Queensland Armchair Guide Blog.

Queensland Accommodation

2012-01-17T13:11:00.003+10:00

Check out our new Queensland Accommodation Page.

Do The Whitsundays.

2011-06-27T15:37:00.009+10:00

Do The Whitsundays is a joint marketing venture organized by local tourism operators in the beautiful Whitsundays.
Their aim here is to promote the 74 islands that make up the Whitsundays and generate interest in a larger variety of activities available.
Queensland Armchair Guide wish them every success in their new venture.Visit them at
Do The Whitsundays

Climate Change --The Truth.

2011-06-24T11:37:00.002+10:00

Hi Guys,
Just read an interesting piece in The International Express
Tuesday June 21st 2011.
http://www.theinternationalexpress.com
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Ann Widdecombe Page.:--
No more lies on the global climate front.
How long will it be before the voice of reason prevails over
the cynical cowardice of climate-change scientists who
are faced with increasing evidence that they have it wrong
but are too deeply dependent on huge government spending
to admit it.
A scientist who has worked for Australia's Dept.
for Climate Change recently admitted that nobody started out
to mislead, but by the time the evidence was pointing the other way
there were too many jobs, industries, trading profits and political
careers riding along on this nonsense.
Strong words but they reflect the growing unease.
Now that some scientists are daring to put their heads above the
parapets, how long must we wait before politicians follow suit.?
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Foot note :-
Gillard Comment to The ABC.
Prime Minister Julia Gillard says she didn't mean to mislead people when just before last year's federal election she said there would be no carbon price under a government she led.

"I've explained of course to the Australian people that I never meant to mislead anybody during the last election campaign about carbon pricing," Ms Gillard told ABC Radio.

She said she has always thought the best way of putting a price on carbon was a cap and trade scheme.

"We're going to get there through a path I didn't expect during the election campaign of a fixed price period for around three to five years," Ms Gillard said.

"So yes, the route to the objective is different.

"When I said those words in the election campaign I didn't mean to mislead anybody and I understand that people heard those words and they look at what's happening now and they perhaps say: `What's going on? What did she mean then? What does she mean now'?"
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
We all make mistakes Julia. Many of the people voted for you by mistake at the last election so can we have another election and we can call it quits.

Million Dollar Memo News.

2011-03-22T11:09:00.006+10:00

Tourism Queensland have just embarked on their latest World Wide Promotion. 'Million Dollar Memo' targets companies and their staff to compete against each other to produce a 60 second video relating to their company and to write and tell why they would like to holiday in The Sunshine State. It will be interesting to follow the video applications as they come in, and to add fun to this promotion there will be a news site dedicated to commenting and viewing the entries as they come in.
Most people dread getting another memo, but this time the memo comes with a million dollar bonus attached for you and your hard working staff. Million Dollar Memo will be well received by creative enterprises throughout the world that do that "bit more" for their customers and staff.
The News site will introduce you to the Whitsunday and Airlie Beach people and businesses that will show you a good time on your adventure of a lifetime.They will highlight the submitted videos as they come in and provide some fun reviews and commentary along the way.
Member for Whitsunday and Queensland's Minister for Tourism Jan Jarratt will meet you and probably join you for a sail or scuba dive adventure around the Whitsundays.
Minister Jarratt told the News site this week that "We're encouraging people to have a bit of fun with this."
"Naturally the Great Barrier Reef is going to feature on anyone's wish list. We love welcoming people and sharing what we have to offer."
"If you want to give your staff an incentive for their hard work, where better could you possibly send them than to Queensland?" Minister Jarratt asks.
The news site will include a 'Peoples Choice' score on all video entries and will have a special 'Hot or Not' rating for some extra fun.
Get your passport ready to hop across the world when your company wins the trip of your lifetime to Australia's Queensland for fun in the sun.

Cap'n Dan
From the News site that will be announced shortly.
Airlie Beach, Whitsunday - The Heart of Australia's Great Barrier Reef

Fantasea Adventure Cruises Australian Award.

2011-03-12T11:10:00.006+10:00

The 26th Annual Australian Tourism Awards was held in The Grand Ballroom at Burswood Entertainment Complex in Perth last night 11/3/2011. Fantasea Adventure Cruises won the 2011 Australian Tourism Award for best Tour & Transport Operator in the country. Fantasea Adventure Cruises, presently based at Shute Harbour, will soon be moving their operations to the new Port of Airlie at Airlie Beach in The Whitsundays.Some of the 'behind the scenes' guys from Fantasea Adventure Cruises,who, without them this magnificent award would not have been possible are pictured on the right.Congratulations also go to our other Queensland winners. Queensland's Tropical North showed its strength of Tourism Excellence with Jungle Surfing Canopy Tours taking out two of the region's three awards, the Gold Coast winning two awards, and one category taken out by Brisbane.
Take a trip from Shute Harbour via Hamilton Island to Hardy Reef with us at Queensland Armchair Guide.
Follow up with the award winning Fantasea Reef Sleep trip on our Reef Sleep Page.

Michael Moran must have know the result was in the bag judging by the smile.
Crew members of The Fantasea Reef Platform.

Fantasea Reef Sleep.

2011-03-05T10:27:00.005+10:00

Liz and I recently joined Fantasea Adventure Cruising on a trip to Hardy Reef. This time would be decidedly different because we would be staying overnight in the 'King Room' Accommodation on Fantasea's Reef Platform.
The Reef Sleep experience really begins to take effect immediately our fellow passengers depart on the ferry for home. As we watched them slowly disappear into the distance we sat on the top deck of the pontoon sipping champagne with only ourselves and the seabirds for company. A gentle breeze gave voice to the ocean softly lapping at our remote marine structure just 40 nautical miles NE.from our home at Shute Harbour. The opportunity to dive, snorkel or just relax completely in almost absolute isolation is a truly unique holiday experience that is only available in Australia here on Hardy Reef at The Fantasea Reef Platform.
The afternoon gave way to a balmy tropical evening as we prepared to enjoy an alfresco dining delight as the sun sank slowly on the western horizon.After dinner we spent a considerable time in the underwater viewing chamber watching the many varieties of fish that frequent this part of The Hardy Reef System before retiring to bed for an early start before dawn the next day.
Five - thirty am with coffee on the upper deck we sat and watched the ever changing colours of the sky in the pre-dawn light. The birds had begun to stir from their resting places aboard the helipads as the sun announced another beautiful day in paradise. A beautiful sunrise, complete solitude, and a few more hours before the peace gives way to a host of new visitors. A couple of green turtles decided to munch away at the marine growth on the pylons as the birds circled and dived into the shimmering waters.
Being in the open air always brings on a ravenous constitution hence breakfast and coffee, served by our host was devoured with alacrity. Snorkelling and relaxing followed until finally the morning ferry arrived with the accompanying sounds of excited visitors. The Reef Sleep over, we still had a few more hours to relax in the sun and contemplate what was a truly remarkable experience that we will remember until the next time round.
For more pictures and a full report please visit The Queensland Armchair Guide Website.
For bookings visit The Fantsea Cruises Website.

Tropical Sunrise at Hardy Reef.

George the Hardy Reef Giant Grouper.

Google Gripe.

2011-02-23T13:56:00.002+10:00

Here at Queensland Armchair Guide we have a travel site that endeavours to give all of our visitors the most valuable information available to check out the areas in Queensland that they intend to visit before they actually arrive.
Whether it be activities, attractions or restaurants, we provide outgoing links to several venues to enable customers to check out and decide, prior to visiting,some of the options available to them.
Unfortunately Google in their infinite wisdom do not like a large number of outbound links on pages and penalise sites that provide them. Sites that provide useful info penalised? Contrary to Google Guidelines!!
We will not allow Google or any other company to dictate how we run our business as we are continuing to operate as we always have done. Giving customers the information they want despite Google's incessant urge to change the goalposts to confuse and disrupt honest SEO activities.
A company that doesn't come clean on it's guidelines, and suggests you use Forums made up of individuals who know little of the internal tactics of Google to solve problems of Google's making,is neither ethical or trustworthy.
Google should be answerable to the public for its ambiguous, unintelligable Guidelines, not Forums full of guesswork artists. Come clean Google.
While I'm on a roll, :-

The methods Google use to establish heirarchy on Page Search are antiquated and need revising to give everyone the best information available. How a web page can still be on the first page of search when it has not been updated for 2 years and its info is totally irrelevant beggars belief. There are hundreds of these, maybe thousands of websites that Google wittingly or otherwise promote to be of benefit to the community when they obviously are not. Google Bots are fooling their masters.
Take a hard look at yourselves Google. You are missing in action.

Kats Beauty Salon.

2011-02-22T10:16:00.007+10:00

I have just completed a website for our friends Lyle and Katharina Reinbott. Kat has been running her business Kats Beauty Salon for a number of years in Airlie Beach and has finally decided to go online with it. Although her salon is a popular calling point for the local ladies, Kat has the capacity to do Group Bookings as she has therapists on call to cover such events and her husband Lyle is an exponent of Hawaiian Lomi Lomi Massage. Kat is available for Wedding Parties and can travel to your home on the mainland or your island residence for that special day.
Special events such as Halloween or Fancy Dress Party make-up can be arranged and Kat will take your special requirements onboard to make your event a special occasion for you.
Come along to Kat's Beauty Salon and relax in the spa while you are waiting for your treatment to commence. Visit Kat's Website to see all the services that are available to you.

Ragamuffin.

2011-01-02T15:17:00.006+10:00

The Queensland Armchair Guide went out for a day sail on Maxi Yacht Ragamuffin from her home in Shute Harbour to the Hayman Island destination of Blue Pearl Bay a short time ago. The photos and story of this trip can be found on our new Shute Harbour Page. We had a fabulous day sailing on this magnificent yacht and we thank George and the crew for their wonderful hospitality.
We have been on many a day sail over the years in The Whitsundays and I must agree with our friend Ben Southall that Ragamuffin and her crew are the best. You can read all about the history and pedigree of this famous Maxi Yacht on the company website at Maxi Action.com.au
Liz and I will be spending a night out on the Great Barrier Reef with our hosts Fantasea Adventure Cruises in the near future and we will be publishing an account with pictures on our website as soon as we get back from this exciting adventure. In the meantime we would like to wish you all a very Happy and Prosperous New Year and catch up with us again soon on our next adventure.

New Pages on The Armchair Guide.

2010-10-31T17:38:00.003+10:00

Four new pages have just been added to the Queensland Armchair Guide. The Ngaro Sea Trail Page has a Detailed Map and description of the walking trails. The Bowen Page is small and we will be adding information in the near future.Cedar Creek Falls and Surrounding Area Page we will develop as and when info becomes available and last but not least our Shute Harbour Page will expand quickly as it is our home.

Gold Coast Accommodation.

2010-10-25T11:17:00.003+10:00

For all your accommodation needs for The Gold Coast Queensland Australia you can visit us at The Queensland Armchair Guide. All areas of Queensland are illustrated on our main page.

Tourism Whitsundays Award Winners 2010.

2010-10-18T16:07:00.002+10:00

Tourism Whitsundays held their Annual Awards night on Saturday 16th October on Daydream Island this year.For Fantasea Adventure Cruises awards and photos you can check out our Whitsunday Page.
and for full winners list you can visit our Tourism Whitsundays Awards Page.

Louisiana

2010-09-25T12:15:00.001+10:00

New link page.The state of Louisiana at http://www.queenslandarmchairguide.com/louisianalinks.html

Queensland

2010-09-24T15:18:00.006+10:00

Queensland is know throughout the world as the Australian Sunshine State and with very good reason. All year round we have overseas visitors flocking to our shores, but it is the Southern Hemisphere winter months from June through til the end of August when our neighbours from the Southern States leave their winter woolies behind and travel North to experience a world still basking in warm sunshine. From The Gold Coast in the South to Cooktown and beyond in the Tropical North we are inundated with what we describe as 'Home Grown' Tourists.
Living in the Topics we are used to the odd tropical downpour, and the occasional road closures, but unfortunately we have an unknowledgable media who carte blanche give the impression that Tourism Areas in Queensland that are visited by a brief spell of inclement weather are to be avoided like the plague as the roads will be impassable for weeks on end. It leads me to believe that Southern States must be in collusion with the media to try to retain their own population exodus.
The recent Cyclone Ului that came through The Whitsundays was a prime example.The very next day nearly all businesses were open and the only significant damage was borne by Charter Companies.But to read the media reports, The Whitsundays had basically been totally destroyed and would be out of action for months.
The Whitsundays is very similar in reputation to The Windmill Theatre in London.
WE NEVER CLOSE.
So when you read stories in the media about weather conditions in Queensland, please be aware of the over zealous scribes sitting in their centrally heated offices South of the border describing in their own words the climatic conditions that could only possibly be conduscive to their own native environment.

Our New Links Page.

2010-09-22T17:03:00.007+10:00

Links.

Asian Links.S.American Links. India Links.Alaskan Links.

African Links.Oceania Links.Chinese Links.

Canadian Links. Mexican Links. European Links. European Links 2.

N.American Links.

Alabama... Arizona... Arkansas... British Columbia... California... Carolina... Colorado... Connecticut

Florida... Georgia... Hawaii... Idaho... Illinois... Indiana... Iowa... Kansas

Kentucky... Louisiana... Maine... Maryland... Massachusetts...Michigan... Minneapolis...Minnesota

Missouri... Nebraska... Nevada... New Jersey... New York... Ohio... Oklahoma... Oregon

Pennsylvania...Tennessee... Texas... Utah... Virginia... Washington... Washington DC...

ABC Childrens Illustrated "An Alphabet Story" kindEbook.

2010-08-16T16:49:00.005+10:00

The first kindEbook is now available online for $9-50.Personalisation is an extra $5-00.Treat your child to a colourful kindEbook with all the letters of the Alphabet Illustrated with the accompanying "An Alphabet Story". Having your child's photo on the cover of the book will provide a lasting memento for you and your family.Visit our site at Queensland Armchair Guide and order the book now.
Available in PDF Format.

