The Road to Becoming OZ Experienced – Airlie Beach from Dingo

Photojournalist David Savage travels Australia on the OZ Experience…

On the Bus…
Life after Dingo began with a hangover. The journey to Airlie Beach took us along the ‘Beef Road’. It’s very long and it’s very straight. After a hard night’s competition drinking at Dingo, this was valuable recovery time before hitting Airlie Beach.

Airlie Beach
Some call this Airlie No-beach, as there isn’t much of a beach to speak of. But Airlie Beach is a place travellers visit to see The Whitsunday Islands, famous for turquoise blue water and white, oh so white, sand. Airlie is the base for Pro Sail, possibly the world’s largest sailing adventure company and is also one of the top diving spots in Australia. Airlie itself is a great place to meet up with other travellers you’ve met on the road and to party before and after you go on your sail and/or dive trip.

I went sailing with Pro Sail (1800 810 116) on the 65ft Catamaran On the Edge. The purpose built cat is 40ft wide and can easily reach speeds of 18 knots in a good wind. Renowned for the great weather, it was typical that the day I chose to sail, it rained and the wind blew hard. That’s not so bad when you’re on a yacht that thinks it’s a Ferrari. In fact, it’s a great buzz and many of the eighteen Pro Sail yachts are built for speed.

Because of the wind we were able to sail most of the way to White Haven Beach. The sand at White Haven Beach is pure white and 98% silicon. Should you have a blowtorch in your bag, try heating up the sand. The result will be clear glass.

The Islands are within a Marine Park. Conservation is taken very seriously, an attitude that has protected the area and earnt the Whitsunday’s a reputation for outstanding beaches and coral reef. Pro Sail have a variety of yachts and operate trips ranging from one day to 3 days, including meals and pick-ups from hostels.

Airlie Beach is one of Australia’s most popular places to learn to dive. I went out with Reef Dive, (1800 075 120), on the schooner Romance for a trip to Bait Reef on the Great Barrier Reef. Although based on a classic schooner design, Romance is only fifteen years old and was built for Australia’s Bicentennial. Now a Dive and Sailboat, Romance offers a great combination of the two reasons why so many people come to the area. For the keen, there is also opportunity for passengers to work the sails under the instruction of First Mate ‘Dog’, whose vocabulary is a mystery and sense of humour is… pirate like.

For many of the passengers onboard, this trip was the culmination of their Basic SSI Dive course that had begun in the classroom in Airlie Beach. Reef Dive have an excellent reputation for Diver Training. Their training centre has a purpose built pool and class room. They aren’t the biggest dive company in the area, which is good from the student’s point of view, who get a more personal service. Reef Dive offer a range of courses and for those who have done their theory elsewhere, Reef Dive accept referrals and will also assist with diver tune-ups.

Reef Dive operate 3 day and 3 night trips to the reef and islands. Certified Divers are welcome to dive alone or in pairs, but after completing the first dive with the instructor as a diver check. Safety is paramount to Reef Dive and all passengers of all levels are well looked after above and below the water.

I explored the ‘Cluster’ with Dive Master Paul Tribe. The cluster is a set of Coral Platforms stemming from a depth of 30 metres. Having dived Bait Reef before I was happy to come back as the diving here is excellent. There are many swim through sections and corridors to explore and one dive called ‘The Maze’ is especially exhilarating.

Staying On…
There are many sailing and diving trips available to travellers from Airlie Beach ranging from one-day to three-day trips. Some trips offer a combination of sailing and diving. If that’s not your bag, then you can also get a permit to camp on your very own uninhabited island and pretend to be Robinson Crusoe, something I did on a previous visit to the Whitsunday’s.

Australian Saying
(Whoosh) “Boomerangs come ba…” (Duff)

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