Top 10 Islands of the World: Whitsunday Australia

Top 10 Islands World Whitsunday Australia
Top 10 Islands World Whitsunday Australia

Top 10 Islands of the World: Whitsunday Australia | The most iconic photo from this tropical location is an amazing birds eye view of Whitehaven Beach. The popular snapshot looks very promising, and still Whitsunday Islands will easily live up to any high expectations.

Top 10 Islands World Whitsunday Australia
Top 10 Islands of the World  -> Whitehaven Beach from air.

Sprinkled along the Great Barrier Reef, the Whitsunday Islands are Australia’s version of a tropical island fantasy. 74 lush islands are the peaks of drowned hills rising above the strikingly blue Coral Sea. Sailing is a popular pastime here, and diving is excellent along the fish-rich coral reefs. But be aware: This is an extremely fragile ecosystem protected by six national parks. You can explore some of the islands on hiking trails. Of course you should not miss the radiant silica sands of Whitehaven Beach. The waters of Whitehaven Beach are renowned for their swirling bands of colors, a mix of blues, greens, and whites created by changing tides mixing the silica sand and sea. Tourists and locals visit Whitehaven Beach for a Whitehaven Beach BBQ lunch, to swim or just take in the bright white sand, as well as campers who stay by booking the National Parks camp facilities.

Named by Captain James Cook in early June 1770, Whitsunday Island covers 27,508 ha (275.08 sqkm). Around the northern bays of the island are seagrass beds which support a diverse range of marine life. Unadorned rock-wallabies are found on the island. The seas here are warm, clear, shallow, nutrient rich and fast moving due to large tidal flows making them well-suited to the growth of fringing coral reefs.

Top 10 Islands World Whitsunday Australia
Although take on the mainland nearby, this is snapshot pretty much sums up size and shape of the Whitsunday Rock Wallaby. Photo by Petra, passengeronearth.com.

Getting to Whitsunday Islands

It’s a one-and-a-half-hour flight from Brisbane to the Whitsunday coast. By car it will take you 12 hours from Brisbane up north or 6.5 hours from Cairns down south. The biggest of the Whitsunday Islands is accessible by boat from mainland tourist ports such as Airlie Beach and Shute Harbour. You can choose between many popular destinations for both day visitors and overnight sailors, including the magnificent pure-white sands of Whitehaven Beach and Hill Inlet, the secure anchorage of Cid Harbour, and the sheltered waterway of Gulnare Inlet. The island has six campgrounds.

Whitehaven Beach is a 7 km stretch along Whitsunday Island, Australia. The island is also accessible by seaplane and helicopter from Airlie Beach, as well as Hamilton Island.

Top 10 Islands World Whitsunday Australia
Whitsunday Islands, Australia. Still searching that one-and-only real white beach? This is the place to go.

Accommodation near Whitsunday Islands

Shelter ranges from beachfront campsites, eco-retreats, and family resorts to luxury escapes like Hayman Island and Qualia on Hamilton Island. There are around about 40 different accommodations available in the direct neighborhood of Whitsunday Islands, most can be found on Hamilton Island.

The cheapest stay we found was at 30 Euros per night (45 Australian Dollars): Island Gateway Holiday Park – industry standard, located at Airlie Beach. That would be 24.5 km away from Hamilton Island.

The most luxurious hotel offers rooms at AU$1400 per night (930 Euros): Pepperberry House (48 Pepperberry Lane, Cannon Valley, 4800 Cannonvale). That’s approx. 30 km away from Hamilton Island.

Top 10 Islands World Whitsunday Australia
Top 10 Islands of the World: Whitsunday Australia – Book a hotel near Whitsundays here.

Top 10 Islands World Whitsunday Australia. By Chili & Churp | © International Destinations | Check out all other Top 10 Islands one by one -> Cook Islands | Seychelles | Tahiti | St. Lucia | Palawan | Fiji | Cebu | Bora Bora | Mykonos.