Whitsundays

2010-08-02T12:30:00.004+10:00

All our visitors to The Whitsundays are now able to take home with them a journEbook as a memento of their visit. As an added bonus they can take advantage of having the journEbook Personalised by having their photo on the front cover for a fee of $5-00. Send a photo no smaller than 360 px x 270px to our webmaster at The Queensland Armchair Guide and he will arrange the personalisation and your own stand alone .exe file of The Whitsundays will be sent to your email address.
Please Note: The .exe file is Windows compatable and if you are using another platform just make sure that it can accommodate the .exe file.

ABC kindEbook An Alphabet Story.

2010-08-01T19:08:00.004+10:00

Check out our first Personalised kindEbook. Just go to our Book and click on it for a free viewing.Personalisation can be arranged directly with us.

kindEbooks and journEbooks.

2010-08-01T18:04:00.018+10:00

Thank you for popping in to see us.

Both of our publications are now available online at a price that everyone can afford. Our journEbook of The Whitsundays and Liz's kindEbook An Alphabet Story will be A$10 each but for the first 2 weeks we are offering the kindebook free for general view. A fee of A$5-00 is extra for personalisation. See below for details.Paypal is our preferred option and our account is elizabethwelch1@bigpond.com Send your email address to us for delivery. Please allow 24 hours for Time Differences.Note: journEbooks are in a stand alone .exe file that is Windows compatable. If not operating Windows please check if the file is suitable for your platform.You are most Welcome to Join.Our Membership is free.Liz and I have great pleasure in introducing you to the benefits that are on offer in our Members Page at the moment and forthcoming offers that we are contemplating for the future.Our Members have free access to our first two ebooks in the Members area. The journEbook of the Whitsundays and Liz's kindEbook, An Alphabet Story.For those of you who are interested in owning our first Personalised journEbook on The Whitsundays, we are providing the book access free to members online and will Personalise the book with your photo on the cover for a fee of $5-00. You need to send a photo not smaller than 360px x 270px to us at webmaster@queenslandarmchairguide.com and we will transfer the photo to the cover of your own personalised ebook. Actual book cover size is hereIn addition, for the Mums and Dads out there who would like a keepsake of their childs photo on the cover of An Alphabet Story for the nominal sum of $5.00. You need to send a photo not smaller than 360px x 270px to us at webmaster@queenslandarmchairguide.com and we will transfer the photo to the cover of your own personalised ebook.Paypal is our preferred option and our account is elizabethwelch1@bigpond.comOn receipt of the payment we will send you the Personalised ebook via a mail centre that can provide for the size of the files. Please allow 24 hours because of Time Differences etc.Note: journEbooks are in a stand alone .exe file that is Windows compatable. If not operating Windows please check if the file is suitable for your platform.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Queensland Creepy Crawlies.

2010-05-13T16:19:00.009+10:00

The Queensland Spider.Courtesy-Ron Atkinson.

THE QUEENSLAND ARMCHAIR GUIDE has added another page to the website for those of you who like Creepy Crawlies.The majority of these beauties can be found in local backyards throughout Queensland and some of the critters have the audacity to make their homes inside the house.Probably one of the most common to be found indoors is The Huntsman. This fellow can grow to almost the size of your hand but is not recognised as dangerous to humans,in fact he can be quite helpful in keeping other spiders and flying insects away.He does bite,and it can be painful for a while around the locality of the bite, but no harm done.Some of the spiders found in our State are very colourful and can be described as attractive in a peculiar way.Pop over to our page about Queensland Spiders on The Queensland Armchair Guide for a look at some of the more interesting species that can be found in our great state.

There's Nothing Like Australia Comp.Entries.

2010-04-23T20:39:00.026+10:00

For info on all regions of Queensland check us out at Queensland Armchair Guide

Entry 176.

Click to Enlarge.

There's nothing like a platypus, If it's animals you seek,
Or turtles playing piggy back, Close to Boulder Creek.

Entry 337.

Click to Enlarge.

There's nothing like a sunrise, To start an Aussie day,
We'll invite Ben and Bre around for drinks, It is the Aussie way.

Entry 925.

Click to Enlarge.

There's nothing like a moonlight view, Across to Daydream Island,
The balmy nights are sheer delight, You'll love to visit my land

Entry 1589.

Click to Enlarge.

There's nothing like the cockatoo, To give us all a laugh,
But heaven help the lorakeet, Who tries to cross his path.

Entry 1981.

Click to Enlarge.

There's nothing like The Fun Race, Held at Airlie Beach each year,
The boats all seem to stay afloat, While the crew are sinking beer.

Entry 2928.

Click to Enlarge.

There's nothing like the new yacht club, On Hamilton Island's shore,
Not seen it yet ? Fly in by jet, Stopover and enjoy the tour.

Entry 3047.

Click to Enlarge.

There's nothing like Long Island, One of Queensland's best,
Just one among a host of isles, The Whitsundays are blessed.

Entry 4664.

Click to Enlarge.

There's nothing like an Aussie beach, To make you feel at home,
The seabirds stalk for morsels, Thrown up by rising foam.

Entry 4765.

Click to Enlarge.

There's nothing like the colours, The Rainbow Lorakeet displays,
It keeps us all in cheerful mood, On those rare wet windy days.

Entry 4932.

Click to Enlarge.

There's nothing like Eungella Park, If it's solitude you seek,
A special place that comes to mind, I guess it's Boulder Creek.

Entry 4932.

Click to Enlarge.

There's nothing like our wildlife, As on this trip you'll find,
Broken River turtles, Like mum and babe behind.

Shute Harbour Suffers Cyclone Ului.

2010-03-25T17:18:00.006+10:00

The night of 21/3/10 was a scary event at Shute Harbour.We went on a drive round after the cyclone had passed and found many trees had been downed,power lines draped across the road and one telegraph pole in Shute Harbour Road just up from the bowser had been blown over at an angle of 45 degrees.Our homes had escaped major damage due to their Cyclone Rated construction but the boats in the harbour had been savaged by the power of the cyclonic winds. Gusts up to 200km/h have been recorded and evidence of the destruction was plain to see from the Lookout above the harbour.
Maxi yacht Ragamuffin slipped her mooring and careered into a pier causing $200,000 damage and will be repaired at Mackay ready to resume her daily sailing adventures.Some of the boats were less lucky and will be scrapped.The Whitsunday Rent a Yacht Jetty was damaged and of their 34 boats commissioned there are now only 2 boats fit for service.Four have been completely written off and the remainder are in various stages of disrepair.
Resilience to overcome adversities is The Whitsunday strong suit and we are up and running and looking forward to the Easter Break.If you are looking for that special place for a holiday we recommend The Whitsundays above everwhere else in Australia.
The area of The Whitsundays is such a wonderful place for boating, but when mother nature comes in the guise of a Tropical Cyclone,destruction is an inevitable price we have to pay.
For an Eyewitness Account of the Cyclone and lots of photos you can visit our Cyclone Page.

Check out our new Shute Harbour Page.

Mangrove Jacks Airlie Leukaemia Campaign.

2010-03-07T11:46:00.003+10:00

The Worlds Greatest Shave Campaign kicked off on Saturday March 6th at Mangrove Jacks in Airlie Beach. Proceeds are all donated to The Leukaemia Foundation.To support this event please go to the Website This year the aim is to top the donation of $7,000 raised at last years event.The first volunteer to succumb to the shave was Terry Franklin the son of The Airlie Beach Maintenance Manager Rob, who was delighted at the transformation.Terry raised $160 towards the Campaign effort.A good number of staff members at the hotel took the plunge, and from the support of The Airlie Beach Hotels initiative it looks like last years fund raising will be exceeded.It was a fun afternoon for everyone who participated, and The Queensland Armchair Guide thanks all the volunteers for their efforts in supporting this wonderful cause.

Young Terry Franklin after the event.

Islands of The Whitsundays.

2010-03-03T09:39:00.006+10:00

Queensland Armchair Guide has just published a list of Islands in The Whitsundays linked with Map References from Google Maps.The number of Islands has always been a subject of discussion so we decided to include only those that were documented on Googles Map Ref.The other contentious issue has always been the area that constitutes The Whitsundays.For this, we have taken information from Ray Blackwood's "The Whitsunday Islands an Historical Encyclopedia". According to these works,Snare Peak Island in the south to Gloucester Island in the north are the boundaries.We regard this Encyclopedia as producing the most comprehensive data available on The Whitsunday Islands.The Encyclopedia names approx. 150 Islands but some can be regarded as Rocks and others too small to qualify according to Google Ref.
It may be, after these revelations, that the advertising jingle that could eminate from this list could possibly be "74 No More". A small change easily adapted from the original.
Ray Blackwoods DVD is available for purchase at The Proserpine Museum.

Ray Blackwood at home in Shute from his DVD.

Queen Mary 2 Arrives Airlie Beach..

2010-02-28T10:34:00.012+10:00

Grey humid rain filled skies met the Liner Queen Mary2 as she anchored in Pioneer Bay offshore from Airlie Beach today.The Airlie markets were open and stall holders were eagerly awaiting, in anticipation of the arrival of our special guests.Ambassadors standing by along with the cameras of the media from Channels 9 and 7 and
The Armchair Guide.People had arrived from as far away as Cairns and Rockhampton to view the Queen on her only Queensland stopover before her final port of call in Sydney Harbour.
Skies are beginning to clear and the sun is starting to make an appearance on Airlie Beach and it's new arrivals.Because of the inclement weather, the Reef Trip was cancelled but the 80ft.catamaran 'Camira' from Cruise Whitsundays was fully booked by QM2 passengers for the day trip to Whitehaven Beach on Whitsunday Island.

Ambassadors and Media Cameras at the ready.

Liz Thanks Cruise Whitsundays.

2010-02-11T18:05:00.005+10:00

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the guys at Cruise Whitsundays for this wonderful gesture.I am sure I speak on behalf of all the Ambassadors that find this gift so unexpected.We all participate for the love of our community and the satisfaction it gives us all to welcome the cruise guests to our shores.We are all looking forward to 28th February when The Queen Mary 2 anchors in Pioneer bay for the first time.3090 Passengers for this one.Wow. Thanking you all once again on behalf of all of us,kindest regards, Liz Welch.

Common Sense From Hamilton Island at Last.

2010-02-05T16:50:00.003+10:00

My post on 9/1/2010 relating to customer inconvenience in The Whitsundays has at last been resolved. Unfortunately it only transpired when customers were informed where the problem lay.The solution was reached when Hamilton Island received numerous complaints relating to their stubborn refusal to allow the Cruise Whitsunday Carrier to transport the guests from Daydream Island directly to Hamilton Island.Consequently, overnight guests who were previously on Daydream and were moving on to stay at Hamilton Island, had to suffer the indignity of being transported to Abel Point Marina,then catch a bus to Shute Harbour and there by Fantasea Ferry to Hamilton Island.
Hamilton Island has decided in their infinite wisdom to allow the guests to be taken directly to the island by Cruise Whitsundays.I should think so too.
I cannot understand the reasons behind the lack of cooperation by Hamilton Island regarding this matter in the first place, and hope that common sense will prevail in the future.

Long White Cloud over Whitsunday Island.

Fantasy 2's Last Tango from Daydream Island.

2010-02-02T18:45:00.009+10:00

The aftermath of Cyclone Olga presented itself to The Whitsundays with gale force Northerlies and plenty of rain to go with it this weekend.Nothing to do except laze around at home with a couple of beers and contemplate the next blog addition, when all of a sudden from the verandah,Fantasea 2 came into view leaving Daydream Island for the last time before Cruise Whitsundays took over the contract to service the Island.Watching as she came in a direct line across The Molle Channel,I noticed the swell was pretty rough about halfway across, so I instinctively grabbed the camera and focused on the crossing.The wave hit and I took the shot just as the vessel was being picked up by the wave.Unfortunately I missed the broadside view as this bloody camera started processing the shot and I had to wait a few seconds before I could take the next one.Subsequently in the next pic Fantasea 2 had righted herself and was continuing on her way.Having not anticipated the drama that unfolded, I didn't resort to the multi-shot setting.Otherwise pics would have shown the whole sequence of events.Having travelled to Hamilton Island on a daily basis for about 6 years I know that this is a rare occurrence for a ferry to be stopped in it's tracks by bad weather.Twice it's happened while I was aboard.The skipper would have seen the wave and slowed immediately and let the wave do it's business and then carry on with the job in hand.The passengers however would have had 2 shocks.The first when the vessel slowed quickly and then the crunch as the wave hit broadside on turning the boat round about 90 degrees.Something to tell their friends about when they get home from their holidays in The Whitsundays.
Top pic shows Fantasea 2 being picked up by the wave and bottom pic after recovering shows evidence of the vessels path of movement in the wake behind.

Whitsundays Wild Weather.

2010-02-01T11:47:00.011+10:00

The remnants of Tropical Cyclone Olga passed through the inland areas of North Queensland in the form of a rain depression accompanied by high winds.Liz and I went into Airlie Beach this morning to check on the boat damage from the wild weather of the last two days.Suprisingly the only evidence of calamity we encountered was at Cannonvale Beach where one boat was completely destroyed and another was being lifted off the beach when we arrived.Minimal damage compared to a storm we had two years ago when several yachts were badly damaged and the photos are still on our Whitsundays Page.Local Channel 9 Cameraman Justin was surveying the scene and waiting for Townsville Channel 9 crew to arrive.The unfortunate live-a-board owners of the boat that was completely wrecked were onsite and were totally distraught.As the photo,bottom centre shows,there was nothing left to resemble a home on water.Total Devastation.

Local boat'Rumrunner' was extremely luck to have survived after being washed up on the sandy Cannonvale Beach.From what we could see there was no external visible damage to her structure,the mast having been removed to enable easy transfer.

I was informed by Justin of Channel 9 that this tragedy was caused by engine failure.The unfortunate family could do nothing to save their live-a-board home from finishing up like matchwood.

