Airlie Beach is a gateway to the Whitsundays with lots of traffic - yachts to motorboats to helicopters (for the rich) and airplanes. So it is a busy place, added to which is a huge new marina building project. We are anchored in the bay just outside the Whitsunday Sailing Club, essentially a dinghy sailing club but with facilities for visiting yachts for a very small fee. It is wonderful to be able to tie your dinghy up on the club pontoon and go ashore for water, a shower, washing, internet, etc. A short walk takes you into the tourist part of town where there is one travel agent after the next. We are likely to be based here for a few weeks as we have the boom fixed/replaced.
Chris and Gilli on Westwind are anchored 50m from us, so it is very social and Chris is a mine of information on how to do things. Hopefully we will get the quote on the boom today and decide whether to replace it or patch it.
It has suddenly turned warm and time to put away the jumpers, slippers, blankets, etc and get out the suntan lotion. Within a few days we plan to sail across to the Whitsundays and explore the islands while we wait for the boom. The weather for it is perfect with light winds. | 
