On Tuesday, we flew from Brisbane to Prosperine, then took a bus to Airlie Beach, our home for the next few days. It was our first domestic flight in Australia, and we learned that airport security is much different than it is at home. No one checked our ID at any point in the process. We kept thinking we missed a step somewhere, but no–you just don’t need an ID to fly domestically. Wild for an American! You can also carry on as much liquid as you want, which is so nice!

Airlie Beach is a funky beach town with a huge marina. It is known as the gateway to the Whitsunday Islands and the Great Barrier Reef, which is why we came here. We are staying at a nice little resort adjacent to the marina; nothing fancy, but the view from our balcony is fantastic!

Yesterday we took an all-day boat tour with Redcat Adventures out to the Whitsundays. It is an absolutely gorgeous area, although the boat we were on did not lend itself to taking photos, so you’ll have to take our word for it. Here’s a stock photo of the boat:

It took about 90 minutes at a pretty fast clip to get to Whitsunday Island, home of Whitehaven Beach, which is a stunning undeveloped beach with the softest sand I have ever felt.

The boat dropped us off in a bay on the opposite side of the island. There are steps that go up to beautiful look-out points and then back down to the beach on the other side. My watch calculated four flights of stairs; Rich’s said ten. I was busy watching for snakes, so I can’t say which is more accurate.

After the beach, we had lunch on the boat and then headed to two snorkeling spots over the Great Barrier Reef. I had high expectations for this bucket list experience, and they were absolutely surpassed. At the first stop we saw amazing fish–enormous fish, colorful fish, so many varieties. The second stop was chosen for the variety of coral. It was truly like being in another world.

We have two more days in Airlie Beach with no plans other than relaxing by the pool and watching the boats sail by. What a life!