Airlie Beach is a coastal resort town in the Whitsunday Region of Queensland. There are only 1200 year round residents of Airlie Beach. The island is the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef and can be a base for exploring the region so it is very busy. It is eternal summer here with its tropical climate. The Whitsunday Islands were found by James Cook in 1770 and considered a sailors’ paradise. Cook named the islands as he passed through the area on the Christian festival day of Whit Sunday.
We took a guided tour along the beach front that runs approximately three miles. We saw two marinas, the Airlie Beach Lagoon, and a walkway and boardwalk that run the length of the seafront. There are shops, cafes and boutiques along the main street adjacent to the marina and a beautiful lush, green rainforest that makes for a stunning backdrop.
It was very hot and sunny and sunburn is the greatest threat while visiting, other than marine stingers at this time of year. We were encouraged not to swim in the ocean as it is filled with them and their sting is very painful and sometimes deadly. The sea water in this area of Australia is 90 degrees in summer, so while not that refreshing it is what attracts the number of Irukandji jellyfish. The Irukandji jellyfish are very small adult sized of about a cubic centimeter, they are both the smallest and one of the most venomous jellyfish in the world. When the larvae get caught between the skin and your swimming suit they can cause a burning, itchy rash that can make you feel like your skin is on fire. We were very hot after our tour but the warning was enough to keep us out of the water.
