With miles of white sand beaches, coral reefs, crystal seas and (almost) year-round good weather, it's easy to see how the “Sunshine State” became Australia’s playground — albeit with a few safety warnings attached. Snorkelers are advised to don full body suits to protect from the seasonal bloom of jellyfish, while some rivers and inlets are also off-limits lest swimmers be “taken” by the infamous saltwater crocodile.
A classic Queenslander
We started our trip down Australia’s north-eastern coast in the city of Cairns, a former gold mining and port town now entirely dependent on tourism. Here, tourist companies vie for your dollar by promising deep discounts on tour packages across Australia. The nearby Great Barrier Reef and Daintree Rainforest bring a steady stream of visitors and upscale developments around the harbor, but Cairn’s rustic pubs, old Queenslander-style houses and lively nightlife recall the area’s frontier edge. (Handily, a popular man-made lagoon overlooking the seafront provides a safe place to take a cooling dip).
Cairns lagoon, for croc-free swimming
From Cairns, we caught a bus further down the coast to the small town of Airlie Beach. Here, the thing to do is to sail around the peaceful bays and stunning beaches of the Whitsundays, an island group protected by the Great Barrier Reef. Our boat — the 24-meter Condor — also had a certain pedigree. As a racer, she competed in the illustrious Bermuda Cup, as well as the Sydney to Hobart and Antigua race weeks. Now she’s retired and refurbished to hold up to 32 guests and crew aboard a three day / two night live abroad cruise.
The Condor
Our weekend included a morning at Whitehaven beach (a near perfect stretch of pure white, silica sand) with a snorkeling stops at various points along the Great Barrier Reef, which protects this whole area from the waves that pound the rest of the coast. In the Whitsundays, the colorful corals are in good condition, though the same can't be said of large parts of the world-famous coral embankment. Increasing sea temperatures have had a major impact here, killing off algae and starving the delicate coral of food, a process known as “bleaching.” In some places, experts estimate 60% of the reef has been damaged. Our Aussie crew threatened dire consequences for anyone caught touching or standing on the coral, which also dies upon human contact.
Airlie Beach, gateway to the Whitsundays
Following the reef further south, we hit the tiny town of Rainbow Beach, gateway to the world’s largest sand island. Fraser Island, aka the “Great Sandy National Park,” is a 15km refuge created over thousands of years by sand blown from the mainland. The vast archipelago is also a particular draw for off-road enthusiasts, none of whom will get very far without 4-wheel-drive. We signed up for a ride-along tour and, after the short ferry from the mainland, were soon racing tides around Fraser’s beach highway.
Fraser Island's beach highway
Sadly, Fraser Island is fast becoming a victim of its own success. According to our guide – a local named Micko who's been visiting this place since childhood — now more people come to race around in souped-up cars than explore the island’s natural charms. In between the drag racing, we hiked through dense tropical forest to crystal-clear pools, cooled off in icy streams and hiked rocky headlands, where we spotted manta rays gliding through the ocean. We spent two nights camped out on land belonging to the local Butchulla tribe, an Aboriginal group whose members also performed a traditional dance.
View from Indian Head, Fraser Island
After two action-packed weeks of camping, hiking, off-roading, snorkeling and sailing, including a sunny Christmas Day picnic on Arlie Beach, it was sort of a relief to reach the air-conditioned cafes and bars of Brisbane, Queensland’s capital city. We arrived just to celebrate New Year’s, which we did with a picnic dinner and bucket of mimosas down at the city’s riverside fireworks show. Here we rang in 2017 alongside some very nice Brisbanites, though we also had to contend with a very drunk man intent on performing an impromptu fire-twirling show. Just more proof that in Australia, danger lurks around every turn.
Tom Mountford