By the Sea, By the Beautiful Sea

I wasn't sure exactly what to expect for my first Easter outside the U.S.  But it turned out to be not so different.  Unlike most uni's in the States, we got Good Friday and Easter Monday off so two of us packed our bags and headed to the Whitsundays for an Easter by the sea. 

Airlie Beach

Whitsunday Islands

Long Beach

We stayed one night in Airlie Beach, which not much can be said for except it does have a pretty beach.  It has a very strong "American spring break" kind of vibe.  Luckily we didn't spend much time in Airlie, the next day we went out on a day-long sailing tour of the Whitsundays, stopping to snorkel off Whitsunday Island and swim and relax on Whitehaven Beach, which has the most stunningly blinding white sand I've ever seen.  We spent the next night and day on Long Beach which is home to a resort and backpackers hostel.  Gorgeous beaches and lush forests surrounded our accomodations and we spent Easter Sunday hiking, sunning and playing with the critters in the intertidal.  Easter Monday had us back at Airlie where we went for a pretty spectacular sea kayak tour.  We stopped for lunch at an "island" (technically a rock) made up of dead coral pieces before heading back to shore, packing up and heading back to uni. 

Whitehaven Beach

Sunset Over Daydream Island