Sailing around the Whitsundays has been on my bucket list for as long as I can remember. From a young age, I’d heard about the islands from my father who had travelled here in the ’70s. His tales of arriving by helicopter and spending days sailing around magnificent islands offered plenty of inspiration. After much deliberation, I chose to base myself at Airlie Beach and take several day trips to explore the region. With so many day tours on offer, it’s hard to know which to chose. My Camira Whitsundays sailing adventure was not only enjoyable but an excellent way to explore the Whitsunday Islands and Whitehaven Beach.
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1. The Boat
Camira is a big purple high-speed catamaran which looks magnificent with all its sails hoisted. It has two large trampolines at the front which are great for lying on and soaking up the sun. Inside there is plenty of cupboard space to store belongings, and there’s ample space for people to manoeuvre around the vessel.
2. Safety first
The onboard safety talk was well presented, and the PA system was clear and audible. The staff made the conversation lighthearted by incorporating a few jokes, but the importance of safety was projected throughout. They made it clear not only what to do in an emergency, in terms of life jackets etc. but also what to take care over when the sails where hoisted.
3. Fully inclusive day trip sailing the Whitsundays
The main attraction of any Whitsunday cruise is Whitehaven Beach, and numerous tours incorporate it. However, lots of these are only half day trips. They involve taking a high-speed boat to spend just a short amount of time on the beach. Camira, on the other hand, is a full day trip that soaks up the real ambience of the Whitsundays. It departs from Port Airlie at 8.15am and returns at 6 pm. By sailing to the north of Whitsunday Island, you get to pass Hook Island and sail completely around Whitsunday Island.
Throughout the day all food and beverages are free, and there is plenty to go around. There is a guided tour to the Hill outlook, and ample time to swim and explore Whitehaven Beach. The trip also stops at a fringe reef so that you can go snorkelling.
4. Hill Inlet Lookout
After a couple of hours of calm sailing, we arrived at Tongue Point on the edge of Whitsunday Island National Park. We had to make a wet landing because the catamaran was too big for these sandy shores. In small groups, we transferred to a dingy and made our way over to the island. As the name, wet landing suggests you have to disembark in the water and walk ashore. Annoyingly I didn’t bring the wet landing shoes that I’d bought in the Galapagos Islands. I was wearing trainers, so I had to go barefoot. The sand on this side of the island is full of rock and shell, so it’s not easy underfoot. However, the experience of a wet landing does make you feel like some intrepid explorer.
Our first stop was the hill lookout and the famous vista of Whitehaven Beach. It’s an easy 10-minute walk, and the view at the top is every bit as awe-inspiring as you imagine. The white sand and clear turquoise water swirl around to create beautiful patterns in the bay. No picture can do it justice it’s something you have to see to believe. The crew accompanied us and were happy to take photos so you could capture that all-important memory.
5. Whitehaven Beach
From the lookout, we walked down the path to Whitehaven beach itself. I’ve never seen such beauty. The sea was so crystal clear; you could look at the rays swimming just a short distance out to sea. The sand was incredibly delicate and almost pure white. The next couple of hours was spent enjoying this perfect part of the world. Unlike other sailing adventure tours, we had plenty of time to enjoy this famous beach. Camira didn’t depart for a good 30 minutes after the other tourist boats, which means you get the whole place virtually to yourself (and the other 40 passengers).
6. Snorkelling
While enjoying lunch, Camira sailed to a little cove so that we could go snorkelling on the fringe reef. Entry to the water was directly off the boat which may be a bit daunting for some, although there were steps, so you didn’t have to jump. The staff were on hand to help those who hadn’t snorkelled before, and all equipment was included. The crew sounded a hooter when it was time to go so you could enjoy the snorkelling without worrying about the time. Although the water was not the clearest, the snorkelling was enjoyable, and it gave me a chance to practice with my new Olympus TG5 camera. An opportunity I was grateful for as I was heading to Heart Reef Pontoon the next day. As well as a variety of fish I saw a couple of turtles which was most enjoyable.
7. Sailing around the Whitsundays
Although Camira was a high-speed catamaran with engines when the weather was suitable, the crews hoisted the sails for a more leisurely experience. Cruising by natural resources, of course, means that it takes longer to get from A to B. However, there’s nothing quite like sailing, it’s far more relaxing without the engine noise always in the background. Lying on the trampolines at the front with the sun shining, what’s not to love.
8. Friendly staff
I have taken a couple of tours with Cruise Whitsundays and always found the team to be accommodating and friendly. As you leave the terminal to board, the staff wish you an enjoyable Camira sailing adventure in a sincere manner. At the boat more staff are there to welcome you and as Camira departs they humorously introduce themselves. It’s also made clear that if you require anything throughout the day, you only need to ask. I found them to be extremely helpful during lunch as I’m vegetarian. They asked me how many veggie burgers I wanted and offered to cook as many as I liked. When getting on and off the catamaran onto the smaller dingy boat, there was always someone to hold your hand if required. During our time on Whitehaven Beach, they made an effort to talk to everyone to ensure you were enjoying the day.
9. Great Food and drink
There was plenty of food throughout the day, and I was well catered for as a vegetarian. You could help yourself to tea or coffee on arrival, and there was a good selection of biscuits for those who had skipped breakfast. Morning and afternoon tea consisted of fresh fruit, cake, and cheese with crackers. You could help yourself to refreshments throughout the trip and from midday wine and beer was also available. While on Whitsunday Island, the crew, took a large water dispenser with them, so cold water was accessible on the beach.
The crew served lunch after our visit to Whitehaven Beach, and the food did not disappoint. There was a good selection of salads, not just lettuce and separate BBQs for meat, fish and vegetarian. A variety of condiments and plenty of bread rolls were also available to accompany the burgers.
10. Easy to Book
Cruise Whitsundays website is easy to use and has a secure payment method. For a small fee, there is the option to be collected from nearby hotels in Airlie Beach although the walk to the port was only 15 minutes from the centre of town.
It had a truly magical day on this trip, and the Whitsunday’s was everything and more than I had imagined. Thank you to Cruise Whitsunday’s for making the day such a wonderful experience.
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Hi, I’m Fiona Berry- I live in Lancashire in the North of England, but my job as an instrumental music examiner takes me all over the world. Travel has enriched my life in so many ways and allowed me to experience different cultures, make new friends and see extraordinary sights. Through this blog, I share my knowledge and expertise so that my readers have all the resources they require to ensure their travels provide unique and unforgettable memories to destinations that are beyond the ordinary.
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