Most Asked Questions By Whitsunday Travellers
WHITSUNDAY VACATIONS

Most Asked Questions By Whitsunday Travellers

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Can you stay on the Whitsunday Islands?

Yes! You can stay on the Whitsunday Islands. Out of our 74 Whitsunday Islands, only four of them have operational island resorts located on them. These include Daydream Island, Hayman Island, Long Island and Hamilton Island. Lindeman Island currently has a resort under construction which should be completed by 2021.

In the 1930’s, the Whitsundays slowly changed from a pastoral lifestyle to a recreational lifestyle, when farmers started to build galvanised huts with palm thatched roofs and wash basins throughout the islands. They would then charge customers one pound per day, which included scones and fresh tropical fruit from South Molle Island. These customers soon became the very first day trippers from the mainland to the Whitsunday Islands. Click here to read further into the history of the Whitsundays.

Did you know you can also camp on the Whitsunday Islands? Scamper is a locally owned and operated boat, which can pick you up with your hiking or camping gear and drop you to one of our local islands for you to explore. There are more than ten camping spots spread throughout South Molle Island, Whitsunday Island and Hook Island that you can go to. You have the option of visiting the island for the day, or you can stay the night. You can even get Scamper to drop you to the silica sands of Whitehaven Beach, where you can camp as long as you like! Click here for more information on camping on the Whitsunday Islands.

Whitsunday Holiday Home
Photo: Shutehaven Villa, Shute Harbour, Whitsundays.

How many days do you need in the Whitsundays?

It is always hard to decide how long you and your family should stay at a holiday destination. When you get to the Whitsundays, you will never want to leave. The Whitsundays is a place where travellers will never get bored and will never run out of things to do. We recommend staying in the Whitsundays for at least 7 days, so that you and your family have enough time to explore the region. You will need a full day to explore the Great Barrier Reef. Here you can go snorkelling to see the rainbow colours of the coral under the water, while swimming with the friendly local fish.

While you are in town, you will also need a full day to have lunch on the white silica sand at Whitehaven Beach. There is no other place quite like this on earth and people travel from all over the world to see it. So you will soon find that your holiday schedule will fill up very quickly, as there is much to see and do in the Whitsundays.

We also recommend staying in the Whitsundays over a weekend, so that you get to experience the Airlie Beach night life or the Saturday morning markets along the foreshore. Click here for a list of activities you can book when in the Whitsundays.

What is the best time of year to visit the Whitsundays?

The warm tropical climate in the Whitsundays makes it the perfect holiday destination, with an average temperature of 27.4 degrees Celsius. Many southerners travel to the Whitsundays during Winter, to escape the cold. Winter temperatures in the Whitsundays range between 18 to 25 degrees Celsius, which is a refreshing change from the 8 degree Winters in Southern Australia.

Holiday homes in the Whitsundays have been designed well to suit the Summer time, with air-conditioning throughout and in-ground pools. So even during the hotter months, you can sit back and watch the kids play in the pool, while you sip on a glass of wine and relax.

September and October is the best time of year to visit the Whitsundays, click here to find out why.

Whitsunday Holiday Home
Photo: Boathouse Apartment, Airlie Beach.

Where is the Whitsundays located?

The Whitsunday Islands are situated on the North Eastern coast of Queensland, Australia. They are located approx 1,000km North of Brisbane and approx 250km South of Townsville. Airlie Beach is found on the coast of the Whitsundays and is just one of the towns located in this popular tourist destination.

Click here for more information on where the Whitsundays is located and how to get here.

What airport do you fly into for Whitsundays?

The main airport in the Whitsundays is the Whitsunday Coast Airport, which is located on the mainland near Proserpine, approx 35km inland from Airlie Beach. Travellers flying into this airport can catch a taxi or bus, or hire a car to get to Airlie Beach. If you book your holiday through whitsundayvacations.com.au we can arrange transport for you from the airport to your accommodation (fees apply).

The second airport in the Whitsundays is on Hamilton Island. If you are flying into Hamilton Island but your accommodation is on the mainland, you will need to book a ferry ride with Cruise Whitsundays from the island to Airlie Beach, which will take around an hour to get to mainland.

Some of our executive holiday homes even have their own private helicopter pads, to provide the ultimate luxurious experience for our guests.

Click here for more information on how to get to the Whitsundays.

Whitsunday Holiday Home
Photo: Mandalay Aqua, Whitsundays.

Is it safe to swim in the Whitsundays?

North Queensland has a jellyfish season that runs roughly from November to April. However, there are many swimming enclosures throughout the Whitsundays to provide safe swimming spots for you and your family. You can also wear a stinger suit when you swim in the ocean, which will prevent a jellyfish from touching your skin. All Whitsunday day trips and tours that offer swimming in the ocean will provide their guests with a swimming suit for the day. Click here for more information on the jellyfish season, including locations of swimming enclosures in the Whitsundays.

Are there crocodiles in the Whitsundays?

