Airlie Beach

Airlie Beach
Since be bought the camper trailer almost two and a half years ago, I have been very discipline writing this blog. Every night I find time to write about the day, what we did how we enjoyed it, the weather, what to look forward to. In all the trips I can't remember a night where I didn't write. Then I post the blog the day after we leave the camp. This trip has been no exception. Here at Airlie Beach I have written every night and right now it is Monday 20 July 2015.
Today we had a " technical" difficulty and everything I have written since leaving Townsville a week ago, has been deleted and unretrievable. So now I'm going to look at the pictures we've taken and try to rewrite the last week. Here we go.

14 July 2015
We left Townsville mid morning as we only had 2 hours to drive the Airlie Beach. We drove through to Bowen for a play at a park and lunch. The park was right next to a lake and was quite beautiful. In fact the nicest park of what we saw in Bowen. We couldn't find a cafe for lunch so went to Woolies got some rolls, baked beans and a salad then kept driving.
Just out of Bowen we stopped at "The Big Mango" for a very short time, just enough for a couple of pictures then on to Airlie Beach.
We arrived right on 2:00. We wandered the park and had a look at the facilities before setting up.
I went and got food for a BBQ dinner and Cate took Ethan and Aisha to the playground and jumping pillow. Dinner then the bedtime routine.

15 July 2015
We decided to head into Airlie Beach on Wednesday morning. We found the logo on pool with a playground and walked around the town. The kids had a ball playing on the playground and wading in the lagoon. We didn't take their swimming gear so we they couldn't go right in.
We bought Aisha a pair of crocs from one of the local shops and spent some time looking for a pair of sandals for Ethan because he has grown our of his current ones, to no avail.
We had lunch in the main street and Cate book a trip to Hamilton Island for later in the week.
The afternoon was spent swimming in the pool at the caravan park. There are 2 water slides and the pool is heated. The weather was perfect, not a cloud in the sky and not a breath of wind. After the pool we went to the jumping pillow again before another BBQ dinner before bed.

16 July 2015
We woke to another beautiful day. Perfect warm weather with no wind. We decided to ride our bikes into Airlie Beach, a 6.1km ride one way.
Before we left I found out that there is a ride along a footpath to a boardwalk which makes its way into the town centre.
Aisha has never ridden more than 1km before so I was wondering how she would go. Ethan is terrific on his bike and besides intersections is very independent. There was one small section, perhaps 200m that we had to ride on the road but up to the boardwalk was a great ride.
Just as we got to the boardwalk Aisha had a stack when she ran into the side of Cate. Although Aisha rides very well, she is still to master breaking and she is too short to touch the ground when sitting therefore prefers not to stop. I ride directly behind her and grab her when she need to stop. On that occasion I was a little slow getting to her.
The boardwalk began as a concrete path. There were several steep downhill sections and Aisha was a little apprehensive on the decent but handle them all really well.
The concrete turned into a real boardwalk. The boardwalk had balustrades and seemed to narrow the path considerably. Aisha has a bell on he bike and certainly let everyone know she was coming. Incredibly some people gave her little room to pass even after they turned to see a little dot riding behind them.
We arrived at Abell Marina and decided to stop for a snack and a coffee, tea and chocolate milkshake. It was beautiful sitting beside the marina watching the yachts and soaking in the sun.
We walked down the marina and had a close look at the boats, really I have no idea where people get the money for the over indulgent toys they have. It was an up close and personal view of how the rich and famous live.
Leaving the marina we continued the ride to Airlie Beach. We arrived at the same place we had been the day before and the kids wanted to play on the playground. They did that for a while then went for a swim in the lagoon. I had carried the backpack with their swimming gear.
We walked our bikes through the main street then had and ice cream before exploring more of Airlie Beach on the bikes.
We made our way back to the camper and rode all the way back with only one short stop for a water. We rode at least 7 km back non stop, I pushed Aisha up a few hills but she handled the bike really well. I was incredibly impressed with Ethan. He was extremely supportive of Aisha, encouraging her every time we came to hill, up or down.
The kids did really well as did Cate it was truly a brilliant ride.
Dinner was a "make your own burger" put on by the Big 4. Must say all profits go to a local disabled child.
Just before that we had a game of giant chess, Cate and Ethan Vs Aisha and I, great fun.
The dinner ran a little late but we had a ball. We were placed on a table with another couple who were spending 4 months travelling with their son the same age as Ethan. We had a great chat the kids had a ball and the food was great.

