After the quiet magic of the Noosa Everglades, I kept the momentum going north until I hit Airlie Beach. This town is the ultimate jumping-off point for the Whitsunday Islands and, of course, the Great Barrier Reef. With the tropical sun finally out, I wasn’t about to stay on the shore—it was time to get back underwater.
I headed out on a small dive boat for a double-dive session. The ride out to the sites only took about 30 minutes, which is a nice change from some of the longer hauls you usually find on the reef.
The ocean was a bit restless during my visit, though. The tidal range was particularly high, and all that moving water meant the visibility wasn’t quite “postcard perfect.” I had about 10 meters of visibility to work with—which, after my 5-meter dive in Byron Bay, actually felt like a bit of a luxury! Even with the stirred-up sediment, being submerged in these waters is always a highlight. There’s just something about the tropical Great Barrier Reef that feels like home for a diver.
Next stop: Is it time to hop on a sailboat through the Whitsundays, or am I taking the RedSands rig further into the tropical north?
