The Whitsundays

Welcome to the Whitsundays, where superlatives and reality meet in a tropical embrace.

As your helicopter approaches the Heart Reef pontoon in the far distance, you can’t help but think you’re in a dream. Glimmering down below are the crystal-clear waters of the Coral Sea, sheltered by the Earth’s largest living organism, the Great Barrier Reef — a dazzling kaleidoscope of blues, greens and turquoise. It’s a moment of complete euphoria, an image so beautiful it’s hard to put into words.

The Whitsunday Islands are a remote group of 74 subtropical islands bathing in the heart of the Great Barrier Reef National Park just off the northeast coast of Queensland — approximately halfway between Brisbane and Cairns. And they have a habit of making you question reality, especially when seen from above in a helicopter.

Essentially drowned volcanic mountains formed millions of years ago, these days the Whitsunday Islands are havens of blissful tranquillity. Most of the secluded islands are mountainous and covered with native pine forests, rainforests and mangrove estuaries. And the majority are completely uninhabited: protected sanctuaries of unspoilt nature harbouring unique flora and fauna.



The Whitsunday Islands are also fringed by hard and soft corals that sea turtles, dolphins, stingrays and over 1,500 different species of tropical fish and other colourful marine life proudly call home. These reefs, which are part of the 2000-kilometre-long Great Barrier Reef, absolutely teem with life. You’ll discover that first-hand as you snorkel in the warm tropical waters that fill the secluded coves, protected bays, and hidden sandy beaches embedded in the islands. 


At Whitehaven Beach, you can sink your toes into its fine, white-as-talcum-powder sand which is 98 per cent silica — the purest silica sand in the world. This pristine sand is also a natural exfoliant, and so incredibly white it reflects the heat of the sun, meaning you can walk barefoot on even the hottest day and hear the squeak of the silica beneath your feet. 


Hamilton Island serves as the main gateway to the Whitsundays, with its airport receiving multiple daily commercial flights from major metropolitan cities including Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Cairns. The Port of Airlie over on the mainland is a 60-minute ferry ride away, and there are 230 berths in the Hamilton Island Marina to accommodate yachts.

Hamilton Island has five resorts — including the world-renowned 5-star Qualia luxury resort — offering peerless comfort and hospitality as warm as the weather. Guest numbers are capped on Hamilton Island, ensuring a slice of privacy in heaven. And with the exception of its public transport network and utility vehicles, there are no cars allowed; instead, golf buggies can be rented to get around the 650-hectare tropical grounds. Visitors to the Hamilton Island between July and September can also catch glimpses of migrating whales that pass through the Whitsundays each year.