Liz and Alf's Coral Trip.

2010-01-23T15:21:00.053+10:00

Liz and I took the opportunity of a Reef Trip with Cruise Whitsundays to celibrate our 35th Coral Wedding Anniversary.The trip from Abel Point Marina to Knuckle Reef was preceded by visits to Daydream and Hayman Islands to pick up their resort passengers.Conditions overhead were overcast and winds were 20-25 knots so we had a bit of a bumpy ride for about 40 mins while negotiating the main shipping channel.Fortunately for the crew there were only a couple of minor incidents requiring the mop.On arrival at the Reef Platform, Liz and I decided to wait til everyone disembarked so I took a pic of Liz with The Sub and the Helipad in the background.Within minutes,the Helipad,completely covered with birds,became alive with a cacophany of squawking and flapping of hundreds of wings.I managed to get a pic of the helicopter as it landed on a now vacant platform.It was time for Liz and I to join the rest of the passengers on the Reef Pontoon.

At the ready,Nick the Skipper and Engineer Mark.

Liz onboard Seaflight.
Pontoon Sundeck and Helipad.

Cruise Whitsunday Reef Pontoon.Mini Sub and Glass Bottoned Boat.

We joined our daughter Karin,partner Rob and the rest of the Clan on the Pontoon, and Liz and I decided to go for a ride on the Glass Bottomed Boat while they were organising snorkelling and diving trips.We have been to the reef many times but never cease to marvel at the wonderful fish and coral that inhabit the Great Barrier Reef.The Mini Sub trip was another delight that we encountered on our Reef Trip.On board was a marine bioplogist to relate details of different coral formations and the types of fish that are abundant in the area.

Every seating station on the sub has a fish identifier chart to assist with your viewing.

A Pontoon view from The Glass Bottomed Boat.

Lunch station on board Sea Flight.

Karin checking her air supply.

Liz and I relaxed while Karin,Sam,Terry and Brady went for a scuba dive.It was Terry's 12th birthday so he was able to experience his first reef dive.On returning they all said how fantastic it was and vowed they would all return soon for another trip with Cruise Whitsundays to the Great Barrier Reef.
During the afternoon the crew look after the young children so that mum and dad can have some time to themselves to go for a snorkel or just totally relax and catch up with some peace and quiet.
The helicopter provided the opportunity for visitors to catch the views from above and a trip to Heart Reef was also available.A Massage Service was also on offer to relax those aching muscles for those whom, after partaking in the snorkelling and diving, required a soothing experience.

The Hayman Launch arrives to take their guests back to the Resort.....Cruise Whitsundays Crew farewell our fellow travellers.
As with all good things,they come to an end, and our time to depart was upon us.Looking back on a fabulous day on The Great Barrier Reef but looking forward to our next trip in the not too distant future.Our homeward journey was enhanced by some of the male members of the crew on deck, displaying their lack of coordination on a rolling sea.We watched as The Hayman Launch came out to pick up their guests and we finally arrived at Abel Point,the end of our journey.
Liz and I would like to thank Chris,all his staff and crew members for a fantastic trip to celebrate our 35th Wedding Anniversary and we will continue to support your company in your future endeavours via our website at Queensland Armchair Guide.

Customer Inconvenience in The Whitsundays?

2010-01-09T10:56:00.005+10:00

After February 1st the new contract between Cruise Whitsundays and Daydream Island comes into force, and the customers that wish to stay on Hamilton Island after visiting Daydream, will not,according to our sources,be able to travel directly from Daydream Island to Hamilton Island with Cruise Whitsundays!! This means that passengers will have to be transported from Daydream Island to Abel Point by Cruise Whitsundays, then catch a bus to Shute Harbour and then pick up a Fantasea Ferry to Hamilton Island.
Let us hope that apart from this ludicrous inconvenience, the guests of Hamilton Island will not be subject to the imposition of the unnecessary fares from Daydream Island to Abel Point and then by bus to Shute Harbour.
This is a typical small minded arrangement that could only have been manufactured by someone with an axe to grind and who does not have the convenience of our valuable visitors to the Whitsundays at heart.One wonders who it could possibly be?
I am informed that neither of the carriers mentioned are involved with this decision.
Perhaps Tourism Whitsundays will make some enquiries about this silly,petty nonsense and let the authors of this escapade know that this sort of childishness that inconveniences our guests will not be tolerated,whoever they are.

Fantasea to Hamilton and Dent Islands.

2009-12-24T11:00:00.037+10:00

Hamilton Island Yacht Club taken from Dent Island.

Liz and I had the opportunity to visit Hamilton Island on Wednesday so we trotted down to Shute Harbour at 9-15am and boarded The Fantasea Cruises Whitehaven Ferry for the trip via Daydream Island.Our trip was primarily to take a few photos of the new Yacht Club and to say hello to a few friends on the island.On arrival we headed straight to the Yacht Club for some well needed liquid refreshment at the outside bar.The setting is truly magnificent and no expense has been spared on this building, with it's exterior stainless steel rails and glass panelling.We spent some time walking inside and outside of the building and marvelled at the state of the art Fire Alarm Systems in place.The water feature at the entrance to the restaurant is also a splendid addition of interest.Bob Oatley can be assured that yachtsmen from around the globe will be enamoured with this splendid piece of Architecture.

Water Feature at Yacht Club.

Arrival at Dent Island.

Imposing figure of Pentecost from the 16th Green.

Liz testing the rails.

Hamilton Island Yacht Club.

We decided to take a ferry over to Dent Island for lunch and check out the new Golf Course.The ferry departs from right next door to The Manta Ray Cafe.A friendly chat with skipper Craig brought us to the Dent Jetty and an awaiting Golf Buggy to transport us to the Clubhouse.We were greeted by staff with cold flannels to mop our sunburnt brows and taken to our table whereupon Liz ordered our first drinks.Liz disappeared and returned with the toilet report.Individual hand towels,Beautiful perfumed liquid soaps and Sunscreen Cream.The lunch was splendid and what followed was a pleasant suprise for Liz and I to be escorted on a Golf Course Tour with stops to take photos at great vantage points throughout the Island.30 minutes later we returned to the Golf Club to be taken back to our ferry and the return cruise to Hamilton Island.A really enjoyable day for Liz and I provided by the excellent services of staff at Hamilton and Dent Islands and the crew at Fantasea Cruises.

Rugged terrain of Dent with Golfcart Track.

Queensland : Cruise Whitsundays New Contract.

2009-12-20T09:46:00.006+10:00

Congratulations to Cruise Whitsundays for securing the contract as sole providers for ferry passenger traffic to Daydream Island in The Whitsundays.The new contract is operational from 1st February 2010.
The rival operator Fantasea Cruises is now left with Lindeman Island,Whitehaven on Whitsunday Island and Hamilton Island as their only sources of island traffic revenue.With fares to Hamilton Island being raised to extortionate levels by an increase in taxes on visitor arrivals imposed by Hamilton Island,the Fantasea Cruise Company have had to increase their fares to compensate for the imposition.Visitor numbers from the mainland to Hamilton Island will undoubtably fall as locals will not be prepared to pay these excessive fares.Off season it is cheaper to fly from Sydney to Hammo than to take a ferry from Shute Harbour.This situation is quite clearly ridiculous.One wonders how long a Cruise Company can continue to provide a service to an Island Owner who seems to think that he is not an integral part of The Whitsundays, and not only that, does not include The Whitsundays as part of it's address.
These developments will also mean that there will be an increase in Reef Trip revenue for Cruise Whitsundays from Daydream Island and the company will continue to grow with it's increasing popularity with locals via it's Turtle Club and the great feedback provided by these folk to the local visitors.

Two of the Daydream Island Mermaids.
Mermaids Restaurant Daydream Island.

Queensland : Birdsville

2009-12-14T10:28:00.004+10:00

Birdsville lies in the far South Western corner of the State of Queensland in Diamantina Shire. The shire covers an area of 95,000 kilometres and is known as the Channel Country. During the wet season the rivers combine into massive floodplains. Although the area is harsh and so remote it is known to be one of the best beef fattening areas in Australia. Cattle stations have been operating in Diamantina Shire since the days of the early settlers.The most famous of these is the Kidman Group , launched by the "Cattle King " Sir Sydney Kidman. Diamantina Crossing lies abour 3 kilometres north of Birdsville and the river flows South West past Birdsville on it's way to Goyder Lagoon in South Australia. The river was named after Diamantina Roma Bowen the wife of the first govenor of Queensland.

The Birdsville Hotel.
More info on Birdsville here.

Whitsundays : The World.

2009-12-12T11:27:00.002+10:00

On Sunday 13th December the Ocean Liner 'The World' will anchor off Airlie Beach in Pioneer Bay. The liner is unique in that all passengers are owners of the 165 units on board this luxurious vessel.On this voyage she is spending eight weeks in Australian Waters before continuing on her round the world voyage.On February 28th The Queen Mary 2 will stop off at Airlie Beach for the day during her 63 day trip from New York to Sydney.For more info on cruise visits to Airlie Beach you can go to our Cruise Schedule Page.

The World. Cairns Post.Airlie BeachWhitsundays

Queensland : Winton. Dinosaur Tracks.

2009-12-12T10:10:00.004+10:00

Pastoralists and Paleontologists.
Belmont Station owner David Elliot started a stampede of a different kind in 1995 when he discovered pre-historic Sauropod bones on his property 1 hours drive from Winton. Since that early find, no less than 30 sites on the property have unearthed bones up to 2 metres in length. Paleontologists from all parts of the world have been visiting the area to try to uncover the mysteries of The Australian Dinosaurs. These giant Herbivores roamed Queensland's Outback when 95,000,000 years ago the land was a far different cry from the desolate wastelands of the present. Immense woodland areas fed by the deltas of a huge inland sea were the support structure for these 30 metre long giants. The Australian Age of Dinosaurs Museum of Natural History is the only museum of its kind in Australia, and with all the discoveries taking place will probably be one of the largest and most frequently visited Museum of its kind in the world. Durassic Park pales into insignificance.This is Winton, this is reality.

Conservation Building. Lark Quarry.
More Winton info.

Queensland:Whitsundays: Cruise Visits.

2009-12-07T09:19:00.005+10:00

The 'Diamond Princess' cruises slowly past Mid Molle Island on it's journey to Sydney after visiting Airlie Beach for the day.The liner is the eighth to visit Airlie Beach since the season commenced on October 21st this year.Approximately 320 passengers went to The Great Barrier Reef with Cruise Whitsundays and the company were busy ferrying others to Daydream Island and a full quota were taken on board 'Camira' The 85ft Catamaran to Whitehaven Beach for the day.
Cruise Liner 'The World' is our next visitor,she arrives on December 13th.
The Cruise Liners create an enormous boost to The Whitsunday economy and provide the passengers with a taste of what our area has to offer.
The New Year provides some forthcoming excitement, as on Feruary 28th we are hosting The Queen Mary 2,that will have almost completed her 63 day New York to Sydney voyage. She arrives at 9-00am for the day and departs at 6-00pm. Airlie Beach Markets are open all day when the cruise ships visit, providing another alternative for our welcome visitors.For more info on our Cruise schedules you can visit our Cruise Schedule Page or our Whitsundays Page.

Twitter Whitsundays Twenty Thousand Followers.

2009-12-06T13:08:00.010+10:00

We have chalked up a landmark on The Queensland Armchair Guide. As @whitsundays on Twitter we have 20,000 followers. The great thing about this is the opportunity to tell everyone about our great State of Queensland. We have opened a second avenue on Twitter to accommodate News items for The State of Queensland.This can be viewed via our Twitterfeed at Queensland News.

Ben Southall Meets Alf at Shute.

2009-12-06T11:25:00.008+10:00

Chatting with Ben on Twitter gave rise to an occasion The Armchair Guide could not resist.Ben Southall,Tourism Queensland's Island Reef Caretaker met with Alf,Editor of The Queensland Armchair Guide at Shute Harbour last week.Ben's partner Breanna was also there to greet him.Ben had just spent the day on board Ragamuffin,one of the Maxi's operating in The Whitsundays.Both coming from the Old Country they had common ground to begin with,and both were magnaminous with their enthusiasm for the delights awaiting visitors to this wonderful area of Queensland. Ben has about a month left of his Island Reef Caretaker contract to run but is being retained by Tourism Queensland to promote the wider aspect of our state. The amount of work involved in his endeavours, that are seen by many as just a great holiday,read like a list of chores to us.Rising at 5-00am and hitting the sack at around midnight every day is not something to relish.We will catch up with Ben and Breanna for a few drinks when his time allows.

Ben and Breanna at Shute Harbour.
Ben with Alf.

Whitsundays :--Hammo gone Troppo.

2009-10-25T08:58:00.006+10:00

Owner of Hamilton Island,Bob Oatley has certainly made a great impression with The Locals in The Whitsundays.It used to be a popular trip for locals to visit the island for a day, but now the decision to up the fares to $125 return has really transformed the Fantasea Carrier into Fantasy Land.
Hayman Island has always had it's 'stuff the Boaties' policy, and now Oatley with his 'stuff the locals' policy has seen a sharp change in the attitude of locals.
If you pop into Cruise Whitsundays as a local, you are greeted with a smile,and informed that you can join The Turtle Club for free,and take advantage of discount trips to Daydream Island and Long Island on a regular basis.Believe it or not I can do 6 trips as a local to either Daydream or Long Island for the price of one trip to Hamilton Island and receive discounts on food and beverage whilst on those islands.That, Bob, is the way to treat the locals. Being a blow in yourself,you wouldn't consider locals in your plans,but we still think Hammo is beautiful,unfortunately the owners are ugly.Thank goodness we have a company with the foresight and goodwill to support the locals.Good onya Cruise Whitsundays.

The Local Friendly Cruise Whitsundays.

Promote your Website on You Tube.

