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If you are debating whether to visit the Whitsundays or not during your holidays in Australia, you’ve come to the right place!
Australia is home to some of the most beautiful places in the world and when it comes to natural landmarks, there are more than we can count!
Uluru, Fraser Island, Blue Mountains… They are all amazing but there is something about the Whitsunday Islands that is just special.
I’ve always wanted to visit the Whitsundays because of Whitehaven Beach. There has always been something mesmerizing about this place.
IN A RUSH? Yes, the Whitsundays are definitely worth visiting. It’s one of the most beautiful places in Australia but also in the world. Still to this day, it’s the most beautiful place I’ve seen
The thing I was wrong about was thinking that there wasn’t more to the Whitsundays than Whitehaven. How wrong was I!
The Whitsundays have so much to offer and I’m so happy I had the chance to go. Still to this day, it’s the most beautiful place I’ve ever been to.
In this article, you will discover why you should visit the Whitsundays!
1. The Whitsundays are magical
There is no place like the Whitsundays and the Great Barrier Reef.
It’s pretty much impossible to describe how beautiful and unique they are. There are just no words for it.
As a matter of fact, you’ll see, they will leave you speechless!
Whether you see the Whitsundays from the sky, the land or sea, they will blow your mind.
We’ve all seen these beautiful postcards featuring Whitehaven Beach and the heart reef.
If they are the reason you’ve always wanted to visit Australia, you are in for a treat because I promise, these places are even more beautiful in real life!
The Whitsundays are mesmerizing. You would never believe that such a beautiful place can exist. And yet, it does!
It’s a bit like they have magical powers. They will make you fall in love within a few seconds.
2. Whitehaven Beach truly is heaven
Whitehaven beach is definitely one of the reasons why I wanted to go to Australia and I can tell you something. It didn’t disappoint!
The name was so wisely chosen. I actually can’t think of a better name for this place. It is a white heaven!
The beach itself is about 7km long and is made of 98% silica. This is why the sand is so white and soft.
Of course, the beach itself is stunning and definitely one of the best in the world. However, the estuary is what makes it so special.
That’s where the sand and turquoise water starts zigzagging, almost dancing on the rhythm of the tides. It’s jaw-dropping. You can admire it from Hill Inlet Lookout.
It’s so pretty and the colours are so bright that it almost looks like a painting.
3. The Great Barrier Reef is one of the most unique places in the world
The amazing thing about visiting the Whitsundays is that you don’t only get to see the islands, you will also get to see the Great Barrier Reef.
There are so many interesting things to say about the Great Barrier Reef. It’s a very unique ecosystem, the biggest living system in the world.
Moreover, it features some beautiful shapes to create stunning landscapes.
We all know that the Great Barrier Reef is huge but no amount of research will get you prepared to realise how big and pretty it actually is.
It’s stunning. It will take your breath away and leave you speechless.
If you have your PADI, you have to go diving there! But if you really want to see how big and impressive the Great Barrier Reef is, you should consider going on a scenic flight (but we will get back to that!).
4. You will fall in love with the heart reef
Speaking of beautiful places, the heart reef is one of the most famous natural landmarks in the world.
It was discovered in 1975 by a pilot from Hamilton Air. Although it’s actually quite small compared to the other reefs (17m wide) it features the cutest shape we can possibly think of.
It’s pretty incredible to see what nature can do, by itself, without human interaction.
When you get to see the heart reef for the first time, your heart swells. It’s so pretty it could make you cry!
5. It’s one of the best places in the world to go sailing
The Whitsundays are famous in the entire world for sailing opportunities.
Obviously, the fact that it’s an archipelago naturally makes it a great place for it. But it’s not just that, it’s a combination of things.
In the Whitsundays, the water is turquoise and crystal-clear. You can see sting-rays, clownfish and turtles from the boat.
The Great Barrier reef is just there which means you just need to jump out to see beautiful corals!
Speaking of beautiful sights, let’s talk about sunrises and sunsets.
From the boat, you will get to see the most beautiful sunsets and sunrises you can think of!
