AU · Queensland · 20.30°S 148.93°E

whitsunday islands

Whitehaven's pale sand, island sailing and snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef.

Best time
May–October is drier and milder, and the water warms up again from September. January–March is the wettest time, with cyclone risk; box jellyfish are around from about November to May.
How long
3–5 days
Getting there
Fly with one stop, usually via Brisbane, to Proserpine (Whitsunday Coast) or Hamilton Island, about 12–14 hours all in. Airlie Beach is about 40 minutes from Proserpine airport. Queensland is 2 hours ahead of KL all year.
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AU · Queenslandwhitsunday islands20.30°S 148.93°Egowherelah.com
Dear group chat,Whitehaven's pale sand, island sailing and snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef.— gowherelahTo: whoever’s drivingWhitsunday IslandsAU, Queensland
KLwhitsunday islands
≈ 5,773 km from KL, as the crow flies
This is a photo of Hill Inlet on Whitsunday Island, Australia.

Photo: No machine-readable author provided. Bigal888~commonswiki assumed (based on copyright claims). · CC BY-SA 2.5

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Photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each.

The Whitsundays are 74 islands off Airlie Beach, most of them national park, with sheltered anchorages and some of the whitest sand anywhere. A sailing trip, a beach day at Whitehaven and a run out to the outer reef are three quite different days out.

Makan

  1. Queensland prawnsBig, sweet and best eaten cold on the Airlie Beach waterfront.Map ↗
  2. Coral troutThe reef's prized fish, grilled whole or as fillets around Airlie.Map ↗

Things to do

  1. Whitehaven BeachSeven kilometres of almost pure silica sand on Whitsunday Island, so fine it squeaks.Map ↗
  2. Hill Inlet lookoutA short climb to the view of swirling white sand and turquoise water at the north end of Whitehaven.Map ↗
  3. Island sailingDay sails and overnight boats hop between anchorages and snorkel spots.Map ↗
  4. Outer Great Barrier ReefFast boats head beyond the islands to the reef proper, and scenic flights pass over Heart Reef.Map ↗

Good to know

  • For the Hill Inlet view, book a tour that lands at the north end of Whitehaven; some only stop at the south end.
  • From about November to May, everyone wears a stinger suit to snorkel, and the boats lend them.
  • Halal meals on boats need asking for when you book; in Airlie Beach, seafood is the easy fallback.

Last checked October 2026. Things change, so check opening times, fees and transport before you go.