Towards Airlie Beach

Leaving Paronella Park we continued along the old Bruce Highway passing through Japoonvale before joining the Highway at Silkwood 24 km later. 

This road was very narrow in places and had many twist and turns which kept our speed down below 60 km/h. The scenery was just lovely with the mountains covered in mist from last nights rain and with beautiful green sugar cane farms lining the road.

Unfortunately the south easterly winds that have been blowing for the past week were still very strong and were playing havoc with our fuel consumption as we headed south. 

We were pleasantly surprised with the changes made along the foreshore at Cardwell and how large the town has grown. 
In the past I have always stopped and purchased a piece of crumbed fish from the BP servo on the highway. They are renowned for there fish, but unfortunately it wasn't all that long since having breakfast. 

We stopped just south of Ingham for our morning break before taking the bypass road around Townsville. From here it was 93 km south to Ayr and to our camp for tonight at Home Hill a further 11 km away. We had planned to camp at the showgrounds but a comment on Wikicamps suggested not to stay there because there wasn't any protection from the strong winds that were whipping up great clouds of dust.

Our next option was the RV comfort stop for vans behind the main street. Its a great incentive by the local council with free hot showers and toilets. It encourages people who stay to spend money in the town just like we did at the local supermarket. 

Yet another days driving into strong head winds. We left the highway and drove into Bowen which now has 'Bowenwood' painted on the towns water tower after parts of the film Australia were shot here. Fuel was very cheap at $122.9 cpl so we topped up the tanks before continuing on towards Airlie Beach. 

We are staying at the Big 4 at Cannonvale for five nights with two extra free nights thrown in.

Airlie Beach was almost like our second home during the 80's and 90's. We would visit here each year as we tried to escape the winters in Canberra. 

I started coming here during the 1970's when I was doing my diving courses with Barrier Reef Diving Services. I obtained my Divemaster certification in 1982 and the Barrier Reef is just a magical place to dive and photograph.

I'm on the right and the other photo is a macro shot I took of a starfish's tentacle. 

Instead of having dinner out at night we have been doing lunches. 

We enjoyed a beer and a pizza at Mr Bones Restaurant overlooking the lagoon:

Our view from the Airlie Beach Sailing Club. I had the coral trout and Ros enjoyed her chicken parma:

Sorrento Italian Restaurant is located overlooking the Abell Point Marina. We both enjoyed a pasta meal with Ros having the puttanesca penne (roasted vegetables and pesto). I enjoyed my prawn and spanner crab linguini and we shared a garlic and parmesan pizza bread.

The lagoon area at Airlie offers all year round swimming without the threat of  being bitten by 'Box Jellyfish' which are present in the waters in Northern Australia from October till May. It has really enhanced the foreshore, before the lagoon was constructed this whole area was just mud flats when the tide was out.

There is also a stinger enclosure just along from the sailing club:

Airlie Beach always looks great when the tide is in:

Shute Harbour used to be the only transit facility for people going to the Whitsunday Islands or doing day trips, but now all that has changed. 

Boats now depart from the Port of Airlie to the Whitsunday Islands.