2009-10-22T15:45:00.007+10:00

Liz and I spent a hilarious couple of hours producing a video to display on You Tube to promote our Website Queensland Armchair Guide.The idea was to screen capture a sequence with a descriptive dialogue. Who would have thought the dialogue would have been a problem? I tried in vain a dozen times whilst also operating the mouse and reading the dialogue as well.I gave in and Liz offered her Meryl Streep impersonation to the excercise. After half a dozen tries we finally managed to get to the last sentence, and lo and behold the gremlin struck.Liz said emplore instead of explore and we were back to square one. All good fun until I finally realised that after threatening her with a few swings of the baseball bat she knuckled down and got the job done. We have the video on You Tube and will wait to see if we get some feed back from it. We also placed it on Digg, so we are now crossing our fingers.

Whitsundays Reef Festival 2009

2009-10-15T16:31:00.007+10:00

Events Beginning Tonight 15 October2009.
Thu 15 Oct
7:00pm Video Ezy Starlight Movies at the Lagoon
8:00pm Westpac Comedy Gala at Waterline on Shingley

Fri 16 Oct
6:00pm Airlie Beach Day & Night Chemist Fireworks and Beach Party
6:30pm Frocktails @ Deja vu
8:00pm Video Ezy Starlight Movies at the Lagoon

Sat 17 Oct
8:00am Airlie Beach Markets
8:00am Camel Rides
9:00am Long Island Resort Sand Sculpting Competition
11:00am Helibiz Helicopter Joy Flights
3:00pm Rotary Club of Airlie Beach Wearable Art Parade
4:30pm Rotary Club of Airlie Beach Street Parade
5:30pm Airlie Beach Music Beats on the Beach
7:00pm Quota Ball
10:30pm Brazillian Carnivale

Sun 18 Oct
11:00am Club Crocodile Family Fun Day
11:00am Helibiz Helicopter Joy Flights
11:00am Zest and Graphic House Coconut Head Competition
11:00am Tug-o-war Challenge
7:00pm Video Ezy Starlight Movies at the Lagoon

The Whitsunday Reef Festival2009.
Tonight marks the start of another Annual Reef Festival Event here in The Whitsundays.This year the events Main Sponsor is Big4 Adventure Whitsundays. Kicking off the fun will be Video Ezy with Movies at The Lagoon at 7-00pm followed by The Westpac Comedy Gala at Waterline Shingley Beach at 8-00pm.
Friday night is Cracker Night with fireworks sponsored by Airlie Beach Day and Night Chemists.The Beach Party resumes at 6-00pm. Liz and I will be at The Whitsunday Sailing Club tomorrow(friday)for the duration.
Saturday morning The Market will be open and if the kids want a bumpy ride,the camels will be there on the beach.The Main Parade will be held in the arvo and all the local businesses will be vying for the prize of Best Float.We will be accompanying The Save Our Foreshore Pink Caravan in The Parade as usual and will finish up in The Sailing Club for well deserved drinks after the Parade.There are lots of fun events for everyone including helicopter rides,fashion parades,sand sculpting competitions and lots more continuing onto Sunday.The Five Piece Band "Cactus" with two female vocalists will be providing the Live Entertainment over the weekend.
If the event is half as successful as lasts years,then we are all due for an exciting three days in The Fabulous Whitsundays. You can see the whole programme if you visit The Reef Festival Site.

Whitsunday Tourism Award Winners 2009

2009-10-14T13:31:00.002+10:00

Tourism Whitsundays held the Annual Tourism Awards Ceremony on The Esplanade Airlie Beach on Friday October 9th this year.Five full days after the event is the first announcement to the public via The Official Tourism Whitsundays Website. We have published the winners on The Queensland Armchair Guide and would like to take this opportunity to congratulate all the winners for their contributions to Whitsunday Tourism throughout the year.

Airlie Beach.

2009-09-26T10:46:00.003+10:00

Queensland Armchair Guide Has added a new Page to supplement The Whitsunday Page. As from today we have Airlie Beach as a page of it's own to add to info already on our Whitsundays Page.The tiny town of Airlie is a gourmets delight.The variety of Restaurants and Eateries are remarkable for such a small place and only a few are listed here as we only list those Companies that have websites. The reason for this policy is that we believe that it is essential to provide the users with as much information as possible.If you can click on a link and go to the Restaurant website, you can not only see the menu but there are usually photos that also give you a feel for the ambience of the venue.We are hoping that more companies in the Tourism Industry will come on board and show their wares to the world by providing a website to enhance their business. We are always looking for new websites to add to our site so as to help visitors in their search for the ideal places to take their custom.

Queensland Holidays for Kids.

2009-09-20T08:00:00.005+10:00

We have just added an additional 2 pages to our website at Queensland Armchair Guide.The Tablelands is a page that I had been promising to do for some time, as I know from correspondence received from Tableland Tourism Operators suggest that they have been ignored in their submissions to Tourism Queensland to have The Tablelands treated as a Tourism Destination in it's own right. Most of the Queensland Travel sites just add the Tablelands as a Daytrip from Cairns,which is not really a fair reflection on the diverse nature of the area.If a visitor wants to see the area properly,I suggest they leave Cairns and find accommodation on The Tablelands.Liz and I have visited frequently, and know from our own experience that it is quite impossible to see The Tablelands in a day.I hope our page gives the guys up there a boost in their ongoing quest for recognition.

The second new page is Queensland Kids. It must be annoying to search for ages on the internet for Queensland Holidays specifically with kids in mind.I know,I have spent a whole day looking for sites and entering them on our new page.I hope it helps to at least add a few Resorts that are easy to find and go directly to, via our link to the site in question.I didn't add accommodations just because they happened to be close to a Theme Park, because the mums and dads out there don't want to spend the whole holiday on a roller coaster or a water slide.The Resorts selected have their own activities to accommodate the kids. As a major destination,Cairns seems to be a difficult search for Holiday Resorts for kids.If you know of any really good places to visit in Queensland with kids in mind,please let me know and we will add it to our Queensland Kids Page.

Whitsundays Fun Race.

2009-09-12T19:50:00.062+10:00

The Whitsundays Fun Race was another rip roaring success for all those participating in the festivities.A nice 15/20 knot breeze was an improvement on the conditions that The Hamilton Island Race Week suffered.Condor is one of the Maxi Yachts that reside in The Whitsundays and always looks a treat under full sail.

In the clubhouse before the race we find Liz ,Val and Don
partaking in some liquid refreshment to ward of de-hydration.

Michelle,Bernie ,Cheech and Frank arriving by dinghy to
join Liz and Alf aboard the catamaran Chilli Frog.

Always nice to enjoy the view from The Whitsunday Sailing
Club just before the commencement of the big race.

Local identity George,the regular Skipper of The Maxi Ragamuffin
that operates out of Shute Harbour is deep in thought.

Whitsundays Probus.

2009-09-11T12:48:00.028+10:00

Whitsunday Probus met for morning tea on Friday 11th
September and the budding Thespians among them,'The
Late Bloomers' put on a Show called 'Songs from The
War Years.Musical Director Karina is 4th from right.

Sylvia Byrne-Smith portraying a picture of elegance in her
Slouch Hat gives an unorthodox left handed salute to the crowd.

Graham Wyatt and his young wife Shirley pose for photos after
the performance which was greeted with enthusiasm by all the
members and guests present.Graham was not a part of the show
but his 'Slouch Hat' is a genuine possession from the past.

Flight Officer Alan Browning and Midshipman Keith Holmes
are on Escort Duty with Liz Welch the reluctant victim.

We are all here once again having a great time singing and dancing for our Probus members and guests.The 'Late Bloomers' have lots of fun rehearsing for these shows and we are already in the process of planning a Christmas Production, the theme of which,at the present time is undecided.

The Whitsunday Probus Club is a vibrant, interesting group of Seniors who have regular outings to places of interest,Beach BBQ's at locations close by and usually an 'Annual Week Long Jaunt' farther afield.If your calling is not of a Thespian Nature,you may like to join one of the other groups that operate within the club.ie. Australian History,Badminton/Tennis or The Book Club.

Whitsunday Promo.

2009-09-07T19:26:00.005+10:00

Starting at 9-00am on Tuesday 8th of September, The Queensland Government and Virgin Blue boss Brett Godfrey are joining forces in a 74 hour, "Out of the Blue" Whitsunday Promotion, targetting The Australian Domestic Markets of Brisbane,Sydney and Melbourne. Cheap flights and the benefits of Cheap Accommodation are the drawer cards that will hopefully stimulate this market at a time when it is most needed.Lets hope this will be the catalyst to propel the Multi Million Dollar 'Hey Hey This is Queensland' Campaign that was launched by Queensland Tourism last week.

Whitsunday Probus Annual Dinner.

2009-08-31T20:25:00.009+10:00

Twenty Five Years.

The setting for the 25th Anniversary of Whitsunday Probus Annual Dinner was The Whitsunday VMR.On Friday 28th of August, members and distinguished guests arrived to celebrate the auspicious occasion.Mike Storkey The President of The Whitsunday Rotary Club was accompanied by his wife Lesley,and Lions President Alan Grevelle and his wife Sue were in attendance,as was The President of Bowen Probus Club, Janet Bond.The evening was a delightful affair with an accompanying Slide Show that presented photos of past occasions and trips that prodded a few memories of the diners.Ted Wright's good lady Sylvia, who is the current President of Probus,gave a welcoming speech to the Special Guests and thanked Mike and Alan for the support that The Rotary and Lions Clubs had given to Probus over the years.The dinner was most enjoyable, particularly the pavlova and sticky date pudding covered in caramel sauce that I managed to devour with alacrity.Let us all look forward to the next 25 years of Probus in The Whitsundays.

The Presidential Table.Rae,Liz and Shimmy.

Anny Chih Road Trip.

2009-08-28T11:02:00.012+10:00

Anny Drives North.

Island Reef Job Applicant Anny Chih is heading our way. Wicked Campers has sponsored a 1 month trip for Anny to explore North Queensland.She leaves Brisbane on Tuesday 1st September heading North.Queensland Armchair Guide has managed with the cooperation of 2 of the finest Cruise Companies in Australia to aquire complimentary tickets for Anny and a companion to a Reef Trip in The Whitsundays and a Reef Trip in Cairns with a Green Island visit thrown in for good measure.Peter Farrell of Reef Safari has kindly added his weight behind us by giving Anny and a companion 2 complimentary dives on her trip to The Reef in The Whitsundays.Cruise Whitsundays,Reef Safari Whitsundays and Horizon Dive Cairns were only too pleased to answer in the affirmative to our requests.Queensland Armchair Guide has close associations with the Companies and we are extremely grateful for their support.Liz and I are looking forward to drinks on the Verandah with Anny to celebrate her adventure.

Anny at Tourism Queensland HQ,with Chris Chambers.

Shute Harbour Inquiry Imperative.

2009-08-27T11:04:00.006+10:00

Att: Anna Bligh.

The extension of the lease to the site at Shute Harbour which is being proposed as a Marina Project has to be investigated vigorously.The CEO of Port Binnli,Jeff Smith, just happens to be the former Regional Services Director of The Department of Natural Resources,that just happens to be the Department that is in control, of the lease.A conflict of interest breach couldn't possibly be involved,Could it?
We are watching with interest to see if The Premier is really concerned with the accountability of her Government with this impending disaster that looms over Shute Harbour. There are a lot of questions to be answered regarding this issue, including The Ngaro Claim.Incidentally,if Jeff Smith is really interested in developing a Marina that will really benefit a community,he can take his Port Binnli crew up to Palm Island and have a word with Mayor Lacey.Unlike the residents of Shute Harbour,he would be interested. The Queensland Armchair Guide supports Save our Foreshore and Suzette Pelt in their efforts to get some honesty into this matter,because it not only looks like fish, it stinks like fish too.

Shute Harbour

2009-08-27T11:04:00.000+10:00

Queensland Holidays

2009-08-24T20:51:00.019+10:00

Just spent 2 weeks giving The Queensland Armchair Guide Website a thorough overhaul.The snapshots are an example of the 'New Look', which I believe makes a big improvement to the site.I would like to thank my friend Tony B.from
New Horizons in Cairns for his input and recommend everyone visiting Cairns to take a 2 or 3 Day Dive Trip with his company.P.S.I borrowed Wally.If you want him back let me know mate.

Australian Backpackers Comp.

2009-08-24T19:52:00.010+10:00

Last Thursday the AGM of Backpacking Queensland took place at The Cannonvale VMR.Two very welcome guests were Hamish and Adam.These 2 lucky Kiwis were the winners of a Competition for a Free Road Trip round Queensland run by World Nomads.They were visiting The Whitsundays as part of their adventure.The Competition was similar to the one run by Tourism Queensland in as much as they have to contribute to a blog and produce videos of their travels.

More Trips to Win.

At this point in time there are 5 more trips to win.The closing date for entries in The Victoria Comp is August 30th 2009 but the other 4 Competitions have plenty of time for entry details to be submitted. If you feel adventurous and can find the time, it is a fantastic opportunity of a lifetime.The Queensland and New South Wales winners are already underway, but the others await your applications.So,go for it guys and Good Luck.
Details for the remaining competitions and the adventures of the winning applicants can be found at Vantastic World Nomads.com

Australian Navy visits The Whitsundays

2009-08-23T09:52:00.006+10:00

HMAS Launceston.

Photo taken from our verandah as HMAS Launceston steams
North past South Molle.

An interesting visitor to The Whitsundays recently was HMAS Launceston an 'Armidale' Class Patrol Boat.We watched her travel up from the South and she slowed to a stop just South of Canecockies Cove.After a brief stay she slowly moved North, disappearing from our view behind the Shutehaven Headland know as The 'Beak'.HMAS Launceston is based in Cairns and her duties include breaches of Customs,Immigration and Drugs Legislation.
These vessels are equipped with State of the Art communications and navigation systems, have a range of 3,000 Nautical Miles and a top speed of 25 knots.

Daydream Island Visit.

2009-07-10T11:29:00.012+10:00

Looking out to North and Mid Molle Islands from Daydream.
The beaches are all coral as the island is surrounded by reef.

