Townsville to Airlie Beach

Rolling through hot countryside we travelled further south to Airlie Beach, from where we planned to explore the Whitsunday Islands by boat. The journey was the shortest we will take in Australia at just under 4 hours and as with the others it was largely uneventful. A monotony of arid landscape flickered past our window as we edged closer to our destination.

Once at Airlie Beach we 'checked-in' to our boat, which departs on Sunday before wandering around the small tourist town with its quintessential shops; a McDonalds and a drive-thru alcohol store...

Since New Zealand we have heard about the McDonalds' 'gourmet menu', which allows you to create your own burger from items on their menu (do they have this in the UK too? We hadn't heard of it before travelling). Too tired and uninspired by our hostel's small kitchen to cook for ourselves we decided to give it a go.

It was novel, particular when Alex's burger arrived without its meat patties. With the air of Benjamin Disraeli he returned to the counter for a sheepish teenager to complete his design. Both burgers were huge and satisfying but for the money that you pay, you could get a main meal at a restaurant. Yet it's a clever concept as you are tempted to go back and improve on your first attempt...Read more