A month around Australia and another month around Asia did not tire us of travel. We set out on one last adventure to the Whitsundays in Queensland, only about 10 hours south of Cairns, where we visited the Great Barrier Reef a couple months ago. I scored $10 flights on Tiger Airways from Melbourne to Mackay before Katie even booked her flight to Melbourne. The airline is similar to Southwest and occasionally offers these one off grand specials. Other than being blown away in the frigid wind as we boarded the plane outside in Australian winter, the flight was hassle free. While taking this picture upon arrival in Mackay, we were told there are no electronic devices allowed near the plane while it was refueling. Okay??
We rented a car and drove a couple hours north to Airlie Beach, where we stayed at Airlie Beach Hotel on the Esplanade (this is the view from our balcony). We learned our Ragamuffin Sailboat Snorkeling trip was cancelled for the next day as we were the only two booked. After a quick review of the brochures at the hotel, we booked in an Ocean Rafting tour for the next day, and toured the town. We hit up Capers for a nice dinner by the beach, which recieved the best restaurant award in the Whitsundays. I had the most amazing cauliflower risotto with mushrooms, parmesan and pine nuts (my favorite). We walked the strip of bars and found some good nightlife at Beaches (mostly overrun with backpackers) and Evolution Dance Club.
