Author: Matt and Danielle
02 May 2023
Swim in the most beautiful crystal clear turquoise waters and snorkel beautiful reefs packed with wildlife. Explore and take in views more beautiful than any picture you've seen. That's what to expect when you visit the Whitsunday Islands. This beautiful part of Australia is made up of 74 islands located 55km (34m) off the coast of Queensland. It's a breathtaking and must-see destination full of beautiful islands and the softest white sand beaches. It's the best place!
Whether you're planning a stop off during an Aussie road trip, or organising a family holiday. Here is everything you need to know if you're looking to explore the beautiful Whitsundays.
This national park full of 74 beautiful islands has a tonne of things to do and see. What are the things you absolutely cannot miss? Here is our definitive list of everything that needs to be included on your epic Whitsunday itinerary.
The renowned Whitehaven Beach is the best beach in the Whitsundays. It is a must for all who visit this part of Queensland. Whitehaven has been voted the best beach in the world time and time again and for very good reason. This beach is on the uninhabited Whitsunday Island itself, which is the largest island in the Whitsundays. Any trip you find will have this as its main highlight. Make sure to walk the small trek up to Hill Inlet lookout on the Northern end of Whitehaven Beach. It's an incredible spot that gives you the best view on the island where you can see the soft white sands and bright blue waters that await you.
Now it's time to visit the Southern side of the island, which is where the best part is. A good tour guide will make sure that you see both parts of this world-famous island. The sandy shores at Whitehaven Beach are as close to pure silica as you can find. It doesn't even feel like sand when you step on it as silica is much softer and finer than sand. The water here is beautifully clear and pristine. You can always see stingrays and baby sharks gliding through the crystal clear waters. Splash around in the shallows, relax and take in all the beauty of the Whitsundays while you can!
Nothing beats sailing around the Whitsunday Islands off the Queensland Coast. It's a remarkable experience where you are guaranteed to have a great time. Take day tours or hop on a live-aboard sailing tour. Either way, it's a great and unique way to see one of the best national parks in Australia. These boat tours take you to all the most beautiful beaches and most popular destinations around The Whitsundays.
We took a few different Sailing excursions and the best Whitsunday tours were with Cruise Whitsundays. Their Camira Sailing Adventure is a brilliant catamaran cruise that was amazing from start to finish! A catamaran boat tour is a great way to explore the area in a day and you're guaranteed the best time. It includes a stop at Whitsunday Island as well as other snorkel stops. This is where you get to see the colourful coral reefs and diverse marine life that call this place home. The boat departs from the Port of Airlie Marina in the morning and visits some of the larger islands around. It's a great boat ride, a fun day out and the food onboard was amazing! There is even unlimited beer, cider and wine and we saw humpback whales! They don't market themselves as a whale-watching tour but keep your eyes peeled in case they pop up.
Wanting to stay on luxurious catamarans, take part in awesome water sports or enjoy unique overnight stays? Check out even more incredible Whitsundays tours right here.
Hamilton Island may only be a 5km long island, but there is still a bunch to see and do there. To get there you can fly directly into Hamilton International Airport, or take a ferry from Airlie Beach. This is where you will find some of the best Whitsundays accommodation around. If you want to stay for a few days then there are large resorts where you can enjoy some luxury for the duration of your stay. The northern tip of the island is where the luxury resorts are. Staying for a few days would be the perfect option to experience all the best spots on the island at a slower pace. Or you can cram all the best things into one fun-filled day!
After taking the ferry across we went straight to Coral Cove. This is a tropical and secluded paradise tucked away on the far side of the island. There is a shuttle bus that runs daily with regular buses every 15 minutes or so. It stops at a bunch of popular places on the island, but you will have to walk some of the way to Coral Cove. It's a nice nature walk through the rainforest, and the cove that awaits is worth it! After enjoying the beach and breathtaking waters we made our way to Passage Peak, the highest point on the island. This is a long hike uphill, but at the top, your reward is 360-degree views of the entire island. You can see islands dotted all around up to the horizon in every direction. You even get a clear view of Hamilton Island Airport so you can watch as the aeroplanes fly to and from the island.
After a day exploring Hamilton Island, you should finish up on Catseye Beach. Here you can relax on a sunbed, or better yet a hammock. Sit back, relax, eat and drink at the bars nearby or rent a kayak or paddleboard. This is the most popular beach on the island. It's a beautiful tropical beach lined with palm trees, soft sand and calm ocean waters.
I can guarantee you have seen a postcard featuring Heart Reef. Why not take a scenic flight and get an incredible picture of the heart-shaped reef from above? You also get breathtaking birdseye views of the other tropical islands around. There are daily flights that glide along the coast and out over the reef. The coastal views look incredible as you look down on the crystal-clear waters and see the beautiful reefs and secluded beaches below.
Airlie Beach is the gateway to The Whitsunday Islands. It's also a brilliant town full of travellers all looking for good times and adventure. You can spend your days relaxing, exploring and enjoying any of the incredible restaurants and then party the night away. If you're looking to bathe in the sun and relax on some soft sands then Boathaven Beach is your best bet. It's our favourite beach in the area.
If you're a seafood lover then this will be like heaven to you! There are a bunch of great places to eat, and here are all our favourites:
Fish Divine: Enjoy the best seafood in Airlie with an ocean view and sip on "the best Mojito in the world" according to Google. No joke...search it for yourself! The food is great, and the owners are super friendly. You can enjoy an amazing meal while looking at all the yachts on the harbour.
