Day 62: White lies and white beaches

Now you are about to discover the joy that I have in being married to a scientist – one whose mind is constantly ticking over, wondering why, asking questions, challenging the status quo – it is hardly surprising we have such bright children given the father that they have! J

On our way to the Whitsundays a few days ago, we drove over a bridge, over a river in which it appeared that huge machinery was digging up sand and loading it onto trucks and trucking that sand out.  Seemed a bit odd really – a bit like selling ice to Eskimos and I commented on it, and Rich has been thinking about it ever since. 

 A true sand beach in the Whitsundays - a little muddy!

Then, no doubt you noticed yesterday, when I commented on Airlie Beach – the gateway to the Whitsundays – the ‘post card perfect’ look that has a perfect crescent shaped beach, with sparkling white sand and lovely palm trees?  Well this morning we were at that beach at low tide – and it is a very different picture – yes the sand and the palm trees are still there, but when the tide goes out, it is mud – mangrove mud!  Rich has this theory – all these coasts are not white sand, because sand is made by wave action on rock – there are no waves in this area because of the islands and further out the barrier reef, and all the islands that we can see around us, indeed the coast itself, is mangrove in deep mud.  (See what I mean about the scientist brain!?)  His theory is that Airlie Beach and the resorts on Hamilton and other islands are all basically man made to fit the tourist industry – the mangroves are cut away and sand is trucked in – voila - beaches.  Sounds a bit far-fetched? I thought so too until we went to Schute Harbour – just past Airlie Beach and saw train trucks full of ……. you guessed it … beach sand.  And where were these train trucks going?  Onto two very large ferries destined for the likes of Hamilton Island!  Kinda messes up the ‘Whitsunday-hype’……. Mmmm!  White Sand and White Lies methinks!  (Sorry Caroline – I know you love this place!).  A lot of their advertising talks about the Great Barrier reef giving the impression that once you have paid you huge dollars and get to one of the 74 islands you are on the reef, but actually none of the Whitsunday islands are actually on the barrier reef – in fact you are taken to the ex-mangrove, now sandy beached island, and if you are willing to pay some more dollars, then you are taken a further ten or so kilometers out to sea to dive on the actual great barrier reef!  Mmmmm – it is all getting harder and harder to believe!

The perfect 'beach' when the tide goes out - shows the actual mud beneath and imported sand. 

Anyway, enough of the theories – what we did see today was real live, action pumping, living, breathing mangrove.  I have visited numerous mangrove swamps in my life with my gorgeous husband (mangroves are in the same category as big trees, long jetties, round-the-next-corners and top-of-this-hill) but never have I witnessed the energy and population of a mangrove like I saw today.  The mud was so deep that even a pebble thrown onto it sank below sight, so it was not advisable to walk in the mud – we found some solid ground and (whilst holding our noses because it really, really stank – as all good mangrove swamps do) watched the millions of crabs, great variety of mud skippers (a kind of fish/frog/tadpole thing that hops from pool to pool and isn’t afraid to be in water or on dry land), insects and fish absolutely thrive.  You probably think I am a bit wacky, but it truly was a revelation to see an ‘alive’ mangrove swamp!

 The mudskipper about 10 cm long

So today was a good one – a nice mix of coffee in town, meandering through the over- priced shops, then after lunch a walk on a completely deserted beach (…. Okay a mud flats), a visit to a waterfall and some a very pleasant drive through the hills surrounding Airlie Beach.  We even saw a dead snake which was terribly exciting for Rich – a brown snake – which apparently is VERY poisonous – why the heck did they call it brown then – brown seems so innocuous a bit like grey!! 

Tomorrow we hit the road again – McKay, Bundaberg and Gladstone with a free camp at the end!  Yay! L

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