering my 6th wedding anniversary) at Queensland (Australia), I bring to you all the outfit details that are necessary for a hassle-free Beach vacation.

 

If you could ever describe what’s a perfect weather is? Then it would be June and July at Whitsundays islands, what the locals call as the Summery Winter. You will wake up to cool, crisp, foggy and peaceful mornings, then party in evenings full of stars.

Temperatures are rarely seen above 28 degrees Celsius during the day and hitting below 17 degrees at night. So, what such a weather at my disposal for 7 awesome days, here is what I flaunted during my vacation.

So, here it is the Beach Vacation Outfit Ideas:

#Playsuits

If you have known me for a little longer than you know how much I love playsuits. If you have missed my previous blog Playful in a playsuit, catch it all here!

These two gorgeous playsuits from Dotti was my staples for the first 2 days, tropical prints and floral made me stand out among the rest while I was sailing or catching a family dinner under the stars. Don’t forget to carry your flip flops or shoes that go normally with most of the outfits.

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#A summery dress

An A line dress is a must have in my beach vacation suitcase, light and easy to carry in my beach bag, this dress from H&M, I styled it with a bandana can make a bold statement.

#Sarong Dress

If you have read my previous blog on the Fitz my stay at the Fitzroy Island resort, then you know how handy is a Sarong dress, especially post a beach day or a day and night sailing.

This Sarong dress from Top Shop Australia was the top pick in my vacation wardrobe, I wore it for a 8 hour long sailing through the Whitsundays islands and I grabbed so many compliments onboard. Wear your swimsuit or bikini beneath and wear it on this, probably the easiest and hassle free outfit for a beach day out.

Beach Vacation Outfit ideas!

#Off shoulder top

Beach vacation without Off shoulder /cold shoulder tops? Well, I can’t think of any, a white off shoulder top is so versatile that you can pair it with hot pants or a skirt. This top from Valley girl paired well with a Valley girl skirt for an evening drinks on the beach.

 

#Swimsuits

Swimsuits/Bikini are a way of making a style statement, whatever you wear shows a different side of your personality, this 2 swimwear I picked from Top Shop, was perfect for a beach holiday.

Beach vacation outfit ideas!

#Bikini top

 

This is something I did an experiment on myself, paired my hot pants with a bikini top and paired with my Hat and the classic beach bag. Showing off my perfectly tanned body, don’t shy away to flaunt this look in your next beach vacation.

So, folks go ahead and make some impressive style statement on your beach vacation and don’t forget to share your views on what you feel about my outfits. Drop in a comment or pass your blog links to me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Waking up in Paradise at the Fitzroy Island Resort, Cairns!

Best Guide to the Fitzroy Island Resort

Have you ever dreamed of having a private beach to yourself? or may enjoy a family cocktail and dinner on a beachfront cafe? or waking up to the sound of the waves at the Great Barrier reef?

When you think of any Tropical islands, a beautiful post card picture appears in front of your eyes with emerald blue ocean and lush green mountains.The Fitzroy island is no way less than a paradise on the Coral sea on the North of Queensland, Australia and i was fortunate to spend 2 days in this Idyllic Island.

Well one doesn’t have to travel far to experience the serenity of this place, take the Fitzroy Island resort ferry from the Reef Fleet Terminal at Cairns City. A 45 mins long ferry ride among the inhabited islands and Rain forest is worth the time and money.

Located on the Great Barrier Reef, this island offers something to everyone and i loved every minute of my stay in this beautiful island resort.

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Cruising along the rain forest mountains!
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Enjoying the Ferry Ride!
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Crossing the inhabitant islands!

Click here for the Ferry Timetable

Once you reach the island your greeted by the hotel staff and handed over the Fitzroy Island map, that comes handy while exploring this 339 hectare continental island .With towering rain-forest mountains, a lighthouse, fringing tropical reefs, a turtle rehabilitation center , Virgin Beaches, along with several eating options, this island resort has everything to offer.

Click here for Fitzroy island Map

As we were traveling with our 3 year old toddler, so the first thing we did on day 1 was to hit the beaches. The island beaches are made of Coral rocks and are not quite comfortable to walk around, so make sure to wear shoes.One can hear a clinging sound while the waves hits the coral rocks on the shore, quite a musical sound it is.

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Snorkeling along the island we spotted colorful turtles and fishes, the corals around the islands are mostly white and off white in color, if your keen on diving into the deep sea you might be lucky to spot the colorful corals and the sea cucumber too. Its always advisable to wear sting suits as Jelly fishes are rampant during this time of the year.There are water sport hiring shops on the beach itself and special diving trainers too, if you wish to explore the deep underwater world.

The resort has a bar pool which has a kids section too, so while you enjoy the island cocktails, you can leave your toddlers at the kids pool to have their own fun.

Our Day 2 , on the Island stated with having hot breakfast on the beach, the sumptuous breakfast menu made us drooling for more. Their hot breakfast is a must try and is available for 22AUD/person and is worth the penny, specially with the  view!

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breakfast on the beach!

We were recommended by some fellow travelers to explore the Nudey Beach , which is on the other side of the island. Please  do not go by the name, you have to keep your clothes on in this Nudey beach though.A 25 mins trek through the bushes and the rain forest landed us up in this secluded beach. We trekked through the path with our 3 year old toddler and it wasn’t as tough as we thought it to be.

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This is a sandy beach in which one can snorkel and swim too unlike the other beaches on the island, at low tide one can get an easy view of the corals too.

If you happen to have a day tour, i would recommend that one should venture the Nudey beach instead of going to other beaches on the island, totally secluded and you have a whole private beach to yourself and your family, isn’t it amazing?

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Nudey Beach, Fitzroy Island
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Nudey Beach, view from the top!

My little one was too excited to see the Turtle sanctuary on the island, where the injured and the old turtles are kept , kind of rehab place. There are 2 tours that runs through the day and the cost of the tours are like 8.5AUD/person and 5AUD/Child and the kids totally love this place, so did we.

The Island has a little Fitzroy island located adjacent to it and there’s a small lighthouse on it as well,there isn’t much on this baby island but you can swim , which is the only mode of travel to this smaller version of the island.

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I loved lazying around the Nudey beach and getting clicked, the place is too beautiful for not being photographed for memories and i made sure to carry these memories along with you.

Before we could catch the sunset while relaxing on the deck with our evening cocktails we decided to trek up to the secret garden on the Fitzroy island. This is 30-40 min trek along the rain forest before you could find yourself among the beautiful wild flower garden,if kids can trek that long, this place is worth the visit.

We bid adieu as we caught the last 5pm Ferry back to the cairns city, enjoying the sail as we saw the sun going down.

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I still feel 2 days is pretty short to enjoy this tropical paradise on the Great barrier reef, but i surely look forward revisiting this island once again very soon.

Till then , keep reading , while i am coming up with the Destination review of Cairns soon!

Happy holidays and Merry Christmas to all my readers!