Whitsundays Tourist Attractions
You'll never be bored while visiting the Whitsundays, with a whole range of tourist attractions that will suit everyone. You can snorkel or scuba the beautiful coral reefs and discover a kaleidoscope of fish in their natural habitat.
Many people love to charter yachts, motor cruises or catamarans around the Whitsundays so you can set sail and skipper yourself or hire a crew to do all the work for you.
There’s plane rides so you can get a great view from up high or watch the scenery pass you by as you kayak your way around the islands.
At your resort you’ll find all sorts of water sports for all age groups and abilities.
The Whitsundays is blessed with stunning natural beauty, from islands and reef, to rainforest and sandy coastlines. No matter where you stay, you’ll enjoy the five star natural beauty of the region. If you want to take things down a notch you can lie in a hammock with your book and a view of the coral sea or sunbathe on a beautiful white sandy beach. You can be as active or as lazy as you want, it’s your holiday! Major tourist attractions in the Whitsundays are listed below - if you know of any that should be here and aren't, please let us know.
Whitsundays Tourist Attractions
Abel Point Marina
Shingley Drive Airlie Beach
Phone: (07) 4946 2400
Website: www.abelpointmarina.com.au
Abel Point Marina is the largest in North Queensland and is a home to boats of all sizes. It is worth a visit to the Marina to check out the amazing boats that moar here before they head off to the travel around the islands of the Whitsundays.
Airlie Beach Lagoon
Main Street Airlie Beach
Phone: (07) 4945 3711
Website: www.tourismwhitsundays.com.au
Airlie Beach Lagoon is a man-made saltwater swimming lagoon complete with a sandy beach. As it's quite dangerous to swim on Airlie Beach for much of the year, the lagoon offers safe year round swimming from stingers and is also fully patrolled. The lagoon is surrounded by gorgeous landscaped gardens which offer a great place for lazying in the sun but there is also shade so you can get out of the sun. There are tables, chairs and gas barbeques so you can bring your own picnic to the lagoon!
Hook Island
Hook Island Whitsunday Islands
Phone: (07) 4946 9380
The Hook Island Wilderness Resort is located amidst 58 square kilometres of National Park. The resort is fringed with diving reef and you can walk straight into the ocean and snorkel. If you'd like to explore the waters below whilst staying dry you can hop on board the Semi-Submersible which seats 52 people.
Take a picnic and go for a walk through the forest, kayak around the island, play a game of beach volley ball or do nothing at all and relax. There is a cafe which overlooks the beachside pool and is open from breakfast through to dinner. The Barefoot Bar is open to guests as well as visitors and serves from midday onwards.
The Big Mango
Bruce Highway Mount Gordon
Phone: (07) 4786 4222
It's well worth taking a visit to The Big Mango just to take your picture with this iconic, supersized fruit and to pick up the locally made Mango Ice Cream. Located about 4km south of Bowen, the town that was responsible for naming the delicious Bowen Mango. It sits beside the Bowen Visitor Information Centre and sells a variety of Mango themed souvenirs.
Whitehaven Beach
The crystal clear aqua waters and pristine silica sand of Whitehaven Beach stretch over seven kilometres along Whitsunday Island, the largest of the Whitsundays’ 74 islands. The magical views from the Hill Inlet lookout have entranced many visitors to the region. With swirling white sands and pristine waters, Whitehaven Beach creates amazing patterns that are unique every time you visit. There are a number of ways to get to Whitehaven Beach for the day, with trips of all kinds departing from Airlie Beach and the resort islands.
Great Barrier Reef
An absolute 'must see' when visiting the Whitsundays and Northern Queensland, visitors can take in a cruise, go snorkeling, scuba diving, coral exploring or take in the views of the Reef from above on a scenic flight - there are plenty of ways to enjoy the Great Barrier Reef!
The world’s largest living structure, the World Heritage listed Great Barrier Reef is just a short trip from the Whitsunday Coast and islands. Many people from around the world dream of one day seeing the magical, naturally romantic formation of Heart Reef from the air, and scuba diving at the Great Barrier Reef is the ideal place to do it with a plethora of options to choose from to get you to this famous world icon.
Whitsunday Great Walk
Conway State Forest Whitsundays
Phone: 131 304
Website: www.derm.qld.gov.au/parks/great-walks-whitsunday/
Head away from the coast and enjoy a different kind of Whitsunday's experience as you take on the Whitsunday Great Walk. The walk begins at Brandy Creek and winds its way through Conway National Park and Conway State Forest and ending at Airlie Beach.
All up the walk is a 30 kilometre trek through some of the best tropical rainforest. There are four camping spots along the way and they are all walk-in camping sites only so it really is a great treat.
Whitsundays Indigenous History
Ngaro Sea Trail Map
Ngaro Sea Trail Information Fact Sheet
Follow in the footsteps of the Whitsundays' traditional owners, the Ngaro people, along the Ngaro Sea Trail, traversing three islands over land and sea. A highlight is the walking track leading to a sheltered cave on Hook Island in Nara Inlet where you can view Aboriginal rock paintings.
