IF YOU'RE looking for relaxation, a few coldies or a glass of wine and a good meal, get to The Point. The Point Tavern, that is.

The Point Tavern Bar and Bistro is situated in Conder Parade in Midge Point and is the perfect getaway for an afternoon whiling away some time at the outdoor courtyard. It’s a big area with palms and lawn adding a restful green atmosphere and a huge shaded area. The occasional foray to the bar doesn’t take much effort, as it opens out onto the courtyard. The bar has a good selection of wine and a full range of Castlemaine and Carlton beers.

Or maybe you might have a few games of pool inside.

Bistro meals are available seven days - and nights - a week and range from children’s meals to a full range of seafood dishes, T-bones, garlic steak, rump steak, garlic prawns, Thai salads, caesar salad and fresh fish of the day. The bistro is fully air conditioned so it’s very pleasant on hot days!

You can play a few games of pool too, and on Thursday nights there’s a pool competition to join. Or Tuesday night’s darts games might be more your style. Every second Sunday afternoon, there’s easy listening live entertainment, so that’s a good time to visit.

The Point Tavern has an ATM - the next closest is at Proserpine, so it’s really appreciated by visitors.

Midge Point is best known for its fishing, either from the shoreline or from a boat. Creeks and estuaries are good places to fish, and barramundi is a favourite catch at the right time of the year. Fishing enthusiasts may also reel in mangrove jack, bream, whiting, reef fish and mackerel. A lot of people have great success crabbing in the area, too. Or just enjoy a walk along the beach. It’s a long white, sandy beach and beachcombing is a favourite pastime for many. The tide goes out a long way, leaving great stretches of hard sand so you can walk for miles picking up shells and driftwood.

And just in case you’re wondering, it’s not named after those pesky biting insects. Its name comes from a certain Midge that was in the district back in the days when the area was first surveyed. The first detailed survey of the western shore of Repulse Bay was made in 1843 and one of the ships involved was the HMS Fly. To survey along the extensive shallows along the shoreline, much of the survey was done by the Fly’s main work boat, which being a “little Fly” was given the quaint moniker of Midge.

Midge Point itself is a very laidback spot and is located just 6km from Laguna Quays Golf Resort. If you’re a golfing fanatic, you’ll want to try the Proserpine golf course too!

Just 40 minutes’ drive from the Point is Airlie Beach with its myriad attractions. Take a day cruise and enjoy the dazzling view of kilometres of silica on Whitehaven Beach, bounded by the incredible blue of the Whitsunday sea. Go scuba diving at the reef.

If adventure is your preference, do everything from jet skiing to parasailing. When it’s time to relax, head for the Airlie Beach Lagoon. On Saturdays, make sure you’re on the foreshore so you can wander around the markets in the shade of the coconut palms.

Airlie has a personality all its own - it’s rather like a big village but it has a cosmopolitan aura that wouldn’t be out of place in a city. At night, the nightclubs provide an entertaining finale to a day of sun and sea.