We payed a visit to Daydream Island on Monday 6th July.
Embarking from Abel Point we arrived at Daydream in just under half an hour.First up we went to the salt water aquarium with its live coral and reef fish.The shark feeding was a popular event for the kids and adults alike.
We walked past the two pools and spa and sat outside the Mermaid Restaurant.Nice to relax with a Cappuccino and watch the world go by.The Island has plenty of activities for the energetic visitors including Tennis, Catamaran Sailing,Beach Volleyball Mini Golf and Tennis.Liz and I decided that one of the outdoor spas would be energetic enough prior to lunch that was we enjoyed at The Mermaid Restaurant.An afternoon stroll and pics with Liz and The Mermaids was a relaxing way to spend a day in The Whitsundays.Looking forward to our next trip.

Shute Haven Mermaid Liz.

Beach Umbrellas.One of the pools.Mermaid Restaurant.
Shimmering sea.

Montes Resort,Gloucester Passage.

2009-06-23T08:20:00.042+10:00

One of the stunning views in the area.
Looking out from Montes Resort to The Goucester Passage.

Montes Resort lies approx 20nm north of Airlie Beach just inside Gloucester Passage.We left Abel Point at 7-00am and arrived at Montes at 11-30.A pleasant sail with wind and tide in our favour.Following marker bouys is essential as there are extensive reef areas inside The Passage and quite a few Bommies.We managed to find one of the Bommies and our port rudder sat gently on it and consequently we were stuck on it for an hour and a half before the full tide enabled us to slip off with no damaged recorded.We anchored directly opposite The Resort and were joined by good friends Bernie and Michelle with there youngest child,Holly.First up was a meeting of minds with a few beers,chaired by Liz with Holly listening intently on Michelles lap.Modus operandum for the day was to chill out and soak up the sun with some liquid refreshments.Much persuasion was required from the rest of the party to entice myself in to joining in the activity.

Bernie prepares Holly for a nice dip to get rid of the sand.

Looking across the beach to Gloucester Island.

When visiting yachties call in,The Resort does
not have facilities to take your rubbish or supply
town water so be sure you are aware and take the
necessary steps to avoid disappointment.
Montes Resort tucked in behind the palm trees on the beach.The view from the resort looks out to Gloucester Island with Passage Islet close by.

The meeting in full swing.Michelle on left with 'Holly,Bernie foreground with Frank in background chatting with Liz.

Looking out from The Resort towards Passage Islet.

The fishing is good in the area and I managed to catch several different varieties,including a Tamora,(Sucker Fish)which was probably close to a meter in length.Walking west along the beach and just round the point is The Eco-Resort.So there are two
resorts in close proximity that cater for different tastes and both
are in the delightful area of Edgecombe Bay.We had a fabulous weekend with friends.

Whitehaven Trip.Cruise Whitsundays Camira

2009-06-18T20:36:00.024+10:00

The girls from Cruise Whitsundays.

On Thursday 18th June we sailed to Whitehaven Beach in the capable hands of these three maidens.Adele on the left,Sal in the centre and Sarah on the right.The weather was superb for sailing with a good 20 knot breeze to shake off the cobwebs.We sailed from Abel Point Marina to Daydream Island to pick up a couple of Passengers and then continued our journey down Whitsunday Passage,passing South Molle,Henning and Hamilton Islands,then negotiating the Fitzalan Passage before arriving at Whitehaven Beach at about 11-40am.After spending an hour on the beach it was back onboard Camira for lunch.The afternoon sail took us to Hook Passage where snorkelling was available just off shore of The Resort. Liz became a little queazy in the windy conditions but admirably summoned all her reserves and remarkably for her,kept a clean sheet.Service aboard was a delight,food was excellent and altogether it was a thoroughly enjoyable day.

Steve was our'Skipper'for the day,and his red jacket would have gone missing had he not hidden it, when not in use.

Liz caused a few nervous moments when she took over the port station,but luckily we were at anchor at the time.

Whitehaven Beach.

Regarded as one of the Top Ten beaches on earth,the pure White Silica of Whitehaven stretches for over 7 kilometres along the shore
on Whitsunday Island.

Eager snorkellers ready for their short trip by tender
in the Hook Island Passage.

View from Whitehaven Beach to The 85foot Catamaran Camira.

Long Island Whitsundays.

2009-06-14T18:40:00.012+10:00

The Main Resort is on the north side of the island.
The view from here is looking towards Shute Harbour.The yachts
can be seen in the distance.An ideal spot to spend a lazy day

The local residents in The Whitsundays reap the benefits
of joining the Cruise Whitsundays Turtle Club for free,
and are given discounts on trips throughout The Islands.
Saturday 13th June saw a group of us spend the day at
Long Island for a cost of $20 each and a 20% discount on
all food and drinks on the island.

The pool on Long Island.

The pier at Long Island meanders the North Shore.

Probus BBQ Whitsundays Sailing Club.

2009-06-14T13:02:00.016+10:00

Preparations begin for the feast. Liz always enjoys the outings as they give her the opportunity to escape from preparing and cooking a meal in the evening,whilst Graham,Keith and I always get a good few laughs out of the occasions.

Thursday 11th June greeted members of Whitsunday Probus with a
beautiful sunny day and a striking setting for their regular get together BBQ.
The venues are changed each month and following Eungella National Park,the BBQ was held on home soil at The Whitsunday Sailing Club.
Ted Wright is seen in foreground kicking off with the Champers watched closely with alacrity by fellow Probian Pat Patterson standing right.

The magnificent BBQ setting.

The BBQ is in full swing.

Breakfast at Capers Airlie Beach.

2009-06-10T12:20:00.007+10:00

Wednesday morning we decided to Breakfast at Capers.Seated outside, we had beautiful views out to Pioneer Bay.One of the many eateries along the Esplanade,Capers is part of The Airlie Beach Hotel.This establishment has 3 first class restaurants in close proximity.Each venue has first class service and impeccable amenities for the visitor.Liz and I frequent these restaurants more than any other because we love the attitude of staff members and know that Mark Bell is the Ultimate Professional in his constant endeavour for perfection.

Liz relaxing before a most enjoyable Breakfast spent with Alf at Capers on the Beach.

Q150 Visits Proserpine

2009-05-27T14:42:00.038+10:00

To celebrate the 150th Birthday of Queensland, an Historic Journey is
being made by one of the oldest steam trains in existence.The Train
left Brisbane on it's journey throughout The State arriving in
The Whitsundays on Wed.27th May.

View in Cab of Engine Showing Boiler.

Proserpine Station was a hive of activity
as a large crowd gathered to greet The Q150's
arrival.Enthusiasts arrived from all parts
of The Whitsundays to photograph the Train
as it prepared to leave for a short trip to
Bowen then returning to spend the night in
Proserpine before heading north to Ayr.A
school band was there to greet the passengers
on arrival and The Mayor of The Whitsundays
was also present.

Stonehaven Anchorage, Hook Island.

2009-05-17T13:48:00.016+10:00

Saturday 16th May,We sailed out aboard Chilli Frog to Stonehaven Anchorage on Hook Island for some R&R.The trip out to Stonehaven was a beauty. 20kt winds and a clear blue sky.A couple of turtles basked in the sun on the surface about halfway across The Whitsunday Passage.

Day Sail to Stonehaven.

The reef at Stonehaven was good for viewing.
Shark and Coral Trout were there to greet us
along with many small colourful Reef Fish.
We saw coral bleaching but contrary to
reports there is regrowth appearing. Some
of us went to the long beach while others
decided to stay aboard and partake from
the liqour store. After lunch at about
2-30pm we headed back across the Passage,
wind against tide and arrived back at Abel
Point at about 4-30.Another great day sailing.

Eungella National Park Visit.

2009-05-17T07:57:00.009+10:00

On Thursday 14th May,Airlie Beach Probians took off for a trip to Eungella National Park.Bolder Creek was the first stop for Morning Tea. We alighted at a pretty spot where the creek flows under the road,and views on both sides were beautiful.The leaky lizards in the party were able to spray their wares in The Windy Loo that stood close by.From here the party headed for The Eungella Chalet.Views looking out over the valley were magnificent.After a drink or two we drove to Broken River and were lucky enough to get some great photos of Turtles and a Platypus that enjoyed the opportunity to display his unusual shape to all and sundry.Lunch was taken at The Criterion Hotel at Finch Hatton and we all enjoyed the fare.Later, after a few drinks the party set off on the journey back home via Mount Ossa.A day trip that is highly recommended and thoroughly enjoyable.

The Windy Loo.

The leaky lizards pay homage to a relic from the past.Shimmy and Alison would like to announce they are not in the Leaky Lizard class and were there purely for the photographic opportunity. The photographer would not divulge the comings and goings at this facility.

Platypus Extraordinaire.

The sun shining on his beak was pure photographic skill on my part.

Vintage Cars Visit Shutehaven Lookout.

2009-05-03T16:15:00.032+10:00

Sitting relaxing on a quiet Sunday afternoon we were delighted
to see three Vintage Cars roll up to our front doorstep.The cars,
all in immaculate condition are from left to right:
Peter Woods 1934 Ford,
Ted Evans 1949 MG Y-Type
Terry Ciantar 1949 MG Y-Type.
After attending a rally the three guys along with their partners decided to drive up to Shute Haven to share our spectacular views.Each vehicle belonged to a different Automobile club.Peter Wood's Ford was from The Mackay Restoration Club.Ted Evans MG from The Whitsundays Automotive and restoration Club and Terry Ciantar's MG came from The Mackay Vintage Motor Club.After a few pleasant mutual exchanges they headed off to a prearranged BBQ.

Liz chooses the Ford.

I was suprised how Liz was so quick to
make her choice.Usually she takes ages
then changes her mind.

Just like a woman.

Now Liz can't decide which one she
wants to settle for.Haa Haa Liz
never lets the female gender
down.She's running true to form.

Whitsunday Airshow.

2009-04-30T15:52:00.025+10:00

The New Whitsunday Residential Air Park is celebrating it's opening with an Air Show commencing at 10-00am on Sunday May 3rd 2009.Several aerobatic displays will be on view along with a fire bucket demonstration and lots of other attractions.The highlight of the show will be an aerobatic display by The RAAF Roulette Display Team. Parking $10 per car and $2 Entry Fee,with all proceeds going to CQ Rescue and The Royal Flying Doctor Service.
Whitsunday Aviation Village Estate is the first of it's kind in Australia.With 57 Freehold land blocks it will be a self- sufficient community with it's own supermarket,restaurant and shops. Owners will be able to leave home,step into their aircraft, fly over The Great Barrier Reef and the surrounding Whitsunday Islands and return to their architecturally designed hangar homes surrounded by the lush landscaping of The Tropical Village. Jeff Ruddell acquired the Airport in 2001 and spent time in the USA gathering info on some of the 500 or so Airparks that operate over there. The proximity of The Reef and Islands will make this Village an exciting proposition for the owners of small aircraft who want to live in a unique and special environment in The Whitsundays.

Following the Air Show on Sunday 3rd May at 4-30pm on The Esplanade is one of Airlie's Biggest events on the calendar.
The Airlie Retreat Food and Wine Festival was a roaring success last year and this time round there will be 15 or so food and wine companies partaking in the event. Wines will be available from Australian and New Zealand Vineyards and food ranging from Mexican, Italian, Asian and Australian Cuisines.
The Carlton Draught Beer Academy will be in attendance .Constructed inside a huge semi-trailer the Academy has a working cool room, bar and lecture area. So if you want to find out the secrets of pulling the perfect pint, pop in and watch the demonstrations.
Musical Entertainment will be provided in the afternoon and well into the night ,and there will be an extended Fireworks display to top off a busy Sunday in Airlie Beach. Entry to the event will be $3-00 and children accompanied by an adult will be free.

Twitter Kuranda.

2009-04-18T21:53:00.018+10:00

Our Kuranda Page was developed and inspired by a chance meeting on Twitter between myself and Kuranda resident Diana Russo. This young lady is blessed with an earthy charm that emanates remarkably from Twitters 140 character restriction.
Together we are adding to the site as Diana sends info via her Local connections. We are pleased with the results so far and are hoping to aquire more input from the local Indigenous People.
Diana is concerned and involved in many aspects relating to environmental issues that are at this point in time being discreetly put aside by a Federal Government that promised so much in the way of change. Aboriginal issues are also in the forefront of her campaigning, particularly the Mona Mona situation. I am endeavouring to support Diana by way of our Kuranda page, and hope that it can in some small way make a difference.
Kuranda

Kuranda Boy Performer.

Kuranda Girl Performer.

Looking On.

16 Finalists for Queensland Island Reef Job.

2009-04-04T10:58:00.014+10:00

These lucky young people have been selected as finalists in The Island Reef Job.Applicants will be coming to Hamilton Island from May 3 to 6 for The Best Job in the World’s final selection process. You can get to know our final applicants by viewing their Videos on the opposite side of this page.Each of the Videos is a complement to the individual concerned and we think they all deserve congratulations on their efforts.Tourism Queensland has done a great job with this promotion,Good Onya Guys.As we live in The Whitsundays we know what a fabulous experience this is going to be for all of them,and we at Queensland Armchair Guide wish all the Finalists The Very Best of Luck.

Applicants Videos.
http://islandreefjob.com/#/Clare

http://islandreefjob.com/#/Anjaan

http://islandreefjob.com/#/Bens

http://islandreefjob.com/#/Cali

http://islandreefjob.com/#/Greg

http://islandreefjob.com/#/George

http://islandreefjob.com/#/Erik

http://islandreefjob.com/#/Clarke

http://islandreefjob.com/#/Magali

http://islandreefjob.com/#/Juweon

http://islandreefjob.com/#/James

http://islandreefjob.com/#/Hailey

http://islandreefjob.com/#/Benh

http://islandreefjob.com/#/Mirjam

http://islandreefjob.com/#/Yi

http://islandreefjob.com/#/Mieko

Keri The Queensland Artiste.

