Airlie Beach Australia – A Tourist Hotspot!

A favorite for holidaymakers in the whole of Australia, if not the world, is the town of Airlie Beach, which resides in the Whitsunday Region in Queensland. The town lies very close to the great barrier reef hence its a fantastic location for many tourists all year round.

The Whitsunday Islands were named by Captain James Cook back in 1770 when he was traveling around the east coast of Australia. It was supposedly the festival of Whit Sunday on the day he was there, hence the name.

How To Get To Airlie Beach
There is an airport not far from Airlie Beach – Prosperine Airport, also known as Whitsunday Coast Airport. Flights are provided by Jetstar and Richard Branson’s Virgin Airlines. There is an east coast train that stops at Airlie too and coaches provided by both Greyhound and Premier which travel regularly between Cairns and Brisbane.

Getting Around
There is a regular bus service between the town and the airport which costs $15 Australian for a one way ticket. The Taxis are the same price so if you can get one of those its the better option as they take you to your destination. Total journey time between central Airlie Beach and the airport is around 40 minutes.

Things To Do
Airlie Beach itself is not the best place for swimming. From October to May jellyfish frequent the waters and this makes swimming very precarious to say the least. You can though either hire or purchase a “stinger suit” which will offer full protection.

To make up for these difficulties however, there is a man made lagoon which stretches to 200 metres long and 50 metres wide. It is watched through the day by life guards and patrolled during the night by security guards so its a thoroughly safe place to swim and spend leisure time. On Saturday mornings alongside the lagoon is a waterfront market where you can purchase all forms of locally produced souvenirs and foods.

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