Like most of northern Australia, the Whitsundays is home to the saltwater crocodile and they are found in salt water river systems throughout the coastline. They are hardly ever spotted around the Whitsunday Islands, because they usually don’t like travelling that far away from the mainland. They prefer to live in muddy river systems with banks that receive the midday sun. This prehistoric animal mainly feeds on fish, birds and turtles.

It is extremely rare for a crocodile to attack a human. The last crocodile ‘attack’ in the Whitsundays was when a local tour guide at a Crocodile Farm lost his hand to a 4.5m crocodile, while trying to feed him. So as long as you aren’t trying to feed a crocodile, you are pretty safe in the Whitsundays. The majority of crocodile attacks in the wild throughout the world occur when people swim at night, in rivers that are known to have crocodiles.

Proserpine River is located south of Airlie Beach and is a great fishing destination. This river has the largest population of crocodiles in the Whitsundays. If you would like to get up close and personal with a crocodile, Whitsunday Crocodile Safari offer day tours up the Proserpine River. Click here for more information.

If you have any other questions about booking a holiday in the Whitsundays, we would be happy to hear from you at holiday@whitsundayvacations.com.au

Go to whitsundayvacations.com.au to book your next Whitsunday holiday.

The Great Barrie Reef located in the Whitsunday, Queensland, Australia
REVIEWS

Why Our Guests Keep Coming Back

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Uninterrupted Marina Views at Port of Airlie
Wonderful ......we will be backApartment was really good and new
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Bradley
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Matthew
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Nautilus on Nara - Spacious Airlie Beach Holiday Home with Ocean Views (Pets on application)
Lovely accommodation. Very response via messages. Great price. Parking was a bit tight though, but otherwise a wonderful stay.
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Shannon
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Whitsunday Penthouse with rooftop swimming pool!
Beautiful place, very well maintained made it feel like a home for our holiday, will definitely be coming back!
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Tayissa
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Cove 18 Luxury Whitsunday Waterfront Beach House
amazing place! close to the town and the port if you want to go on excursions
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Goran
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Amazing Penthouse with Whitsundays lifestyle
A spacious apartment with fantastic expansive views of Airlie beach and the Whitsunday islands. Private and peaceful being located at the top of the hill. It has great facilities and little touches like pantry staples being included are welcomed. Lots of outdoor space for soaking up the incredible views.
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Lee
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Luxury Airlie Beach Home with Panoramic Ocean Views
Our stay in the stunning home overlooking Airlie was perfect. There were all the amenities of home, including a beautifully appointed kitchen with everything you needed should you want to stay home and enjoy the best views in the region. The cleanliness of the property was first class, no need to clean anything before using anything. Plenty of towels for the pool and thoughtful to leave some basic necessities.This home has the best views across Airlie Beach and the islands, just stunning. We loved the home and hope to stay again in the future.
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Ruth
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Marina Waterfront Living at Port of Airlie
This apartment is in an excellent location close to the Main Street and beach. Nice view from the balcony. The pool is lovely (but just a tad too cold!). A perfect space for a family for 4 to stay.
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Jacinta
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Marina Living with views and more!
Stunning apartment with an awesome view and conveniently located!The apartment was stunning! The view was amazing. Location was ideal!
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Jennifer
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3 Bedroom Holiday Home, Valley Views in the heart of Airlie Beach
A lovely home with great facilities. Well placed to Airlie Beach township. Comfortable beds. Great indoor/outdoor areas for relaxation. Very helpful & friendly management. We will be back ! 👍🏻☺️
September 6, 2025
Pete
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Shutehaven Beach House with Ocean Views.
Very beautiful place and very peaceful
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Jenny
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Marina living and Whitsundays lifestyle
Excellent one of my favourite holidaysAbsolutely fantastic
September 4, 2025
Darren
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Uninterrupted Marina Views at Port of Airlie
I wonderful time at Airly Beach in a really great apartmentThe property was well appointed looked over the marina and was very close to town.
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Lindsay
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Well appointed. The hosts are great. Absolute pleasure to stay there and a perfect place for my wife to get ready for our wedding
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Daniel
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Nautilus on Nara - Spacious Airlie Beach Holiday Home with Ocean Views (Pets on application)
Great location in Airlie overlooking the harbour. We had a group of six over 60's and it was perfect for us. Whilst no pool, we were out on a boat or could have had a swim down at the lagoon if the weather was hot, so didn't really miss it. Great spacious deck for relaxing on as a group.
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Wendy
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Whitsunday living on Hillcrest by the Beach
This is house was fab! We had 6 adults and 3 children and we all fit really comfortably in the house. There was a a lot of space. The pool and outside area were great with fans to keep cool and also a fab view of the town and water. Super walkable only 5 minutes into the main town. Would definitely stay again!
September 1, 2025
Melissa
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Whitsunday Beachfront Apartment on Broadwater
Very clean, very comfortable, close to all shops and surrounding areas. Great location for a holiday.
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Janet
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Marina Views at The Boathouse
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Saladin
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'Sail Away' Airlie Beach house with Marina Views (Pet Friendly on application)
What a wonderful stay. The property was as promised. Full equipped kitchen, amazing views from the balcony. Short work to the town centre. We had a fantastic experience at this home away from home.
August 31, 2025
Lilac
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