2009-03-17T13:29:00.006+10:00

Our Friend Keri McInerny.

Queensland Armchair Guide recently joined the Twitter Community and were suprised and delighted to find Keri online.This young Lady has always been a joy to listen to and hope to see her in The Whitsundays soon We are lucky to chat with her every day on Twitter.Visit Keri's Website .

Singer/Songwriter KERI MCINERNEY is a multi-award winning artist, who has numerous accolades and successes to her credit. Keri has had a great deal of success in both the Australian Country Music Industry as well as on the International market.
She has performed at a variety of major festivals in Australia, including the Gympie Muster, Mildura Country Music Festival, Undara Country Rock and Blues Festival, Qld Festival of Blues, Yagubi Multicultural Festival, Whale Festival, to name a few and numerous major Australian and International Corporate Events, resorts, clubs and hotels.
Keri's new album "STAY”, released in June 2008 and her latest video single of the same name, is once again being aired on national television and a host of other television show in Australia and abroad. Interest for the album has been high and Keri is looking forward to further success.

The Evening when Cyclone Hamish Threatened.

2009-03-14T07:42:00.008+10:00

We spent a night with dark foreboding but Hamish passed us by

Camira From Verandah.

Always look good under full sail don't they.Next week Liz and I will be joining John and his crew onboard Camira for a day sail to Whitehaven Beach on Whitsunday Island.Looking forward to getting some great pics,and will try to get Liz to volunteer to take photo from top of the mast in the Bosun's Chair.In my dreams I think. lol.

Cruise Whitsunday's Camira.

2009-03-07T12:01:00.004+10:00

Calm before the Storm.

Picture opposite:Cruise Whitsunday's 85ft Catamaran preparing to ride out the forthcoming Cyclone Hamish between Shute Island, Tancred Island and the Mainland.Taken at 12-pm today Mar.7th.

Cyclone Alert Whitsundays.

2009-03-07T11:20:00.004+10:00

Cyclone Hamish.

Tropical Cyclone Hamish is continuing it's path down the Queensland Coast, and Whitsunday Residents are preparing for the worst. At this moment, Hayman, Hook and Hamilton Islands are being evacuated and the remainder of the Resort Islands are expected to follow suit. Tour operators are moving their boats to Shute Harbour to try to avoid the full force of the impending winds. At present speed Hamish will be in the vicinity of The Whitsundays at approximately 4-00am local time on Sunday. We are staying to see it out and hope everyone will be safe.

The Big Two.

2009-03-01T18:56:00.004+10:00

Lawrence and Liz pose for a photo at The Lagoon

Lawrence Springborn Visits Airlie Beach.

Sunday 1st March saw The Premier Anna Bligh and her political opponent at the lagoon. Bligh's decision to put the Laguna Quays tender on hold was taken as a pre election ruse by the crowd that had gathered. Spending has been introduced to accommodate an upgrade for the existing airport at Proserpine. Lawrence was there to campaign for the forthcoming election and Liz from The Queensland Armchair Guide was seen to be plotting the demise of the current Premier with Lawrence Springborg.

Cocky showing who is Boss.

2009-02-26T09:09:00.002+10:00

Sunburnt Tweet.

Twitter.com has kept me away from my blog for over a week now so I think I'd better display the culprit with one of those lovely people I have met.Will have to spend more time working.

An Aussie Helping a Mate.

2009-02-13T20:17:00.009+10:00

Human life, flora and fauna, all affected by the wild Australian Bush Fire.
Local CFA firefighter David Tree shares his water with an injured Australian Koala at Mirboo North after wildfires swept through the region on Monday,
Feb. 9, 2009(AP Photo/Mark Pardew)

This is Too Big to Fight.

The koala in the main picture was saved but suffered burns to his paws.The crew of this Fire Truck are fleeing for their lives as the inferno rages behind them.The devastation can only be imagined by those who have never experienced an Australian Bushfire with an angry 100 Kph wind driving it onwards.The flames in the picture must be all of 60 ft.high.

Brunkers Twisted View.

2009-02-06T10:07:00.011+10:00

Congratulations to all Councillors concerned.
The residents of this community have your
futures in the palms of their hands.

The views of the Whitsunday Council are
totally at odds with common sense and the
will of it's residents.The Mayor, Bully
Boy Brunker, and his toadies in Council
have, with their infinite stupidity,chosen
to ignore residents and the Town Plan to
add 3 metres in height to a building
proposal on the beach side of Shute Harbour
Road.

The Lone Voice.

The future is not too bright when a 'do as we like', 'couldn't care less' Council rides roughshod over a small town like Airlie Beach.
Jan Clifford is the lone councillor opposing this bastardisation of The Town Plan. Castigated by the morons in council who choose to disfigure our town with their mightier than thou attitudes she remained resolute in her support for the residents of this town and common sense. I suggest Brunker should concentrate his tiny mind on the development of Bowen and the thousands of non return visitors generated by the Movie Experience.

South Molle - Dawn of a New Day.

2009-02-06T08:14:00.005+10:00

Scheduled reopening Saturday 28th March.

Koala Adventure Island.

South Molle is closed, and after refurbishment is to be reopened as Koala Adventure Island. Targeted at the over 18's the resort will have musical entertainment with resident DJ's every night of the week. Bands and other live entertainment will be the go at the new resort and let's hope this time the management get it right. My last visit to South Molle was for a Polynesian Night that was most enjoyable but one remembers the state of disrepair that was evident in certain areas. Let us hope that the refurbishment has rectified most of the problems and a new pier will be on the agenda in the near future.

The Airlie Beach Lagoon Bridge.

2009-02-05T12:35:00.010+10:00

After 4 weeks of continuous rain here in The Whitsundays we
are looking forward to a nice long drying out spell.Luckily
Cyclone Ellie was a fizzer otherwise we could have been looking
at a whole lot more rain.

Looking Forward.

We are looking forward to our trip to Whitehaven Beach in a couple of weeks time. Cruise Whitsunday's Camira will be our transport for the day. Nice to sail along at over 20 knots on a large catamaran with no sounds apart from the wind in the sails. This trip has got to be one of the must do excursions for anyone visiting The Whitsundays. The beach at Whitehaven is one of the top 10 beaches in World Listings and is nicely situated fairly close to Hamilton Island.

Job Vacancy $150,000 for 6 months Hard Labour.

2009-01-15T14:46:00.008+10:00

Applications are pouring in from around the world for this one.
Tourism Queensland has woken the world to The Whitsundays with
a magnificent jolt.Good on you guys.The salary is great but
applicants beware. You will be asked to swim and snorkel The
Great Barrier Reef, take a few cruises and on top of that you
need to write up in a blog for heavens sake.Apart from living
here, I can swim, snorkel, and I'm quite partial to a cruise or
two and the blog is a doddle.If Tourism Queensland doesn't mind
me commuting I will offer my good lady's services to the
Housekeeping Department at The Reef View Hotel on Hamilton Is.
free of charge, accept the job for $50,000,rent the house out and
donate the residue to a charity of their choosing. The other
applicants can join my mates opposite.

All Job Applicants can join my mates and take a bath.

Shute Harbour Sunrise.

2009-01-12T20:26:00.004+10:00

Nightscape lookin out to Daydream Island.

The flickering lights of Daydream Island can be seen lower left of photo.Taken at approximately 10-30 pm on 8th January 2009.

Airlie Beach Surfers.

2009-01-02T18:55:00.004+10:00

Double Trouble.

A pair of gate crashers arrived on Christmas Morning.The pork and ham were not acceptable for this pair but they did partake in the turkey and came back for seconds. So cannibalism is alive and well in Australia.

Response to QCHANTMS Comment. Shute Harbour.

2008-12-18T17:50:00.008+10:00

1: My reference to supposedly Traditional Owners is fair comment
when ownership is being contested by more than 1 group.
2:As an elder of The Ngaro People Irene Butterworth intimated to
me that she is not in agreement with ownership being afforded to
The Gia People.
3:Whitsunday Times 18 Dec 2008.Quote'A group of Ngaro Traditional
Owners lodged a Native Title Claim with The North Queensland Land
Council on 16th Dec.2008.
4:The wider group you mention are Gia People whose claims Irene
Butterworth rejects.
5:Commendations for a developer who wants to disfigure and destroy
a World Heritage Site with minimal advantage to The Aboriginal People
is incomprehensible.
6:Please forward letter.
7:Human nature is a funny thing Mr. Mailman.
8:If all parties have been afforded the opportunity regarding Native
Title previously,why would an application be tendered on 16th Dec.
2008 by The Ngaro People.

Development Nightmare.

Response from SHRA. to Marina Proposal and Letter of Advice for Jan Jarratt.

2008-12-12T11:51:00.009+10:00

Shutehaven Residents Response to Marina Proposal.

Dear the Hon. Jan Jarratt MP, Member for Whitsunday,
I have worked on coral reefs for over 40 years, on the GBR since 1965, in the Caribbean, and on the reefs of East Africa and Zanzibar and also New Guinea, and published papers on reef ecology and recently a book on reef management (Coral Reefs, Mangroves and Seagrasses: A Sourcebook for Managers; F.Talbot & C.Wilkinson, 2001; Australian Institute of Marine Science).
Sadly I have watched the steady decline of reef systems. The reasons have been many, including forest clearing, urbanisation, sewage pollution, over-fishing and the removal of wetlands and mangroves.
You have a gem in the Whitsunday area, and one that attracts thousands of tourists, many of them in yachts. The number of vessels is now so high that many anchorages that are destinations for the yachts are becoming crowded. More marina berths are already under way. I suggest you do not accept the very large Shute Harbour marina development in addition, as you are overburdening the area and damaging its shallow water systems.
You will already know that the inshore reefs along much of the GBR are less than pristine. This new Shute Harbour development, destroying rich shallow ecosystems, just adds to the steady pressure on the reef in the Whitsunday area.
The fame of the GBR is well known, but reef systems are common in the Indian and Pacific Ocean tropics...if the word was out that the GBR was tired, your tourists would flock to better reefs.
Rather than slowly kill your golden goose, I suggest this development will do too much harm to the Whitsundays. You would be wise to prevent it.
Your sincerely,
Frank Talbot
Professor F. H. Talbot, Sydney Institute of Marine Science
Director Emeritus, US National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution

Sound Advice.

If you are of similar persuasion to our local member Jan Jarratt on the Shute Harbour Marina Project it might be of interest to read the letter opposite. The gentleman has offered this advice to her and all others that can't wait to destroy this valuable Heritage Area.Barge entering Shute Harbour.

What a Difference.

This project is being portrayed as an opportunity for Aboriginal Employment, the answer to the Boaties Prayer, at 10,000 dollars per annum mooring fees and a Community Centre for the residents of Shute Harbour.
Aboriginals don't live here, Boaties aren't stupid and Shute Haven Residents have Coral Point Lodge as their Community Centre.

Shute Harbour Furphy.

2008-12-12T10:16:00.007+10:00

Here we have a typical situation demonstrating quite clearly the ineptitude of The Queensland Government assisted by Qld Cultural Heritage And Native Title Management Services Pty Ltd offering grandiose claims of Aboriginal Groups being able to break away from the dependancy cycle with the wonderful opportunities being offered by the Shute Harbour Marina Project.I am not aware of any Aboriginal Groups living in Shute Harbour.Is there something I have missed here? To assist this project along the way even the local member has suggested there have been very few objections raised regarding this matter.How quaint and simply not true.This proposal has received more objections than The Shale Project that was rejected.
If the Government got off it's backside and wanted to help the Aboriginal cause it would steer these Projects to areas of need.Palm Island is a prime example.Now they need a Marina Development to give them an opportunity for self determination more than any other group.
To destroy an area of significance like Shute Harbour when there is a new Marina Development 10 klms away is not only ridiculous but bordering on criminality.

Alf Lacey. Palm Island Mayor.

This is the guy The Queensland Government should be helping.

Too Hard Basket.
Not too difficult to help a few thousand Aboriginals instead of destroying an area that has no need for this type of development. All that is required is dialogue from the Queensland Government.

Shute Harbour Under Threat.

2008-12-10T20:12:00.010+10:00

It is going to be interesting to see how this Shute Harbour Marina Project pans out.
On the one hand we have an agreement with a group of supposedly Traditional Owners and on the other hand we have the Ngaro People who claim true ownership.
David Mailman who is The Director-Principal Consultant of Qld Cultural Heritage and Native Title Management Services Pty Ltd will be,I am sure,aware of the claim that has been registered by the Ngaro People a few weeks ago.Will the Ngaro People be overlooked in the rush to get this project off the ground if all objections are rejected or will the Ngaro People be considered in negotiations as the true owners? Irene Butterwoth is a Tribal Elder with the Ngaro People and from a conversation with her recently she intimated to me that what is planned for Shute Harbour is not acceptable to her and her people.The Ngaro claim should hold up this project if the true Traditional Owners are to be recognised. This Marina Project is a disaster just waiting to release itself on our community.
With far more objections against this project than the recent mining proposal that was rejected it would seem that this project is doomed to failure but strange things happen in the corridors of power.
A politicians view:-- that she received 1500 letters about the Shale Oil proposal but next to no community concern has been expressed about the Shute harbour proposal. She supports the proposal. Quote: "it is just a tiny bit of a world heritage area" and "on balance it is good for this area" Jan Jarratt.
Next to no community concern about this proposal!!! Are you kidding me.
Opposite are comments made by J.E.N. Veron, Former Chief Scientist, Australian Institute of Marine Science.I take his comments seriously, and so should the Politicians,Peter Garrett included.