17 July 2015
Cate had wanted to do a horse trail ride on this holiday. Friday was her day. On Wednesday we book for Friday 11:00.
Being able to take our time in the morning, Ethan and Aisha were looking for a particular toy they had bought with them. I unlocked the car for them and they searched. While in Cairns, we were running out of room in the fridge and I had a brainwave to put fruit on ice in a little travel esky to keep cool. Unfortunately I had forgotten it was in the car and the kids spilt the now water with rotten fruit all over the back seat of the car. I really can't describe the smell. Ethan and Aisha put it perfectly when they came and told Cate and I that "it smells like vomit", it surely does.
Note to self - remember the fruit on ice before it becomes putrid.
We tried to clean up the mess, quickly then headed to the trail ride for Cate. It was a 1 on 1 ride, before her ride she organised for the kids to have walk around on the horse. It was amazing to see Aisha then Ethan riding a horse and I can't remember them riding before. Their faces were terrific while riding. I took Ethan and Aisha to the jumping pillow and the playground while Cate was riding. Cate had a good time riding but I was hoping it would be as amazing for her as the dive off Green Island was for me. Unfortunately it wasn't.
The ride was for an hour and after that we had lunch then back to Airlie Beach. (We are staying about 7 km from Airlie Beach central). On Wednesday I found an aqua park which is effectively giant inflatable sections in the ocean. It was cool and the water was cold, Cate and I were not to keen to go in the water but I'm very glad I decided to have a go and take the kids on the playground. We were 20 meters off the beach and had a ball playing on the inflatables. Aisha was very tentative as they moved and were very slippery.
There was a part where Ethan sat on the end of a pillow and I jumped on the opposite end and he went flying into the air and splashed into the water. He really enjoyed that and did it several times. We played in the Aqua park for nearly an hour before the kids (and I) got cold. I'm so glad I braved the cold and got wet that day, a lasting memory.
We got back, warmed up had dinner and then the bedtime routine.

18 July 2015
As mentioned Cate booked a trip to Hamilton Island and we left on Saturday morning, early. We got on the first ferry, we woke the kids at 6:00 and fed them when we got to the terminal. On the ferry they were still in their PJs. The sun was rising as we left the dock.
The wind was blowing quite heavily and the ferry ride was very rough. Compared to the ride to Green Island, Ethan did very well. Cate spent most of the trip staring at the horizon, and Aisha was sick just as we got to the wind protection of the island 5 minutes before we arrived. We got the shuttle straight to our accommodation.
One of the first thing I noticed upon arrival was the number of golf buggies on the island. They can be rented while on the island so that is what we decided to do. walking towards the rental place I noticed several people staring up towards the high rise building. I was totally surprised to see a monkey walking along the balustrade 5 or 6 floors up.
We then hire a golf buggy and decided to have a look at the entire island and then decide what to do. We drove the island in around 2 hours stopping for a bit to eat at the bakery.
We saw a type of shanty town on the south side of the island and were confused as to what it could be. We also saw a beautiful chapel, a terrific look out and the main shopping centre of the island.
We ate an ice cream at the main pool and had lunch at the restaurant. Then the kids spent a couple of hours swimming in the pool while we waited for our room to be ready.
Then I had a chat with Allen, a guy who's kids Ethan and Aisha had met days earlier at our caravan park. He told me that the filming of "Pirated of the Caribbean" was taking place just of the south side of the island and that explained the monkey we saw and the shanty town.
The room was ready then we went to the main pool where Cate had a cocktail the kids played in the playground again, a terrific afternoon.
Then back to the room for some warm cloths and headed to the lookout we found earlier in the day for the sunset. There were a heap of people at the lookout and it was a brilliant sunset.
Dinner at the restaurant near the pool and back to bed.

19 July 2015
I decided to get up before first light for the sunrise, at the lookout. It was very cold and I stayed there for around 45 minutes a little disappointed that it was overcast. Then off to breakfast.
We had a buffet, perfect for us. Ethan enjoyed fruit while Aisha had a hot breakfast. Cate and I and the kids ate until our stomachs could take no more.
Back to our room we packed for the day then headed to the beach. It was a little overcast and we played in the sand, made sand castles and destroyed then, brilliant beach activities.
Cate was very keen for a bushwalk so we headed to the Scenic Trail and began walking. It was very steep and we walked for quite a while before Turing around, we must have walked several kilometres in total.
We played in the playground for the rest rest of the day before having a picture with a koala. Then on the ferry back to Airlie Beach.
The trip was much calmer than the trip over.
We dinner at a local bar and grill for pizza and curry. Ethan and Aisha really enjoyed the music and danced on the stage entertaining the tourists and locals, the kids had a ball.

20 July 2015
We now get to today. This morning we had nothing planned. The kids played in the camper Cate and I spent much of the day reading. The car still smelt terrible so I spent much of the day drying to remove the small and small nice.
Another of those days where the batteries are recharged. Art from the "technical" difficulty with the blog a relaxing day.
Apart from today the weather has been brilliant. Tonight it's raining and was quite windy all day. It was also overcast and not much sun.

21 July 2015
Today was another of those recharge the battery days. There was nothing planned again. The kids played in the camper and on the jumping pillow and playground the entire day.
I did go for a drive to Shute Harbour. It is a very different place. There are several buildings there and not one of them was open. There was a van selling coffee parked parked under the verandah of the main complex and with the exception of a group of 40 odd going an a charter cruise, there were very few people around. Most of the looked homeless or were workers on boats or the marina.
The weather was the worst it has been since we left Yarragon. It was quite cool and drizzling for the majority of the day.
Tonight is the last night at Airlie Beach tomorrow we head to our last stop, Mackay.