Guide to a heaven called Whitsunday Islands

I have not seen anything like the Whitsunday Islands. It is truly a heaven on Earth. With pristine shades of water and white sandy beaches, the islands are an amazing and famous destination among the locals. Based on the Great Barrier Reef, the Whitsunday Islands has some spectacular snorkeling and diving spots.

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About Whitsunday Islands

The Whitsunday islands are a collection of around 74 islands. It lies between the central coast of Queensland, Australia, and the Great Barrier Reef. It is one of the most popular travel destinations in Australia with some of the really luxurious island resorts.

Facts about Whitsunday Islands

Some of the interesting facts about the Whitsunday Islands are:

• The Whitsunday Islands consist of 74 islands.
• Only 8 of 74 islands are inhabited.
• These are Australia’s largest cluster of islands.
• 70% of the islands are considered as national marine parks.
• The Whitsunday Islands is home to the natural reef in the shape of the heart called the Heart Reef.
• The islands were formed millions of years ago, maybe around 110 million years ago.
• The traditional owners of the Whitsunday Islands are the Ngaro.
• There are no many reefs in marine parks.
• The islands can be visited all around the year as it has tropical weather, with an average temperature of 26 degrees centigrade.
• It is a great place to see the Humpback whale migration.
• Nobody knows where the silica sand on Whitehaven beach comes from.
• The Prosperine River has the maximum number of crocodiles on the east coast of Australia.
• It is a wedding destination with around 1500 couples getting married every year.

How to get to Airlie Beach?

• Whitsunday Coast airport located in Proserpine is the closest airport to Airlie beach. Airlie beach is the gateway to the Whitsunday Islands.
  • Virgin Australia, Jetstar, and Tiger airways run frequent flights between Sydney and Whitsunday Coast airport with Jetstar and Tiger airways being the budgeted airlines.

• There are also buses that run between Brisbane and Airlie beach.

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Where to stay?

• From luxurious resorts to the budgeted hostels, Airlie beach has plenty of accommodations.
• You can choose to stay at Hamilton Island or Hayman Island, which is one of the Whitsunday Islands. This is the luxurious stay and apt for honeymooners or luxury travelers. Oceanfront Villa or Pavillions Penthouse is perfect with ocean views.
• You can also consider staying at Airlie beach. Some of the options are Paradise Cove Villa or Whitsundays BNB Retreat. The budgeted option is the YHA Airlie beach.

Things to do in Whitsunday Islands

I love Whitsundays and it is by far the most beautiful place I have visited in Australia. I definitely call this as heaven on Earth and trust me I am not exaggerating! There are plenty of things to do and see in Whitsundays.

• Scenic flight to see Heart Reef – For me, this is definitely the top of my list. The view of the Heart Reef is amazing and breathtaking. Heart Reef is a natural reef in the shape of a heart. One can only take a seaplane or a helicopter to go view this amazing natural wonder.
• Whitehaven Beach – One of the top five spectacular beaches is Whitehaven beach. This is a protected 7 kilometres stretch that is famous for its blue crystal clear waters with white sand. The beach is only accessible by a boat, seaplane or a helicopter.
• View the sunset along the Airlie beach – I would definitely recommend doing the sunset cruise. A glass of wine and cruising over the ocean watching the beautiful sunset is something to die for.

• Sail on Whitsundays – The trip to Whitsundays is not complete without sailing over the Whitsundays. A sailing experience – definitely a must-do!
• Go snorkeling – There are options to snorkel in the Whitsunday Islands. However, I wouldn’t recommend snorkeling in the Whitsunday Islands. But one can always enjoy the warm waters and go for a swim.

I would suggest snorkeling or scuba diving in Port Douglas for a better experience of seeing the World’s natural wonder Great Barrier Reef.

Closing Notes

Whitsunday Islands are one of the most picturesque islands in Australia. I loved visiting these amazing islands and I have already been there twice. Generally, the tourists only visit Cairns and head back but I recommend going to these islands to witness the beauty at its best.

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