Wondering to Wander: Whitsunday Islands

Hey all! So I am finally back after a 9 day holiday to the Whitsunday Islands! If I could only describe those 9 days in one sentence I would say "It was one of the most incredible experiences I've ever had." The trip was organized by MonniTravels, a Travel Agency started up by the one and only Monni Will. Monni, along with a number of other incredible and fascinating wanderers, led our trip. There were 80 students from USC present (mostly internationals), 60 of which were taking a bus (including myself), and the other 20 renting cars and meeting us at Airlie Beach. 

We departed from the Sunshine Coast on Friday night for an exhausting 14 hour bus trip, with a few stops at some 24-hour gas stations being our temporary reprieves. We arrived at Airlie beach on Saturday evening and checked into Nomads (our hostel) and spent the day exploring our new surroundings. Easter Sunday followed and Olivia and I decided to go Kayak with Sea Turtles for the day through the company Salty Dog Sea Kayaking. Even though it felt weird not being with my family on Easter, I had an incredible time. We kayaked to a small island made entirely of coral and I snorkeled for the first time! We didn’t end up seeing any turtles but it was absolutely refreshing to be boating again and it ended up being a really cool and memorable experience.                      
 

The next morning we woke up at 5AM to see the sunrise over the ocean, which I would 10 out of 10 recommend to anyone because it was a truly beautiful phenomenon. 

Olivia, Tyler, and I decided to spend the day away from the group and took a bus to Conway National Park instead. We ended up hiking through the rain forest to Swamp Bay. (Side note: For those of you who have never been to Swamp Bay, it’s not actually a swamp, but a beautiful and secluded beach that overlooks the Whitsunday Islands.)
 
        

Our hike went smoothly, and everything was fine until we returned to where the bus had dropped us off. As we were sitting on the side of the road waiting for the bus, these tiny bugs (which we later learned were sand flies) appeared out of the bush and started swarming us and biting at our legs, leaving at least 50 bites each on Olivia and I (I still have the scars, almost 3 weeks later). Let’s just say I've never been happier to get onto a bus in my life. 

And so ends the first half of our trip! Defeated by fatigue and bugs, we went to bed knowing that the next morning we'd be getting on a Catamaran to our own private island of South Molle.
South Molle, also known as Koala Adventure Island, is a beautiful (yet slightly creepy) place with an interesting past. The island is oddly vacant and run down in the more remote areas. Not going to lie, I felt like I was walking into a horror movie when I first arrived. Apparently Koala Adventure Island Resort was a popular tourist destination until a hurricane destroyed it in the 1970’s. After the hurricane, the owners sold it and ever since it has not been utilized as it was years ago. However, the main living areas and pool/bar were well maintained so I wasn't always uneasy. However, I did find an abandoned golf course and a run down shack in the middle of the night (just to name a few).  
 

Even though it was initially creepy, our group brought the island to life again and there ended up being a number of small adventures during our brief stay on South Molle. We enjoyed some of the simpler pleasures of island life, such as: trying (and succeeding) to break open a coconut with a rock, star gazing and making shapes from clouds on the pier, tying feathers of native birds into our hair (a rainbow lorikeet feather for me), sharing stories, and exploring the beautiful landscape. Though all of these moments were great, one of the most memorable moments on the island (and quite possibly of the entire trip) was hiking to the top of Mount Jeffreys. On the way up the mountain, surrounded by rolling grassy hills and a beautiful overhead view of the islands, we found thousands of azure blue butterflies. Seeing the air filled with these gorgeous creatures was one of the most magical and beautiful moments that I have ever witnessed. Although we were all taking pictures, it was impossible to catch the novelty of that moment.
  

Out of the 3 days spent on South Molle, the final one was dedicated to exploring Whitsunday Island. We took a long and wavy ride out to sea, snorkeled in the reef, and stopped for a few hours at Whitehaven Beach- ranked one of the top ten beaches in the world. After seeing it, I easily believe it. Whitehaven is known for its pure-white sand, made of 98% silica. The sand doesn’t retain heat and has been noted as being good for exfoliating skin, cleaning teeth, and shining jewelry. So naturally I rolled around in it and brushed my teeth with it. If nothing else, those two short hours on Whitehaven made the entire trip worth it.

  

On the way back we watched the sunset and saw the stars slowly appear in the sky. The sunset had some of the most vibrant colors I've ever seen and the Milky Way was so incredibly visible without the lights of the city. Seeing these natural wonders that were so much bigger than myself seemed to put everything into perspective. 

 

The following morning we headed back to Airlie to spend our last day at the Airlie Beach Markets. Having grown up going to artists markets with my mom, I assumed that these markets would be a walk through tents filled with over-priced crafts and paintings, but oh was I wrong. There were tents lining the beach selling fresh produce, artwork, jewelry, and a number of other really cool products. They were even selling camel rides along the beach! We also found a cool store nearby called “Whitsunday Opals & Didgeridoos” that gave us a free didgeridoo lesson and sold opals and aboriginal artwork (some of which I may have purchased). After eating at our usual noodle place, accurately named Noodles & Rice, we left Airlie beach to head back to the Sunshine Coast. 

     

Fourteen hours and a few strategic cuddles later, we were back home. Even though I was exhausted, covered in bug bites, and my legs were both asleep from being squished the entire bus ride, I was so grateful for such an incredible experience and for the wonderful people I met.

 

Since then it’s been the same old same, a couple of day trips to the beach and a ton of homework. However, a trip to the Gold Coast and a Rugby game are on the agenda for the next couple of weeks so stay posted! Until then, keep wandering!