Destination guides > Australia > Queensland > Whitsunday Coast > Whitsunday Islands
Whitsunday Islands
The Whitsunday Island group offers myriad opportunities for sailing, snorkelling or just cruising around the islands.
The islands are renowned for their lovely beaches, particularly the world famous Whitehaven Beach on Whitsunday Island. The 6km long Whitehaven Beach is the most popular with day-trippers but somehow that doesn’t spoil its allure. Make sure you do the 650m walk to the lookout at Hill Inlet.
Many of the islands including Daydream, Hamilton, Hayman and South Molle have upmarket resorts. Although you may feel out of place here, the island resorts provide pockets of civilisation among the wilderness.
Coming & going
FERRY
Ferries are one of the cheaper options and ideal if you just want to visit one or two of the more popular islands such as Hamilton Island, Long Island or South Molle Island. However you won’t get the true Whitsunday sailing experience.
FantaSea (tel (07) 4946 5111), is the main ferry operator in the Whitsundays with frequent shuttle services from Shute Harbour to Daydream Island, Hamilton Island, Long Island, South Molle Island and Whitehaven Beach on Whitsunday Island.
Sailing
Many backpackers opt for a sailing package, which allows you to see a variety of islands and for many people it is the only chance they will ever have of sailing a yacht.
Airlie Beach has a huge range of yachts ranging from modern catamarans and racing maxi yacht to historic tall ships and encompassing everything in between. Two-night sailing excursions start at $269 and go up to around $2000 depending on the boat and the type of onboard accommodation provided, although most backpackers spend between $300 and $450 for a three day/two night sailing trip.
With the exception of day trips on large boats with licensed bars, you can bring your own alcohol but most of the sailing boats prohibit glass, which means you can’t enjoy a nice wine aboard the yacht (just beer and cask wine).
You will also need to pay the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park levy and administration charge of $33, which most sailing companies do not include in their prices (although this fee is included in the price of many of the day trips).
Generally the smaller boats offer a more authentic hands-on sailing experience, but the bigger boats are more comfortable and usually cheaper. Most sailing trips have two to three crew and eight to 20 passengers, although some of the larger boats carry over 30 passengers.
Most sailing trips include barbecue meals, free use of snorkelling gear and a visit to Whitehaven Beach.
Companies operating multi-day sailing trips in the Whitsundays include:
Atlantic Clipper
This 34m schooner claims to be the largest boat in the Whitsundays. It has a party reputation and being big it packs more people in, making it a good value option for the budget conscious.
Tel 1800 117 173
Website www.atlanticclipper.com.au
2 days/2 nights $330
Australian Tall Ship Cruises
This company has cruises on classic vessels including the Solway Lass, a classic square rigged tall ship and the three-masted schooner Whitsunday Magic.
Shop 1, 4 The Esplanade Airlie Beach
Tel (07) 4946 5932 or 1800 355 377
Website www.australiantallships.com
2 days/1 night $289; 3 days/2 nights $429; 3 days/3 nights $469-699; 6 days/6 nights $859-1249
Awesome Adventures
Awesome Adventures run good value sailing trips on the Camira, a high-speed sailing catamaran. Overnight trips include accommodation on Long Island.
Building 2, Abel Point Marina North, Airlie Beach
Departs Abel Point Marina
Tel (07) 4946 4662 or 1800 293 7663 (1800 AWESOME)
Website www.awesomeoz.com
1 day $145; 3 days/2 nights $249
Koala Adventures
Koala has a couple of maxi yachts including Anaconda II and the Card, which have competed in the Sydney-Hobart and Whitbread around the World yacht races.
Shute Harbour Road, Airlie Beach
Departs Abel Point Marina
Tel (07) 4946 6001 or 1800 800 421
Website www.koalaadventures.com
3 days/2 nights $429
Oz Adventure Sailing
This company has a fleet of 25 vessels with a great selection of classic yachts including several tall ships and timber ketches as well as sleek racing yachts including winners of the Sydney-Hobart and Pamelia London-Australia races.
Level 2, 293 Shute Harbour Road, Airlie Beach
Departs Abel Point Marina
Tel (07) 4948 2350
Website www.aussiesailing.com.au
2 days/2 nights $339-379; 3 days/2 nights $339-499
ProSail Whitsundays
ProSail Whitsundays have several maxi yachts with good value sailing trips around the Whitsundays.
20 Stewart Drive, Cannonvale
Tel (07) 4946 7533
Website www.prosail.com.au
2 days/1 night $269; 2 days/2 nights $359
Southern Cross Sailing Adventures
Southern Cross has a fleet of boats that feature ex racing yachts including Ragamuffin II, Southern Cross and Maxi Boomerang.
