Whitsunday Islands

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Tongue Point, 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.

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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

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Thorn Tree forum discussion

Recent posts

  1. tessha_m avatar
    RE: Booking a Snorkeling/Diving excursion for Great Barrier Reef

    by tessha_m 13 September 2011

    Multi day trips to the great barrier reef are aimed more at certified divers. You can do a 2 or 3 day sailing trip that includes snorkeling…
  2. libbyh avatar
    RE: 14 days in Australia- Suggestions Welcome

    by libbyh 05 September 2011

    Yes, driving Sydney to the Whitsundays is not practical in your timeframe. It's a VERY long way. You would spend long days of your holiday…
  3. jetzon627 avatar
    14 days in Australia- Suggestions Welcome

    by jetzon627 04 September 2011

    Hello All!! I am excited to start planning my vacation to Australia, but I don't want to look back on it that I could have had a better…

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