Agnes Water & The Whitsunday Islands

Southern Cross Backpackers 

We stayed in Agnes Water for three nights, at what has to be the nicest hostel we’ve stayed in so far - only took me six weeks to find one I liked! Situated on sixteen acres of land, Southern Cross Backpackers was more like a tropical holiday resort than a place for weary and slightly dirty backpackers to lay their heads for a few nights. With it’s own lake, chilli patch, horse field and individual wooden cabins, all with ensuite bathrooms, we definitely felt like we had hit the jackpot. Wifi was free, along with breakfast every morning and tea and coffee all day long. There was a pool for relaxing next to, as well as hammocks located all over the grounds (on the off chance you needed to rest after actually doing something strenuous.) Whilst in Agnes we took part in the Scooter Roo Tours - $75 for four hours worth of motorcycling around the town and spotting wild kangaroos (made sure to tell my parents about it AFTER the ride.) Within the first five minutes we were applying our fake tattoos and donning our leather jackets, complete with flamed embroidery - obviously! The route took us all around Agnes Water and Town 1770, named after the year Captain Cook first discovered it, as well as down to the marina to watch the sunset. Admittedly, I was not the best rider, but that didn’t take away from the experience. Being able to see the wild kangaroos in their natural environment was one of the coolest things we’ve done so far, as well as being able to see this pretty incredible end to the day. 

1770 Marina 

Our next ‘adventure’ was the ten-hour-long overnight bus journey up to Airlie Beach. Once again we dressed down into our comfortable clothes, also known as the clothes we never wear in public but keep for such occasions, and prepared to settle down for the night. Unfortunately, our Greyhound bus seemed to lack a decent heating system, and so continued to blast freezing cold air down upon us for the duration. It was uncomfortable, it was cold, and it’s safe to say we were downright miserable for the entirety. But moaning over, because 7am soon came around and we were in Airlie! The sun was shining on the water and already people were out and going about their business. More commercialised than the last few places we’ve been to, it was a nice surprise to be reunited with shops such as Woolworths and Cotton On once again! We stayed there for the night, and the next morning headed off to Abell Point Marina where we met up with our sailing group and boarded our boat, The Condor, for our trip around the Whitsunday Islands.

Abell Point Marina 

We were on board for a total of three days and two nights, and I can honestly say that it was one of the most chilled out and relaxing three days I think I’ve ever had. The weather was perfect, the water was calm, and the scenery was gorgeous no matter which direction you looked in and at what time of day. All food and drinks were included, and made for us every few hours. The deck hands did all the washing up, and made sure there was enough for everyone to have seconds - pure bliss to someone who’s been living off noodles for the last seven weeks! Real home cooked meals such as roast chicken, mash potato and vegetables were eaten under the Milky Way as we parked up for the evenings. It was definitely another of those ‘I can’t believe this is my life’ moments. In total there were 29 of us on board, including crew, which made for slightly cramped sleeping conditions… Jack and myself actually ended up sleeping in the kitchen, on a C shaped corner bed with two huge pipes running straight through the middle of them - it was an experience that’s for sure! During the days we went snorkelling three times, on Hook Island, Blue Pearl Bay and Langford Reef, where we saw an array of tropical fish, beautiful coral and even some sea turtles - no Nemo though! For me the best part of the trip was visiting Whitehaven Beach, voted the third most beautiful beach in the world by Trip Advisor. It genuinely looked like something off a postcard, it was that perfectly white and blue. Just like Lake Mackenzie on Fraser Island, the sand was so fine and made mostly of silicon, that you were actually able to exfoliate your skin, condition your hair and brush your teeth with it (not that we did the last one…) There we saw blue crabs and got to swim in the clearest water I’ve ever seen - a pretty perfect day. 
Returning back on land was pretty depressing I have to admit, and I really wasn’t looking forward to attempting to pull a comb through my completely matted and sea-salty hair, but the after-party that evening softened the blow, with many pitchers of free cocktails helping considerably. 

Whitehaven Beach

Tips if you’re planning on sailing the Whitsundays:

If you get seasick, stay up on deck and focus on the horizon to even out your balance. Going downstairs and hiding away in the bathroom will only make you feel worse and more disorientated. 
You’re not going to want a goon hangover combined with choppy sailing, so leave the hard stuff at home and just bring a few ciders and beers for the day.
Try and find yourself a waterproof camera, even if it’s a cheap disposable one. You’ll get some amazing photos when snorkelling and diving.
You won’t be wearing shoes whilst on the boat, so just bring some flip-flops for when you stop off at the beach.
Ladies - don’t struggle with your hair, just embrace the Kate Moss beachy look! 

And enjoy :)