The next morning we left the shelter of Cataran Bay and made our way around the seaward side of the Whitsundays towards the central group of islands. Making our way around Border Island we had good views back towards the saddle we had climbed the previous evening.
With calm seas and a good amount of wind we were able make quick progress towards Whitsunday Island, the largest island in the archipelago. As we made our way across the bay, we tacked a couple of times to make the most of the wind giving us views across to the various beaches and coves on the islands.
The area is still recovering from Cyclone Debbie which hit this area at the end of March. Looking across to the forested hillsides, it was easy to see the direction the storm had travelled through the islands, with some slopes covered in lush green forests and others looking rather ragged.
After a few hours of sailing we caught our first glimpse of Whitehaven Beach on the horizon. The seven kilometre (almost 4.5 mile) beach is known for its white sands and even from a distance we could see the white stripe at the base of the hills.
We moored in nearby Tongue Bay for the night, enjoying the protection from the winds. The white sands in this area gave the water a beautiful turquoise colour, and the bay was a great place to relax.
Later that evening, at low tide, we took the launch over to the beach to walk the track up to the Hill Inlet Overlook. We climbed up to the overlook which gave us great views over Hill Inlet and the sands at the mouth of the river which looked almost pink in the setting sun.