The Great Barrier Reef is one of Australia’s most popular destinations. What some don’t know is how large it really is and there are many other places besides Cairns to access it. The Whitsunday Islands, located at the southern portion of the Great Barrier Reef, is just off the coast of Airlie Beach. This beach town is actually quite popular among backpackers and young travelers but you will still find tourists who come here as the entry point to the beautiful islands.
We stayed here for a total of 5 days, and 4 nights and filled our days with sailing around the islands, scuba diving, snorkeling, fishing, and exploring the stunning white sand beaches. This place is truly paradise.
Getting Here
There are a few ways to get to Airlie Beach which is the main hub into the islands. You can either fly into Proserpine or Hamilton Island, both offering modes of transport into town. Proserpine is about 35 minutes from Airlie Beach (~$20 one way airport shuttle) and Hamilton Island is about an hour and a half ferry ride to Airlie Beach (~$50 one way transport).
We opted for flights into Proserpine as it offered quicker transport into town, however if you are already planning to do Hamilton Island (which I have heard and looks absolutely stunning as well!!) then you might as well take this option.
Location
When we weren’t sailing around the islands, we stayed in the cute beach town of Airlie Beach. This place is very small so location really isn’t a factor as it is quite easy to get around town.
Accommodation
We stayed on a boat for the sail for 2 nights then were on the mainland for 3 nights at Waters Edge Resort, which we booked through Airbnb. We shared a two bedroom with friends visiting from the States, which fit us more than comfortably and also had a full kitchen which was great for breakfast in the morning. There was also an infinity pool which had stunning ocean views as we were located up the hill a few minutes outside of town.
- Website: Waters Edge Resort
Things to Do
Book a Sail Around the Islands
There are a few different sailing companies you can go through and it really depends on what you are looking for, so I definitely recommend doing research so you find the right sail for you. We wanted to book an overnight sail around the islands for a few nights so we booked with Sailing Whitsundays on the Boomerang boat for 18-35 year olds. The overall trip was 2 days and 2 nights and included activities like swimming, snorkeling, sailing, and visiting the stunning Whitehaven Beach.
The cost included accommodation, wetsuit, snorkeling gear, and meals (which were actually quite good!).The sleeping setup isn’t the most comfortable but pretty decent considering you are on a boat. We were a little bit worried about the 18-35 year old age restriction especially since the boat is BYOB, but it was actually very relaxing and wasn’t a party boat by any means. It really just depends on the type of people you get on your sail.
The coral of the Great Barrier Reef will be the most colorful and vibrant you might ever see in your life and the white sand beaches of Whitehaven Beach are so damn white and soft that you actually hear squeaking noises when you walk on it. The pictures are stunning and that doesn’t even do it justice. You also get a chance to learn how to sail and race other boats when the stronger afternoon winds pick up. A fun thing to do and learn as well. Overall this was by far the highlight of our trip.
Go Scuba Diving
You will see pretty amazing coral and reef life snorkeling but if you don’t want to be restricted to just the surface then definitely check out scuba diving. Josh and I have our certification but you don’t need it to go on the dives. We had friends from the States who didn’t have it and they were able to participate.
We booked through Whitsunday Dive Centre and it included a full day on the boat for scuba divers and snorkelers, lunch, and a stop at Whitehaven Beach as well. Didn’t have to do much convincing for us to go again…
- Website: http://whitsundaydivecentre.com/
Go Fishing
We had one more day in Airlie Beach and although the town is cute and quaint you can easily spend just an hour or two exploring the area. So we decided to spend the day doing a fishing charter. We stopped in a local tourist shop and booked a tour that was going out that morning. Unfortunately for us the fishing was pretty dismal and the only people who caught fish were Josh and I but we had to put them back as they were too small to take home. But the highlight was definitely the hawk and eagle battling over some leftover fish bait that our guides threw up in the air…Nat Geo style.
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