One destination that you definitely should not miss when you are visiting Queensland, Australia, is the Whitsunday Islands. One of the best things about diving here is that you can combine your dives with a sailing trip on a fabulous Maxi Yacht.

There are also ordinairy dive schools, but several dive operators offer a combined sailing and diving package. We went sailing on the Maxi Ragamuffin, one of the few boats that go on day trips. There are many others that offer live-a-boards or stays on one of the Whitsunday Islands.

Airlie Beach

You can reach the Whitsunday Islands via a town called Airlie Beach, which is very popular for young people and backpackers. The Whitsunday Islands are also the most popular honeymoon destination in Australia.

In recent years, this village has expanded substantially, mostly with holiday houses and accommodations for travellers. There are many places to stay and to go out, as well as hostels and several campgrounds. Since it is quite touristy, you might find that everyday life is a little more expensive here than in other parts of Australia.

Australian wildlife

The wildlife on the shore is quite abundant, since Airlie Beach is located at the edge of the rainforests. Even on campgrounds you are likely to see many types of parrots and cockatoos, as well as other birds and furry animals such as possums.

Maxi Ragamuffin

The Maxi Ragamuffin is a quite well-known retired racing yacht, which used to take part in the infamous Sydney to Hobart race. It even managed to win that race 3 times. You don’t get too many chances to stay and sail on a multi-million-dollar toy like this one, so make sure you enjoy every moment of it.

The Maxi Ragamuffin has an excellent crew, which definitely knows how to make the most of this experience. They do not have an office, so you can only make bookings via the internet or by phone. The budget option is to book two days of sailing combined with a dive during one of the trips.

You will go one day on a sailing trip to Whitehaven Beach, one of the most beautiful beaches in the world, where you can swim and play beach cricket.

The second day you will sail towards Hayman Island. You will jump of the boat in your dive gear and make your way through the reefs to the beach of Blue Pearl Bay. It is a nice long cruise, with a maximum depth of no more than 15 metres.

Marine life

Although the reefs and wildlife are not as spectacular as in other parts of the Great Barrier Reef, you’ll swim through beautifully coloured coral gardens and you can spot many smaller species, such as lizard fish, anemone fish, angel fish and sergeant majors. A massive but friendly and inquisitive Maori wrasse called Elvis is resident here, but unfortunately we did not encounter him.

The Whitsunday Islands might well be one of the most beautiful tropical hideouts you will see in you entire life. Sailing and diving with the Maxi Ragamuffin is a trip we can definitely recommend!