After Fraser Island, the next destination was Airlie Beach, the gateway to the Whitsunday Islands archipelago. Since Airlie Beach is 1000 kilometers away (roughly the same distance as Marseille-Lille), and it is not possible to do the whole trip at once, the journey will be divided into a day plus a night bus with a day break in-between at Agnes Water – Town of 1770. The name of the village (1770) is a tribute to Captain Cook who landed the second time on the mainland Australia at this point (his first landing was at Sydney).
The road in front of the backpacker
Once arrived, the local backpackers sent a local minibus to the bus stop to bring us to our respective accommodations and I had the luxury of sleeping alone in a large room for 10 people at 1770 Backpackers.
Agnes Water is a pretty quiet coastal town where there is not much to do. The two main activities are surf lessons (Agnes Water is the most northernly point where you can go surfing on the East Coast, then after, there are crocodiles and dangerous jellyfish) and the “Scooteroos”, a motorbike ride with motorbikes looking like Harley Davidson. The same company also offers a free guided tour in the morning.
View from 1770
I took the guided tour that explains the history of the village and particularly the history of 1770, a village a few kilometers away from Agnes Water. I left the tour just before it ended to enjoy my quiet long stroll along the beach back to Agnes Water.
Beach between 1770 and Agnes Water
Funny vehicle seen during the guided tour