Shop 1, 4 The Esplanade Airlie Beach
Tel (07) 4946 4999 or 1800 675 790
Website www.soxsail.com.au
2 days/1 night $269; 2 days/2nights $359; 3 days/2 nights $429
Tongarra Cruises
Tongarra is a spacious catamaran that runs flexible two night sailing trips around the Whitsundays. It is good value and has a reputation as a party boat.
Departs Abel Point Marina
273 Shute Harbour Road, Airlie Beach
Tel (07) 4946 6952 or 1800 117 173
Website www.tongarra.com
2 days/2 nights $279
DAY TRIPS
If your time is limited and you don’t mind missing out on the authentic sailing experience, then a launch day trip is a good option for exploring the islands. You may feel like a tourist on these trips but you can pack a lot into one day and most of the trips offer excellent snorkelling opportunities.
Cruise Whitsundays Great Barrier Reef trip
This company operates several day trips including a highly recommended Great Barrier Reef trip. The reef trip includes a stop at their pontoon on Knuckle Reef with a buffet lunch, an underwater viewing observatory and glass bottom boat trips. There is good snorkelling here, and what better way to get in the water than their own waterslide.
263 Shute Harbour Road, Airlie Beach
Abel Point Marina
Tel (07) 4946 4662
Website www.cruisewhitsundays.com
Price $189
Fantasea Cruises
The Whitsunday’s main ferry operator also runs a several day trips including their Reefworld trip and their popular two and three-island day trips.
Reefworld ($209) is Fantasea’s floating pontoon at Hardy Reef, which includes underwater observation decks, semi-submersible coral viewing vessels, snorkelling and a buffet lunch.
Fantasea Reefworld & Ragamuffin ($255) is a good value (when compared with the cost of visiting Reefworld on its own) two day trip that combines a day sailing on the maxi yacht Ragamuffin with a day at Reefworld.
Fantasea operates a selection of cruises departing Hamilton Island and Shute Harbour. The more popular options are the two and three island day cruises, both of which include a visit to Whitehaven Beach. The two island cruise ($99; $89 students) goes to Hamilton and Whitsunday Islands and the three island cruise ($130; $99 students) includes Daydream, Hamilton and Whitsunday Islands.
Day trips to the island resorts are also available including the Island Discovery Cruise ($82), a day visiting both Daydream and Hamilton Islands); Daydream Island Resort & Spa Daytripper ($74-81), including lunch at one of two island restaurants and the Hamilton Island Daytripper ($125), which also includes lunch.
Departs Shute Harbour
Tel (07) 4946 6900
Website www.fantasea.com.au
Ocean Rafting
Ocean Rafting’s day trip is on a large high-speed inflatable raft that visits Hook and Whitsunday Islands and includes a guided national park walk and snorkelling on the reef.
Departs Coral Sea Resort, Airlie Beach
Tel (07) 4946 6848
Website www.oceanrafting.com.au
Price $103
Ragamuffin
Ragamuffin is legendary among yacht racing circles as one of the most successful boats in the famous Sydney to Hobart yacht race. This 24m racing yacht now makes one-day sailing trips that either feature snorkelling at Blue Pearl Bay on Hayman Island or a picnic lunch at Whitehaven Beach on Whitsunday Island.
Departs Shute Harbour
Tel (07) 4946 7777 or 1800 454 777
Website www.maxiaction.com.au
Cost $142 ($130 students)
ReefJet
ReefJet’s island day trip visits Hook Island, Hayman Island and Whitehaven Beach on Whitsunday Island. They also make a trip to the outer Great Barrier Reef, which gives you up to five hours snorkelling on the reef.
Departs Airlie Beach
Tel (07) 4946 5366
Website www.reefjet.com.au
Island day trip $110
Whitehaven Xpress
Whitehaven Xpress visits Mantaray Bay on Hook Island and includes a barbecue lunch at Whitehaven Beach on Whitsunday Island.
Departs Abel Point Marina
Tel (07) 4946 7172
Website www.whitehavenxpress.com.au
Price $133
Accommodation
Apart from pricey resorts or sleeping on a yacht, camping is the main accommodation option in the islands. The Queensland Parks & Wildlife Service runs 21 campgrounds on the islands, but you’ll need to buy a camping permit from the Marine Parks Authority office in Airlie Beach (corner Mandalay Street & Shute Harbour Road, Airlie Beach; tel (07) 4946 7022). Camping permits cost $4.50 per night.
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