.Dr. J. E. N. Veron - Reef Scientist.
As one of the few people who have worked on all the major coral reef regions of the world, I have become increasingly concerned about reef degradation that comes from coastal urbanisation. Australia stands almost alone in having extensive reefs that are still undamaged from this cause and thus I have long supported the efforts of GBRMPA to protect the Great Barrier Reef through managing coastal environments. The connection between reefs and adjacent land is now only too obvious: reefs degrade when coastal ecosystems are not preserved.
Shute Harbour is one of the best-know components of the world’s most highly treasured reef region. Development of the foreshore is not in the national interest and nor is it long-term interest of the region. Unlike most of the world, we Australians still have a choice – either we conserve such places, or we loose them forever. When future generations look back, I hope they will see good management decisions where our best foreshore environments have been preserved for all time.

Diamond Princess.

2008-12-10T14:54:00.006+10:00

Up close the Diamond Princess is an awesome sight. Compare
the Cruise Whitsunday Reef Vessel for size.

The Armchair Guide visits The Diamond Princess.

Monday 8th Dec we visited the P & O Liner Diamond Princess.
We arrived by tender at 10-am just as Cruise Whitsundays had picked up passengers from the liner to be transported to The Reef. Thanks to the Captain and Head of Security we were treated to a pleasant trip out and a great opportunity to take 2 videos that you can see on our http://www.queenslandarmchairguide.com/videowhitsundays.html
Video Whitsundays Page.
According to The Ambassadors we believe that of 2,600 passengers only 90 remained on board for the day, so 2,500 visitors alighted to enjoy Airlie Beach and the surrounds.

The Whitsundays Rum Bar.

2008-12-02T07:44:00.004+10:00

The Rum Bar.

Fish D'Vine on The Esplanade is one of the most popular meeting places for locals and tourists alike. The food is excellent and The Rum Bar is a legend in it's own lifetime. This Sunday we visited for a meal and a chat with the new girl behind the bar after spending the day at The Whitsunday VMR Clubhouse . Liz is 3 weeks into the job and by the smile on her face she is loving it. Musical entertainment is always part of the sunday scene and the artistes perform on The Esplanade right opposite Fish D'Vines Rum Bar. Kev and Bec have a great business here.

Storkey's Team.

2008-12-01T15:45:00.006+10:00

Mike and Lesley Storkey have been involved in The Whitsundays for over 20 years now and with so many varied interests it is hard to see how this busy couple find time for the Real Estate work. With Rotary and Whitsunday Toastmasters commitments a small part of their reportoire Mike still found time to serve up the sangers at The VMR open day.The Whitsunday Intimate Theatre Society was founded by Lesley,in,no doubt, one of her spare moments.A Professional Team, they are highly recommended.

Mike and Lesley.

VMR Whitsundays Open Day.

2008-11-30T18:08:00.006+10:00

Scott, the young lad lower right ala face painting was lucky enough to win a fishing trip for two in one of the prize draws but no, he didn't ask me.

VMR Whitsundays Open Day.

We spent the day at The Whitsundays VMR Open Day. Met up with a lot of old friends and made a few new ones. Caught up with 'Hat' and his good lady Sharon along with the Entertainers, old friends, Corrine and Sam. Jan Jarratt ,our local Member, and Mike Brunker our local Mayor were among the digniteries present. Sponsers from The Whitsunday Rotary Club and The Airlie Beach Hotel's Mark Bell were also in attendance. Everyone had a great day. See Videos on our Video Whitsundays Page.

Coral Point Lodge.

2008-11-29T19:57:00.006+10:00

Looking for a quiet place to stay in The Whitsundays? Coral Point Lodge is the ideal spot with million dollar views from every room. Liz and I popped over the road to join Brian,Eva,their daughter Monique and a few of the Shute Haven locals for a drink and a few nibblies this afternoon. All rooms have superb ocean views and The Lodge is located at the end of Harbour Ave at Shute Haven. If you decide to stay, pop over the road and say hello, we'll put the kettle on.

Views to Die For.

VMR Whitsundays Open Day.

2008-11-23T12:32:00.007+10:00

Sunday 30th November from 10am -300 pm The Whitsunday VMR will hold their Family Fun and Marine Info Day.The day will see the launch of the new Radio Room that was completed thanks to a donation from The Whitsunday Lions Club.
Displays are to be organised by the GBRMPA, Maritime Safety Queensland,Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service and The Rotary Club of Airlie Beach.Demonstrations will be carried out by Queensland Ambulance Service and The Water Police. Prize draws include a family pass to the reef from Cruise Whitsunday and an Eperb donated by Whitsunday Home Hardware.Get out and have a great day and don't forget to make a donation to this worthy cause.

On the Job.

During the Whitsunday Fun Race.

Reef Festival Parade.

2008-11-15T17:19:00.009+10:00

Liz in the Pink.

A very successful afternoon parade for The Whitsunday Festival.The crowds were out in force and the kids loved the lollies.The Save Our Foreshore folks were out in force and enjoying every moment.

Spectators and Partakers.

Looking forward to a few cold beers and a meal at The Whitsunday Sailing Club tonight followed by watching the entertainment and the firework display from the balcony. Another hard day in The Whitsundays.

Lunch at Palmers Fri 14th Nov.

2008-11-14T14:53:00.003+10:00

Palmers Training Restaurant.

Liz and I and a few friends chose to dine at Palmers Training Restaurant for a very pleasant lunch today. The kitchen staff were International Students and the Waitress Staff comprised of Students from The Whitsunday Christian College.Bookings are necessary as the restaurant was full.Head Chef Simon Andrews is a native of Manchester UK and he has been involved in training students in New Zealand and Adelaide before discovering the wonders of The Whitsundays. The 3 course lunch was excellent and the service was exceptional. Teachers John Staton and Scott Edmonds were in attendance and the experience was enhanced by the professionalism displayed by all concerned.

E P A Obstructing Justice? Shute Harbour.

2008-11-12T10:23:00.006+10:00

The Shute Harbour Marine Development Pty Ltd. has submitted the EIS for public perusal and responses have been given a cut off date 15 Dec. 2008 To assist the public in their right to reply it is necessary to obtain specific monitoring data info on Shute Harbour that they are in possession of. This data can be made available to the public immediately to assist them in their right to reply but the EPA are insisting on application for this info under the Freedom of Information Act.
This avenue is expensive and time consuming and if I know anything about Government Operations it will be way past the cut off date when the data will become available.
The general public demand cooperation from the EPA on this matter. Tactics of obstruction are not going to wash on such an important issue.
The letter on the right was sent to the EPA and below was their response.

Hi Rory,
The information requested below will need to be accessed through a formal Freedom of Information application. This request can be made via email or in writing and is required to be accompanied by a $38.00 fee. Please contact Rose Billington or Peter Thornton of the EPA’s FOI Unit on (07) 3237 1048 for further information regarding application process or via email on rose.billington@epa.qld.gov.au or peter.thornton@epa.qld.gov.au.
Regards,
Odette

Letter to Epa.

Dear Odette,
A number of community groups are currently preparing responses to the Shute Harbour Marina Development EIS.In preparing our responses, among other things we are assessing cumulative impacts in the region and are, consequently, seeking data. We would be grateful if you could supply us with any monitoring data gathered by EPA (or by the proponents or their representatives) relating to the marina development at Port of Airlie, the Yacht Club development at Hamilton Island and the marina expansion at Abel Point.As well as general monitoring data we are seeking plume data and comparisons between before and after; changed wave action and currents; and whether their modelling of sediment transport and deposition has been reflected in reality. As you are no doubt aware the public has been given just a few weeks to respond to this extremely complex EIS document and so our time frame is very tight. We would therefore greatly appreciate you supplying this information at your earliest convenience.
Regards,Rory McCourt SOF Patricia Julien MCG

Shute Harbour Objections.

2008-11-11T13:48:00.012+10:00

The Shute Harbour Development Pty Ltd. has delivered its EIS and it is open to submissions until 15 December 2008. The objectives of the company are as follows with my personal objections on each item.
The objectives of the SHMR development are:
•to provide a world class integrated marina and tourism facility, providing a valuable addition to the marina and tourism offerings in the region;
Objection :
There is already a world class integrated marina and tourism facility being constructed within 10 miles proximity of this proposal.The marina and tourism facilities already existing and being developed are perfectly adequate for the area.This addition would be an imposition by greedy developers on a small community that has no desire to be invited to vandalise our valuable natural heritage.
•to support a vibrant and growing marine industry, that is underpinned by a variety of programs and policies implemented by all layers of government, and driven by consistently strong growth in recreational boating generating a shortage of marina berths throughout Queensland;
Objection:
The growing marine industry in this area is attributed substantially by an ever increasing number of small boat owners (recreational) who would not be seeking the crippling financial outlay of a marina berth.The lack of boat ramps in this area is a disgraceful neglect that can be fixed by the local government with no help from developers.
•to capitalise on the geographic advantages of Shute Harbour to improve the overall efficiency and experiences of marine interaction with the Whitsunday Island region;
Objection:
Capitalise is the operative word here.If Shute Harbour has the "Geographic Advantage" why was the project at Muddy Bay deemed a necessary addition? There can be no benefit to existing operators at Shute Harbour in regard to their servicing the Whitsunday Island Region.
•to design the built form to integrate with the natural environment providing an effective transition between the marina environment and the natural wooded backdrop;
Objection:
The 'Built Form" consisting of 5 story buildings does not integrate or provide an effective transition between our foreshore and the natural wooded backdrop.The natural foreshore as it stands is perfectly and naturally suited.Just as nature intended.
•to respond to sustainable design principles, including passive climatic design, water management and storage, energy conservation and production and travel demand management;
Objection:
These aims are based on an assumption that the marina goes ahead.The travel demand management is a furphy.With one road in and out, management has limitations to its feasability and will ultimately fall on the Local Council with disastrous results.
•to help manage impacts of recreational boating in the Whitsundays;
Objection:
This is the sole responsibility of the Local Council and should not be included as an objective to gain favour.
•to provide a significant strengthening of the regional economy and employment;
Objection:
This objective is already in the pipeline at Airlie and a further addition will constitute a workforce being drawn from outside our area.Has this objective taken into consideration the lack of housing to accommodate all these newcomers? Lowest rentals in this area are TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS a week and upwards.
•to ensure integration of land uses to provide a balanced, master planned marina resort environment;
Objection:
This objective is ok for anywhere but Shute Harbour and is subject to the proposal being accepted.
•to protect the water quality of Shute Harbour;
Objection:
Left alone, the water quality in Shute Harbour will not need protection.Disturbed by a radical environmentally destructive development the water quality will be in the lap of the gods.
•to improve linkages between the site and the transit terminal and the overall operation and perception of the precinct;
Objection:
Linkages are not in place, so I fail to see any improvement can be made.To provide an improvement on a nonentity is a fallacy.
•to facilitate enhanced public transport linkages between Shute Harbour and Airlie Beach;
Objection:
Are local transport operators going to be affected by competition from a private source,or have negotiations commenced to compensate the existing operators?
•to ensure the provision of high quality urban design standards for built form and landscaping, creating a coherent and sensitive overall design aesthetic;
Objection:
We already object to the 5 story design form that we are being asked to accept as aesthetically pleasing. The Gold Coast is already being reconstructed on Hamilton Island, so enough is enough.
•to protect important view corridors from Proserpine-Shute Harbour Road to nearby Islands;
Objection:
The only way this objective can be accomplished is by not constructing anything in the area that has been proposed for development.To suggest that there will be no point on Shute Harbour Road where views will be inhibited by this development is blatantly false.
•to provide a valuable addition to the social and recreational fabric of the region, providing a stronger community heart for Shutehaven residents and greater breadth of facilities for visitors to Shute Harbour;
Objection:
The social and recreational fabric of Shute Haven Residents is their personal choice. The "community heart' of Shute Haven Residents does not wish to revolve around a fabricated communal centre provided by indiscriminate development.
•to provide public access to the Marina esplanade and Isthmus parkland, creating new foreshore access and views;
Objection:
Suject to approval this would be obligatory so the development is not doing any favours here. Our views are totally unrestricted now, and to facilitate us with views that have been obliterated by development is counter productive.
•to support Airlie Beach’s role as the Whitsunday Island tourism hub;
Objection:
As the Tourism Hub, Airlie Beach and the Local Council are going to be under enormous pressure to provide housing for staffing the new development at Muddy Bay.Any further development on the scale that is being proposed at Shute Harbour is not going to support Airlie Beach in any way whatsoever.A logistical nightmare is something that we in Shute Harbour and Airlie Beach do not need or desire.
•to increase the array of accommodation choices available to the community;
Objection:
The community at Shute Haven is not even guaranteed electricity supply from Ergon on a regular basis so any extra housing will have to be provided by generators,or is the new development going to support Ergon Energy in it's pathetic attempt to provide supply to the existing residents.
•to provide a long term management structure to maintain the marina and resort infrastructure at no cost to the community;
Objection:
I find it quite amusing that these eco vandals have the audacity to make a statement to the effect that the proposed maintenance of the resort and marina will be free of charge to the local community.
•to further protect and communicate the site’s indigenous and cultural heritage.
Objection:
This site is now the subject of dispute between opposing Aboriginal Claimants.The Ngaro people, are, at this point in time, proceeding to establish their own claim on Shute Harbour.If this is successful,we will be at a point where the developers have been negotiating with the wrong Tribe. These claims have a history of taking forever to be finalised,and if successful,will change the playing field substantially. In a recent conversation with Ngaro Tribal Elder Irene Butterworth, I was pleased to hear her thoughts regarding this development. I can see the Save Our Foreshore Pink Caravan being on-site for many years to come.

Save Our Foreshore.
Airlie Beach has always been the hub of the Whitsunday Experience and will continue to be so. Shute Harbour has been the outpost left undeveloped and pristeen. Visitors have always remarked on the unspoilt nature of the area and pointed out how lucky we are to live out here at Shute Haven.
This situation is about to be dramatically reversed forever if the proposed development is allowed to go ahead for no other reason than a despicable land grab.
The residents of Shute do not want the proposed development and Whitsundays Tourism have no need for it.
The empty berths at Abel Point Marina are a pointer to the need for more berths in the area. With the Muddy Bay Marina in progress with all the new berths to be added, one begs the question "where are all the boats coming from"?
The Shute Harbour Marina Development Pty Ltd. will have you believe that the growing number of small boat owners will be clamouring for berths and the need is what they are fullfilling.
How to Object.

