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The Whitsunday Islands are legally speaking, part of the Australian mainland as they sit within the continental shelf. However, photographic identification, such as an Australian Driver’s Licence or Proof of Age card should be carried at all times.  A valid passport meets this identification requirement and is the preferred means of documentation to expedite passenger…

The islands themselves are part of The Cumberland Island Group which was named by Captain James Cook in honour of his royal highness, The Duke of Cumberland. The greater Cumberland Island group was divided into five sections; The Whitsunday GroupThe Lindeman GroupThe Anchor IslandsThe Sir James Smith GroupSouthern Cumberland Islands National Park The Whitsunday Group…

In this article, we aim to help you make an educated choice for your next holiday. Let’s start with the basics for each location. Airlie Beach Cairns Small town Friendly locals Safe nightlife Lots of great food Great Barrier Reef Whitehaven Beach Whitsunday Islands No traffic lights Beautiful everywhere you look Great climate Epic views from hotels Sailing boat tours Small group tours Uncrowded lagoon Lots of parking You can walk everywhere No need for a car Public transport 2 beaches Big town Mostly friendly locals Lots of great food Great Barrier Reef Fitzroy Island Green Island Port Douglas Daintree Rainforest Lots of traffic Lots of traffic lights Large tour boats with 200+ people Lagoon Parking is difficult to find You will need a car Public transport No beaches   Town Size Airlie Beach is more or less a one-street…

Airlie Beach is located on the North Queensland coast roughly halfway between Brisbane and Cairns. There are four main ways to get to Airlie Beach and the decision really depends on how much time you have and how you like to travel. The Aeroplane Flying into Airlie Beach from literally anywhere is going to be your fastest method of getting here.  Direct flights are available from a handful of locations around Australia with those missing out on direct routes having to transfer in Brisbane. If you are coming from Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Hobart, Perth, Darwin or Cairns, then flying will most likely be your best option. There are two airport options that you could choose in order to get to Airlie which are Proserpine and Hamilton Island.  As a rule of thumb, flights to Hamilton Island will be more…

This tropical paradise is known as the gateway to The Whitsunday Islands because all Whitsunday tours to Whitehaven Beach depart from here.  Not only is it a gateway to something amazing, but Airlie Beach also has a lot to offer itself.  While you are here though, make sure you head out and see The Whitsundays. >>>Full article on how to get to Airlie Beach   Airlie Beach is exactly; 272 km from Townsville / Magnetic Island – 3 hours 507 km from Mission Beach – 5 hours 619 km from Cairns – 6.5 hours 1098 km from Brisbane – 12 hours 1263 km from Byron Bay – 14 hours 1869 km from Sydney – 20 hours 1952 km from Alice Springs – 21 hours 2383 km from Melbourne – 28 hours 2535 km from Adelaide – 28 hours 2718 km…

However, it has happened. Most commonly, crocodiles that are spotted around the Airlie Beach area are in marinas such as Coral Sea Marina.  While it is extremely rare, it can always be a possibility. Crocodiles don’t live in the Airlie Beach area but in passing through they may stop in to the marina and hang out for a few days.  The reason for this is because crocodiles like ‘dirty’ water to hunt in and marina water is the closest thing to ‘dirty’ water that we have around here. South of Airlie Beach, we have the inlet to the Proserpine River, which does have crocodiles.  Luckily for us, they very rarely venture beyond the mouth of the river.   Are there crocodiles in The Whitsundays? Again, the simplest answer here is just a solid no.  There are not usually crocodiles found…

This guide aims to give you complete knowledge of everything that Hook Island offers.   Mantaray Bay Mantaray Bay is perhaps the most popular snorkel site on Hook Island due to the abundance of fish life which is named ‘The Aquarium’ by local tour guides.   Here you will find Maori Wrasse (George), Giant Trevally, Batfish and thousands of Yellow-tail Fusiliers.   The fish life here is not exactly diverse, but it is very impressive.  The fish here are visited numerous times a day by humans which have made them very comfortable with our presence.  So comfortable that it is actually likely that a fish may accidentally head-butt you. Fish feeding in Mantaray Bay has been approved by Marine Parks although only specified GBRMP fish food can be given and tour boats are only allowed to feed them a designated amount…

When is the best time of year to visit Airlie Beach and The Whitsundays?   Spring is the best time to visit, more specifically, the months of September to November because the weather is perfect and town is pumping.   Why?   Weather  Weatherwise this is our best time of year because it’s hot, but not too humid for our friends that are not used to tropical heat.  The humidity only starts to ramp up around the end of spring which makes for nice cool nights for the majority of the season. Average daily temperatures in Spring hover around 27 degrees which is ideal for sipping a cocktail by the pool or heading out to explore The Whitsundays.   Sea Conditions Spring is by far the best time to be out on the water in The Whitsundays because we will…

White Haven Beach Correctly spelt it’s Whitehaven Beach.   Whitehaven Beach is the very famous, beautiful stip of pure white sand in The Whitsundays.  You can find out more information by clicking the button below.   Whit Sunday Islands Correctly spelt it’s Whitsunday Islands. The Whitsunday Islands are a group of Islands just offshore from the North Queensland Coast.  While The Whitsundays technically stretches quite a long way, the best access point is Airlie Beach.   Arlie Beach Correctly spelt it’s Airlie Beach. There is a cheeky extra I hidden in there behind the first A.  Airlie Beach is a fun little town with the perfect mix of party and chill.  It’s also where all of the Whitsunday Islands tours depart from. Tonge Bay Correctly spelt it’s Tongue Bay. Tongue Bay is the sheltered bay just over the hill from Whitehaven…

Christmas time in Airlie Beach and The Whitsundays is always a mixed bag of weather and by that I mean, sunshine, rain, wind, heat and not necessarily in that order. TEMPERATURE In December, Airlie Beach and The Whitsundays will start to get proper summer temperatures in excess of 33 degrees Celsius by day and 25 degrees at night. Humidity will start to rise significantly as well as the monsoonal rains start to fall over the far north. Summer in the tropics will produce rather sticky conditions that are best managed by swimming all day and cranking the air conditioner all night. RAIN December always produces rain in significant amounts, thankfully Airlie Beach is mostly spared from day time downpours as most of the rain will fall at night. The dry season runs out as December ticks along though the most…

November is when we start to come into the wet season in Airlie Beach and The Whitsundays.  This means we see temperatures heading towards ‘hot’ and some rain starts to fall. TEMPERATURE In November, Airlie Beach and The Whitsundays starts to heat up to those tropical temperatures that you would expect from north Queensland.  Temperatures generally hover around 30 degrees in the day and fall to 23 degrees at night. Spring comes with warm sunny days that are perfect for any outdoor adventure, especially snorkelling and relaxing on Whitehaven Beach.  Sea temperatures start to warm up which prevents you from getting cold and allows you to stay in the water for longer. The longer you stay in the water, the more you will see, so it’s definitely a winning situation. RAIN November is the beginning of our wet season and…

October is notorious for being one of the very best months to visit Airlie Beach and The Whitsundays. TEMPERATURE In October, Airlie Beach and The Whitsundays starts to heat up to those tropical temperatures that you would expect from north Queensland.  Temperatures generally hover around 27 degrees in the day and fall to 23 degrees at night. Spring comes with warm sunny days that are perfect for any outdoor adventure, especially snorkelling and relaxing on a beach.  Sea temperatures start to warm up which prevents you from getting cold and allows you to stay in the water for longer. The longer you stay in the water, the more you will see, so it’s definitely a winning situation. RAIN October is one of the driest months in Airlie Beach and you can almost be guaranteed that it will not rain at…