The Whitsunday Islands

Have you ever walked on sand so pure and fine that it felt like flour squishing between your toes while it cushions your soles?

I mean the softest, whitest sand I have ever seen and felt. So pure and smooth, in fact, that it is barely a bother to find it in every nook and cranny of the body, the places were sand usually goes and can be discovered several days and showers later.

Where is this paradise, you ask? It is a small, remote island off of Australia’s eastern coast, near the ports of Airlie Beach and Shute Harbour, called Whitsunday Island, one of the main isles amongst the group of 74 that make up the Whitsunday Islands.

The sand is so perfect and fine because it is pure quartz that was ground up and dispersed during a volcanic explosion thousands of years ago. It lines the six kilometres of Whitehaven beach and the Hill Inlet, a shallow cove of water that is ever-changing due to the fine sand getting pushed by the tide into different formations.

One of the most wonderful things to do at Whitehaven beach is to simply lie in the sun and enjoy the soft bed underneath you. You can also swim in the lovely water, but you have to watch out because the waters of full of crabs and manta rays.

Between all of the Islands, which can only be accessed by boat and many of which are totally uninhabited by people, are amazing spots for snorkeling and scuba diving. The diverse corals of the Great Barrier Reed stretch out beneath the water and there is no lack of fish and other marine life to see either. Whales and dolphins can also be spotted often.

The best way to see the Whitsunday Islands is by taking a sailboat cruise for at least a few days. That way there is ample time to explore the underwater world, as well as the different islands and beaches. But don’t forget to lie back and take a nap on the beach and under the sun as you sail along the pristine waters – nothing is more relaxing that an afternoon snooze with the sun as your blanket and the sky as your ceiling.