After driving about 1300 Km and about 16 hours, we finally arrived to the town of Airlie Beach which is the gateway to the Whitsunday Islands. The Great Barrier Reef falls into the chain of Islands in the Whitsunday's. We ended up booking a day cruise on a catamaran called Camira. It sailed around the various Islands and made a stop at Whitehaven Beach. Whitehaven Beach is located in the Whitsunday Islands and Airlie Beach Region. Whitehaven Beach is almost 6km long and consists of a very fine dazzling white sand that is 98% pure Silica! The sand is minute powder-size grains of quartz and has been assayed at 99.89% pure, well above the minimum requirement for glass-making and suitable for the finest glass for optical lenses for binoculars etc. After soaking in the sun for a few hours, we headed back out towards some of the reefs for a snorkeling adventure. I must say that it was one of the best underwater experiences that I have had in regards to marine life. Lots of colorful fish and beautiful coral! You should put this one on your list of places to visit. The journey continues....