Whitsunday Islands

Introducing Whitsunday Islands

Nearly every outdoor-loving Australian dreams of soaking up the rays and reef from the deck of a yacht cruising the Whitsundays’ aqua waters; luckily there are about 60 companies, along with a number of private charters, ready to make your dream come true. The blue-green waterways surrounding these islands are part of a marine park and fall within the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area that stretches from Cape York in the north to Bundaberg in the south. We’re all responsible for preserving this natural wonderland for generations to enjoy, so you may kiss the fish if you can catch them, but don’t feed them, and please don’t pet the coral.

The Whitsundays is a drowned landscape – these continental islands are the tips of mountains fringed with coral. The Great Barrier Reef is at least 60km from the mainland. There are more than 90 islands, most of which are uninhabited.

All but four of the islands are predominantly or completely national park, but most visitors come to stay at the resorts scattered throughout the archipelago, where cheap package holidays can be booked in advance.

Last updated: Mar 2, 2009