Please sign our petitions!
Write letters to the Proserpine Guardian and the Whitsunday Times pointing out what a grave responsibility the councillors are now faced with.
Email, phone, fax or write to as many councillors as you can, as often as you can. Their details are below.
Get your friends, wherever they are, to email the councillors. And also to go to our page to sign the petitions.
If you see the councillors on the street, tell them how you feel.
Contact the various State Ministers listed below and let them know how you feel. If you need help with your objection email us
Whitsunday Regional Council
Whitsunday Regional Council Council's postal address is: 83-85 Main Street, Proserpine, 4800, Queensland.
The Mayor is available at the Bowen Office on Mondays and Fridays, and the Proserpine Office on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Wednesdays are Council meeting days.
Mayor - Mike Brunker mayor@whitsundayrc.qld.gov.au (Ph: 4849 3701 Fax: 4946 7381
Division 1: jan.clifford@whitsundayrc.qld.gov.au (Mob: 0412 721 969)
Division 2: Deputy Mayor rogin.taylor@whitsundayrc.qld.gov.au (Ph: 07 4947 3366 Mob: 0417 646 075)
Division 3: jennifer.whitney@whitsundayrc.qld.gov.au (Ph: 07 4945 2004 Mob: 0417 452 003) Personal postal address: PO Box 158, Proserpine QLD 4800
Division 4: peter.ramage@whitsundayrc.qld.gov.au (Ph: 07 4785 6644)
Division 5: dave.clark@whitsundayrc.qld.gov.au (Mob: 0408 642 268)
Division 6: mark.gaudry@whitsundayrc.qld.gov.au (Mob: 0418 776 186)
State governmentcabinet.qld.gov.au
Bligh, Hon Ms Anna Maria, MP PremierPh: 322 44500 Fax: 322 13631Level 15, Executive Bldg, 100 George St, Brisbane, Q, 4000PO Box 14185, City East, Q, 4002thepremier@premiers.qld.gov.au
Jarratt, Janice Heather, MPPh: 4945 3343 Fax: 4945 3278Suite 2, Federation House, 20 Chapman Street, Proserpine, Q, 4800PO Box 1302, Proserpine, Q 4800mailto:4800whitsunday@parliament.qld.gov.au
Boyle, Hon Desley Carole, MP Min. for Tourism, Regional Development, IndustryPh: 3224 2004 Fax: 3229 0434Level 26, 111 George Street, Brisbane, Q, 4800GPO Box 1141 Brisbane, Q 4001trdi@ministerial.qld.gov.au
Fraser, Hon Andrew, MP TreasurerPh: 3224 6900 Fax: 3229 0642Level 9, Executive Bldg, 100 George St, Brisbane, Q, 4000GPO Box 611, Brisbane, Q, 4001mailto:treasurer@ministerial.qld.gov.au
Lucas, Hon Paul Thomas, MP, Deputy Premier, Min for Infrastructure & PlanningPh: 3224 4600 Fax: 3224 4781Level 12, Executive Bldg, 100 George St, Brisbane, Q, 4000PO Box 15009, City East, Q, 4002deputypremier@ministerial.qld.gov.au
McNamara, Hon Andrew MP Min. for Sustainability, Climate Change, InnovationPh 3336 8032Level 17, 160 Ann St, Brisbane, Q, 4000PO Box 15155, City East, Q, 4002sustainability@ministerial.qld.gov.au
Mulherin, Hon Tim Sean, MP Min. Primary Industries & FisheriesPh 3239 3000 Fax 322 985418th Floor, Primary Industries Bldg, 80 Ann St, Brisbane, Q, 4000GPO Box 46, Brisbane, Q, 4001dpi@ministerial.qld.gov.au
Pitt, Hon Warren, MP Min Main Roads and Local GovernmentPh: 3227 8819 Fax: 3221 9964Level 18, Mineral House, 41 George St, Brisbane, Q 4000PO Box 15031, City East, Q, 4002mainroads@ministerial.qld.gov.au
Schwarten, Hon Robert Evan, MP Min Public Works, Housing, Info, Communication TechnologyPh 3237 1832 Fax: 3210 2189Level 7, 80 George St, Brisbane, Q, 4000GPO Box 2457, Brisbane, Q, 4001pwh@ministerial.qld.gov.au
Shine, Hon Kerry, MP Attorney-General, Min Justice, Min Assisting Premier in Western QueenslandPh 3239 3478 Fax 3220 2475Level 18, State Law Bldg, 50 Ann St, Brisbane, Q, 4000GPO Box 149, Brisbane, Q, 4001attorney@ministerial.qld.gov.au
Wallace, Hon Craig Andrew, MP Min Natural Resources & Water, Min Assisting Premier in North QueenslandPh 3896 3688 Fax: 3210 6214Level 13, Mineral House, 41 George St, Brisbane, Q 4001PO Box 15456, City East, Q, 4002NRW@ministerial.qld.gov.au
Wilson, Hon Geof, MP Min Mines and EnergyPh: 3225 1861 Fax: 3225 1828Level 17, 61 Mary St, Brisbane, Q 4000PO Box 15216, City East, Q 4002minesandenergy@ministerial.qld.gov.au
Federal GovernmentPeter Garrett, Min Envionment, Heritage, ArtsPh 6277 7640 Fx: 6273 6101PO Box 6022, House of Reps, Parliament House, Canberra, ACT 2600Email at: http://www.aph.gov.au/house/members/memfeedback.asp?id=HV4
Contact info for all senators is available here: http://www.aph.gov.au/SEnate/senators/contacts/los.htm

Shute Harbour.

These creatures are our preferable neighbours at Shute Harbour.

Dugong at Peace.

Whitsunday on the Beach.

2008-11-03T14:18:00.007+10:00

The Armchair Guide wishes our friends Richard and Sandy Matheson good luck in their new venture at Whitsunday on the Beach. The accommodation is next to The Airlie Lagoon and 2 minutes from the beach. In the heart of Airlie WOTB,is within 10 mins walk of all shops,bars, restaurants and nightclubs. All the rooms are being refurbished to upgrade the existing accommodation and The New Year will see a fantastic improvement in this establishment. All the rooms have views overlooking the ocean and the lagoon.

Whitsundays Reef Festival 2008.

2008-11-03T09:32:00.005+10:00

Whitsunday Guide is looking forward to The 2008 Reef Festival.Starting on 13th Nov through til the16th, the Festival has numerous events organised.On Saturday 15th, The Whitsunday Transit Street Parade is the main event incorporating a Wearable Art Competition.Following this The Beach Party kicks off at 2-00pm and the bar will be open til Midnight.Four days of non stop entertainment can be checked out on The Festival Website. Hope to see you all there.

Long Island Visit.

2008-11-02T12:21:00.007+10:00

Saturday Morning We drove to Abel Point to pick up the 8-45 Cruise Whitsunday Ferry for the trip to Long Island.
A beautiful sunny day for a 40 min cruise past Pioneer Rocks and South through The Molle Channel To Long Island. Water Sports Activities were already in full swing when we arrived. The Beach Bar seemed to be the place to settle for a few drinks before the lunch hours approached. A Whitsunday Circuit Bush Walk was available for the energetic but we passed the opportunity up to relax in the shade and veg out. The lunch was an excellent variety of sea food , salad and bbq fare. The Kids Club was open all day to the delight of parents, whilst musical entertainment was provided by Mark Roberts. It is so nice to return to Long Island, inspect the newly furnished rooms, watch the fish feeding , take a round of mini-golf or go snorkeling. With 20 activities, a beautiful beach, the occasional inquisitive wallaby, and the resident bird population, what more could you ask for a day out.The staff were great on Long Island and the Cruise Whitsundays girls, Debbie and Mercedes were so helpful, making the day a real treat.

Liz and Debbie.

Beach View Long Island.

Long Island.

2008-10-28T17:42:00.006+10:00

Liz and I will be tripping over to Long Island on Saturday 1st November for a Special Open Day. Cruise Whitsundays and Long Island have organised the trip including a barbeque lunch for $35.We haven't been over to the Island for a couple of years now and it has always been one of our favourite Islands in The Whitsundays.The ferry can be picked up at Abel Point or Shute Harbour. In the not too distant future we will be hosted by Cruise Whitsundays on their Camira trip to Whitehaven Beach on Whitsunday Island. Life is never boring in The Whitsundays.

Gunn Island Lat: 20° 16’ 60 S Long: 148° 48’0 E

2008-10-26T16:30:00.008+10:00

Photo taken Today by Liz at Low Tide from the verandah of our home
in The Whitsundays.

Gunn Island.
Gunn Island was named after Lieutenant Gordon S. Gunn R N, an officer aboard HMS Alert led by Captain John Maclear during the 1881 surveys in The Molle Area of The Whitsundays. As you leave Shute Harbour the Island is close to the Port Side .The 1 klm walking track to Coral Beach that starts at Shute Haven can take you South at Low Tide onto the Northern Part of Gunn Island which dries out at Low Tide. This track was established by the Indigenous Community in the early days. The Salty Dog Sea Kayaking half day tour passes close to the Island when returning to Shute Harbour after excursions past several other Islands in the vicinity. The Beak lies NE of Gunn Island and is part of The Mainland and the lookout can be accessed from Coral Beach via a 700 metre walking track.

Queensland Armchair Guide Blog.

Queensland Accommodation

Do The Whitsundays.

Climate Change --The Truth.

Million Dollar Memo News.

Fantasea Adventure Cruises Australian Award.

Fantasea Reef Sleep.

Google Gripe.

Kats Beauty Salon.

Ragamuffin.

New Pages on The Armchair Guide.

Gold Coast Accommodation.

Tourism Whitsundays Award Winners 2010.

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ABC Childrens Illustrated "An Alphabet Story" kindEbook.

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Thank you for popping in to see us.

Queensland Creepy Crawlies.

There's Nothing Like Australia Comp.Entries.

Entry 176.

Click to Enlarge.

There's nothing like a platypus, If it's animals you seek, Or turtles playing piggy back, Close to Boulder Creek.

Entry 337.

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There's nothing like a sunrise, To start an Aussie day, We'll invite Ben and Bre around for drinks, It is the Aussie way.

Entry 925.

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There's nothing like a moonlight view, Across to Daydream Island, The balmy nights are sheer delight, You'll love to visit my land

Entry 1589.

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There's nothing like the cockatoo, To give us all a laugh, But heaven help the lorakeet, Who tries to cross his path.

Entry 1981.

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There's nothing like The Fun Race, Held at Airlie Beach each year, The boats all seem to stay afloat, While the crew are sinking beer.

Entry 2928.

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There's nothing like the new yacht club, On Hamilton Island's shore, Not seen it yet ? Fly in by jet, Stopover and enjoy the tour.

Entry 3047.

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There's nothing like Long Island, One of Queensland's best, Just one among a host of isles, The Whitsundays are blessed.

Entry 4664.

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There's nothing like an Aussie beach, To make you feel at home, The seabirds stalk for morsels, Thrown up by rising foam.

Entry 4765.

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There's nothing like the colours, The Rainbow Lorakeet displays, It keeps us all in cheerful mood, On those rare wet windy days.

Entry 4932.

Click to Enlarge.

There's nothing like Eungella Park, If it's solitude you seek, A special place that comes to mind, I guess it's Boulder Creek.

Entry 4932.

Click to Enlarge.

There's nothing like our wildlife, As on this trip you'll find, Broken River turtles, Like mum and babe behind.

Shute Harbour Suffers Cyclone Ului.

Mangrove Jacks Airlie Leukaemia Campaign.

Islands of The Whitsundays.

Queen Mary 2 Arrives Airlie Beach..

Liz Thanks Cruise Whitsundays.

Common Sense From Hamilton Island at Last.

Fantasy 2's Last Tango from Daydream Island.

Whitsundays Wild Weather.

Liz and Alf's Coral Trip.

Customer Inconvenience in The Whitsundays?

Fantasea to Hamilton and Dent Islands.

Hamilton Island Yacht Club taken from Dent Island.

Water Feature at Yacht Club.

Arrival at Dent Island.

Imposing figure of Pentecost from the 16th Green.

Liz testing the rails.

Hamilton Island Yacht Club.

Rugged terrain of Dent with Golfcart Track.

Queensland : Cruise Whitsundays New Contract.

Queensland : Birdsville

Whitsundays : The World.

Queensland : Winton. Dinosaur Tracks.

Queensland:Whitsundays: Cruise Visits.

Twitter Whitsundays Twenty Thousand Followers.

There's nothing like a platypus, If it's animals you seek,
Or turtles playing piggy back, Close to Boulder Creek.

There's nothing like a sunrise, To start an Aussie day,
We'll invite Ben and Bre around for drinks, It is the Aussie way.

There's nothing like a moonlight view, Across to Daydream Island,
The balmy nights are sheer delight, You'll love to visit my land

There's nothing like the cockatoo, To give us all a laugh,
But heaven help the lorakeet, Who tries to cross his path.

There's nothing like The Fun Race, Held at Airlie Beach each year,
The boats all seem to stay afloat, While the crew are sinking beer.

There's nothing like the new yacht club, On Hamilton Island's shore,
Not seen it yet ? Fly in by jet, Stopover and enjoy the tour.

There's nothing like Long Island, One of Queensland's best,
Just one among a host of isles, The Whitsundays are blessed.

There's nothing like an Aussie beach, To make you feel at home,
The seabirds stalk for morsels, Thrown up by rising foam.

There's nothing like the colours, The Rainbow Lorakeet displays,
It keeps us all in cheerful mood, On those rare wet windy days.

There's nothing like Eungella Park, If it's solitude you seek,
A special place that comes to mind, I guess it's Boulder Creek.

There's nothing like our wildlife, As on this trip you'll find,
Broken River turtles, Like mum and babe behind.

Whitehaven Trip.Cruise Whitsundays Camira