Northerlies: The best value food in Arlie without a doubt. It's a bit tucked away but they run a free shuttle service from Airlie town to their restaurant. It's a great place for sunset drinks and then the bus can take you back to town.
Belvedere at Toscana: This is a Mediterranean-style restaurant with the best food in town. It is incredible! We recommend the 6-course tasting menu, which is a steal at $65pp and is full of delicious dishes.
Where to stay in Airlie Beach:
Nomads: The most popular spot to stay for sure. It's full of travellers and backpackers all eager to make new friends along their adventures. It's a huge place with a mix of campsites and bungalows available. It's right in the town so only ever a short walk in the evening to grab some food...or stumble home after too many drinks.
NRMA: One of the cheaper campsites around Airlie, but it is a little further afield. Not too far, but it's going to be a 30-minute or so walk back if you did venture out in the evening. For an unpowered site, it was around $35 per night, which is one of the cheaper stays in the popular beachside town.
Tasman: They had some nice cabins here, but with us having our trusty camper van we stayed in an unpowered site. It's simple, clean and safe and costs about $40 per night which isn't too bad for an area thriving with tourism.
Big 4: Further out of town but still a nice clean campsite. They have a pool and a few play areas for kids. It included a huge "bouncy pillow" that Danielle and I immediately began jumping on. We turned into big kids straight away! It's around $70 per night for 2 adults on one of their powered sites.
It's time to check out a few other amazing places in Queensland. Although it might seem like it, it's not only pristine beaches and Islands in the Whitsundays.
Horseshoe Bay Resort is a great site to stay at, but it can be tough to get a spot. This popular accommodation is often booked well in advance by Australians from the South. It's usually people who venture up during the cold months.
Lake Proserpine is one of our favourite campsites in Queensland. For $8 per night, you can pull up next to a serene lake surrounded by greenery and mountains. It's the perfect place to enjoy a few blissful days in peace. If you're fond of fishing then you may never want to leave. The calm beautiful lake will be calling out to you, and make it difficult to drive away. This is where you can find Proserpine Airport (Whitsundays coast airport), the closest airport to Airlie Beach. which makes it a great option to fly into for your Whitsundays holidays.
Getting here is a joy as you cruise the open road. On one side there is a serene lake, with towering green cliffs on the other as the road snakes between them.
These are all the amazing places we visited and would recommend. Spending a week seeing all these fantastic places along Australia's East Coast is the best experience. There are 74 islands that make up this blissful part of The Great Barrier Reef. There must be some lesser-known places that you can visit, right? Some tours and activities that take you off the beaten path? Whitsunday Island is by far the most popular, but if you're looking for a hidden gem then check these out.
Daydream Island - A beautiful island. It's also the closest island to Airlie Beach and it has some amazing places to stay. The Daydream Island Resort is the best option, and they have a living reef! It's a 200-meter-long coral lagoon wrapped around the main building on the centre of the island.
Hook Island - The perfect place to be at one with nature, and experience the immense beauty this island has. There are no accommodations on the island. It's best to stay at the neighbouring Hayman Island instead.
Hayman Island - If you want to live it up then we would suggest staying at the Intercontinental Hotel on the island. That is living!
Fraser Island - Although not in the Whitsundays, it is part of the Great Barrier Reef. If you loved your time in The Whitsundays then check out all the things you cannot miss on Fraser Island right here.
If you're an expat living in Australia, on a working holiday visa or an Aussie national there are many ways you can visit the Whitsundays islands. Anyone on a classic road trip exploring the east coast of Australia, or those looking to live the island life, can get there with ease. Here are the best ways to experience everything the Whitsundays offer.
Camper van - Our favourite method of travelling mainland Australia. You can drive to Airlie Beach in Queensland and from there you can do it all. Visit Hamilton Island, Whitehaven Beach, and sail around The Great Barrier Reef. There are a tonne of accommodation options if you want to do longer trips to the islands. If you still want to sleep in the comfort of your own camper then there are plenty of day trips to choose from too. Shute Harbour is another port where excursions leave from if you're staying outside of Airlie.
Fly - It's not the cheapest way. It's still a good option if you're in Sydney, Perth, Brisbane or Melbourne and looking for a getaway. Although it seems close, Brisbane is still a 13hr drive to Airlie Beach so a 1hr direct flight is a much better option if you're on a deadline. There are even a couple of airports to choose from if you want to fly. There's Hamilton Airport on Hamilton Island and Whitsunday Coast Airport is 30 minutes outside of Airlie. Prices will vary depending on where you're coming from but flights from Sydney are around $300 AUD return (£150).
Greyhound Whimmit Pass - The Greyhound bus is a popular option for backpackers and one of the cheapest ways to travel Australia. It's a hop-on hop-off bus service that runs between Melbourne and Cairns. It has regular stops at all the main tourist attractions along the east coast.
Avoiding the Winter months will give you the best chance of guaranteeing the perfect getaway. Summer here is from December to March, but, the sunniest month is typically October. This is also stinger season so be careful and wear stinger suits if you want to get in the water. The good news is that even in the winter the Whitsundays aren't exactly cold and wet. Between June to August, you can expect average temperatures of around 24°C, and the water is still warm too. It is still classed as the Rainy Season. You can't guarantee perfect weather, but rainfall in this part of Australia is low in comparison to other parts of the country.
There are so many fantastic things to love about this incredible part of Australia. We hope that this Whitsundays travel guide helps you when planning the perfect trip to this stunning part of Australia's East Coast. Island hopping around the Whitsundays is a dream come true...so soak it all in! These memories will stay with you for a lifetime.
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