13.8.15 - Airlie Beach | Whiteheaven Beach | Cairns

Sometimes I sin by speaking too soon. After all, paradise isn`t in Magnetic Islands, is in Whiteheaven! But we already go there, one point at a time.As I told you yesterday, today we sailboat for Whiteheaven Beach with boat exchanges and more exchanges. Ours was a blue, beautiful sailboat, but where was felt the weight of age.34 people on board plus crew, set sail at 8 am to a destination that, at 22 knots, was three hours away.The sea choppy brought excitement to taste the trip, with the waves hit the keel and lifting the boat, with this inclined to starboard, listening to various aiis and uiis.Me and João, Portuguese gem like we are, with the sea and the boats running since 14th century in the blood, which joined the beautiful Doriane - France, Strasbourg, whose boyfriend was on deck - we went to the bow and We felt the waves pass over us. Pure adrenaline.When the sea calmed down and came to land, looking out on deck, it seemed that we brought a group of refugees, such were the faces of fear and soaked that were seen under yellow tarpaulins.Coming to Tongue Bay, we walk 20 minutes through the woods to reach Whiteheaven Beach.Now that's heaven!A sandy expanse as thin as Snow White cakes, which helps to convey the clear blue water for kilometers and kilometers, forming bays and coves.We showered, took pictures of Zarathustra and to complete the idyllic setting or lacked a baby shark, with a 35 cm long, to come greet and swim among us - fortunately dads weren`t there!Then it was time for snorkeling and, once again, at the coral reef, we saw the parrotfish and butterfly fish swimming with all there will be live between the rocky and colorful.Time to return and with the sea floor, the sail was peaceful in the Pacific to see the whales in the background. A 1 km away, we could perfectly see the tail out and into the water.Arrived in Airlie Beach, it was time to go to Cairns. were just, sort of, 700 km of national highway.Remember the Pussy Wagon?The tiring journey, a petrol station, for a huge pick up, with dual wheels behind, large headlights LEDs as the world rallies, gray metallic, with a naked woman painted on the door and the announcement: "G-SPOT , Mechanical and  Enginnering ". This is where Tarantino was inspired, of course!

Arrived in Cairns was time to sleep four hours a sly aparthotel and now it's time to embark for Darwin.
Mick Dundee, here we go!

12.8.15 - Airlie Beach

Airlie Beach is a small town in front of a set of islands called Whitsundays. Are idyllic islands, Thailand, Indonesia, Jamaica or Polynesia style. We came here to have a basis to jump island to island.
The problem was that yesterdaythe company  canceled the trip we booked, so, today at 6:30 am we were at the port to see if we could find a boat to take us to Whiteheaven Beach. Couldn`t and therefore We got into a ferry and went the sea to Hamilton Island and, in the aftyernoon, to Daydream Island.
The best of the trip was ... the trip.Morning at 8, the sea was down and the boat didn`t have a lot of people. I talk with two gentlemen with a Penske shirt; They were diesel boat engines mechanical, Penske technology. We where talking about races and many other things when one of them points to the water and could see a giant turtle. How wonderful.
But the true giant was when, after we cross several islands with green shores and small points of white sand, he told me to look at the water line. There were a kind of geiger. Seconds passed, a whale comes up for air and back to sink. The same, or another, did the same movement.Therefore, it was worth the trip.
Hamilton Island is a resort island, with a small marina but with a quality and style of Portofino, where all go hand in golf cart. The girls wanted to ride a cart and went to see them to drive those devilish racing cars on the road of the island.
After the initial excitement caused by the toy, we went to a fine sandy beach. A stingray came to us, like usual in these parts.
After lunch we went to Daydream Island. An island that is a tacky resort but, inside, has a lake with rays and sharks. Also in this space we saw kangaroos in broad daylight. Other than that, nothing more.We return to Airlie Beach and we were dealing with travel tomorrow: Whiteheaven Beach, a beautiful sailboat, blue, where the Prince Philip of Edinburgh sailed when was here. Result: we pay twice what was originally planned.What matters is that, not to think about it, the aparthotel was a Jacuzzi waiting for us, with the Pacific on the horizon and the stars as a roof.

11.8.15 - Magnetic Islands | Airlie Beach

 The Magnetic Islands are beautiful and the wake up was with the sound of huge colorful birds that populate the skies of the islands.The island, where we stayed, is a green rock, cut by bays that forms white sandy beaches. The plan was to go to that beaches.We begin by Radical Bay and barely reached the beach, went swimming. At my feet, after notice that the sand was moving too quickly, a streak. I picked up the mask to do snorkeling. Some fish around a rock and it was time to go to another beach.By dense, and green forest, where a few rays of sunshine spend, we jumped beach by beach; or bay by bay to be precise. From the middle of vegetation hears crawling and hopping noise, making the leaves move up. I don`t know if I want to know who makes these noises.With this scenario we reached Florence Bay.With vegetation to the sand, the golden strip, with the trick tide, creates a mirror of water to the blue sea.I went back to do snorkeling because a coral home-butterfly fish and parrot fish. A blue streak and a school of white Gars.The next bay was Arthur Bay.To get there we had to cross a stream with a half standing water. There were several holes that could be of snakes; I don`t know if it was the ideal place for an crocodile attack. But it had that aspect.Arthur Bay has a thicker sand that before and it was hard to walk there because we were buried. In this bay we had lunch and slept a nap.In the afternoon we went to the last beach: Alma Bay. What a let down. Direct access by road, many people - about 30 - swings for children, lawn, lifesaver.On island guide said it was the best beach for snorkeling. I saw a smaller black little fish, smaller than a sardine.In the end we return by ferry to Townsville, and took the trip to sleep.From Townville to Airlie Beach were 270 km under Milky Way
Tomorrow we go to the Whitsundays but the reservation was canceled during dinner; so we go to the port at 6.30 in the morning to see if arrange place in a boat ...