Airlie Beach is a beautiful, small town in Queensland, Australia's Whitsunday Region. It is a popular tourist destination because it is one of several departure points in going to the Great Barrier Reef. However, depending in oceanic conditions, it usually takes two to three hours just to get to the reef from Shute Harbor.
Airlie Beach enjoys a tropical lifestyle and climate. Its population was estimated then at 2,751 but is now estimated at around 25,000. Every year, during Pentecost Sunday or Whit Sunday, Airlie Beach residents celebrate "The Blessing of the Fleet". Father Keith Felgate started this blessing ceremony.