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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Marina Waterfront Living at Port of Airlie
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Tanya
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well worth the moneyLocation and view
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peter
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Shutehaven Beach House with Ocean Views.
We didn’t want to leave!!! We would recommend this wonderful property to anyone. Absolutely breathtaking views, beautiful home, private swimming pool and everything you need for a relaxing holiday. The team at Whitsunday Vacations were fabulous hosts. Thank you! 🙏
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Nautilus on Nara - Spacious Airlie Beach Holiday Home with Ocean Views (Pets on application)
房子位于斜坡之上有点难走,但是找到了路就还好 房东很热情 房子很大很干净 只是厕所有些昏暗 可以加两个白炽灯会更好 舒适的体验
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韩雪
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Courtney
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Airlie Beach Marina-Front Luxury at 10 The Cove
This is definitely a premium accomodation - a home away from home with its excellent layout and top of the range gadgets through out the house.It was in a quiet and private area not accessible by many with beautiful views of various boats entering and leaving the docks.
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Zanelle
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Shutehaven Escape, Home with Pool with Ocean Views
Quiet, relaxing location with awesome views of Shute Harbour.Had a wonderful stay with our family. 3 Adults and 2 Kids (3 & 6)We would definitely return to this home for future vacations
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David
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Penthouse living at the Port of Airlie
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Steve
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'Vue de Bleu' Luxury Whitsunday Retreat
Fantastic place!
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Alex
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Amazing Penthouse with Whitsundays lifestyle
We had a wonderful stay and would definitely visit again! The view is beautiful! Photos don’t do it justice. We loved having our own private rooftop with pool, spa and BBQ. The accommodation had everything we needed and was very clean and comfortable. The only downside was not being able to check in on time as the apartment was still being cleaned but other than that everything went smoothly and communication from the host was great!
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Jodie
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Maria
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23 The Cove - 5 Bedroom, Whitsunday Waters Edge Luxury Holiday Home.
Perfect location walking distance to main areas of town. The house was spacious in a fantastic location with an awesome pool.
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Cameron
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'Vue de Bleu' Luxury Whitsunday Retreat
Exquisite views and beautifully appointed for a relaxed family holiday.An exquisite home, thoughtfully appointed for a relaxed family holiday. Incredible views, we can’t wait to return.
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Clare
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'Nine Islands' Airlie Beach Luxury Holiday Home with ocean views
Loved our stay here. Spacious for 6 adults. Two separate living areas (one with a ping pong table) a bonus. Loved the outdoor shower! Magical view over Airlie beach from the great outdoor area. Although up a very steep hill, we had a hire car or used uber whom you can give gate code to.
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Theresa
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Seascape on Shutehaven - Adults Only
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️We had an amazing stay at this beautiful Airbnb in Shute Harbour. The views were absolutely stunning and the peaceful atmosphere made it the perfect place to relax and unwind. The location was ideal, and the property had everything we needed to make our stay comfortable and enjoyable. Highly recommend to anyone visiting the Whitsundays – we would love to return!
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Bryce
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15 Kara - Stunning 5 Bedroom Home With Million Dollar Views, walk to Airlie Beach Main Street.
The house was amazing & everything it looked like in the photos. Really wonderful communication & provided flexible check out. We’d definitely stay again.
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Sarah
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Mike
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