The colours are so bright and reflect on the water. You will also catch a glimpse of dolphins jumping!
Finally, you are allowed to go sailing without a license. This is a pretty unusual thing as only a few places in the world allow it and the Whitsundays are one of them!
So if that’s something you’d be interested in, you are free to do so! That said, if you have no experience whatsoever, it could turn out to be a stressful experience.
If you want to rent a private boat, they usually come with an experienced skipper. That’s usually a better option. For more information, click here.
6. The Whitsundays are a paradise for water sport lovers
If you are into water sports, you are in for a treat!
You may think that the only thing you can do is diving and snorkelling but that’s not true!
Of course, snorkelling and diving in the Whitsundays in pretty awesome but there is just so much more than you can do.
One of the best activities is going sea kayaking. I went onto a guided kayak tour near Hook Island and it was amazing!
The waters are shallows and crystal clear which means you will get to see sting-rays, turtles and the corals! You can also go to the beach and do one of the hikes.
This tour was during the Summertime cruise (info and prices here) but you can also book it individually if you want to.
Another thing you can do is going on a jetski tour. They leave from Airlie Beach and go to Daydream Island, South Molle or Long Island.
7. Aerial landscapes are stunning
The Great Barrier Reef and Whitehaven Beach are beautiful places to see from the ground but you take a bit of height, their beauty is multiplied!
That’s how you realise how big and beautiful they actually are.
Admittedly, the view you get from Hill Inlet is already awesome and a scenic flight will “just” enable you to add more depth and perspective.
But when it comes to the Great Barrier Reef, that’s a totally different experience!
The only way you truly understand how long it is, is from the sky. It’s also a great way to see the heart reef!
If you want more information about this, you can check out my full review of the scenic flight from Airlie Beach. There are plenty of photos that should give you a good idea of what it is like.
8. It’s one of the best places to skydive in Australia
If you are a thrill-seeker, skydiving in Airlie Beach should be on your bucket list.
There are many amazing places in Australia where you can go skydiving but the Whitsundays top them all.
The great thing about skydiving in Airlie Beach is that you get to see so much!
You will see the Whitsunday Islands, Airlie and the Great Barrier Reef, all at once! It’s the only place where you get such an amazing variety of landscapes.
I absolutely loved my skydive there and would do it all over again, anytime!
9. There are many hiking opportunities
That might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of the Whitsundays but there are great walks there!
The most famous is in Tongue Bay and will bring you up to Hill Inlet lookout.
But that’s not the only one. Amongst the walks worth going on in the Whitsundays, you will find:
- Whitsunday Cairn
- Whitsunday Peak
- Ngaro Cultural Site (a great one for people who want to learn more about the native-Australian culture in the Whitsundays)
- Honeyeater lookout
- Bauer Bay (South Molle)
- And plenty more!
10. They are home to some of the best island resorts in Australia
As you may have gathered by now, the Whitsundays are a great place to go to if you want to do many activities.
However, if you just want to enjoy a relaxing luxury holiday in a resort, that’s entirely possible!
You will find many amazing resorts on Hamilton Island but also on Daydream and Hayman Islands.
You can opt for a private bungalow, a holiday home or the world-famous Reef View Hotel.
11. And it’s also a great place to go camping!
We often think of the Whitsundays as these dreamy tropical islands where you can only stay in a luxury resort and although this is a very popular thing to do, you can also camp!
Whitsunday Islands National park offers several campgrounds.
They are perfect for all the adventurers who want to stay close to nature and enjoy the true magic of the Whitsundays.
Altogether, there are 11 campgrounds in the national park. They are located on Whitsunday Island, Hook Island and Hayman island.
You can see the full list on the official website.
12 – The food is delicious!
Again, that’s probably not something you thought of but yes, the Whitsundays are a great destination for foodies!
When we think about it, it kind of makes sense. It’s surrounded by the sea which means you will find amazing sea-food in restaurants!
Moreover, Queensland produces some delicious products due to its tropical climate.
All of that put together means that there is some amazing food there. The best restaurants are in Airlie Beach and Hamilton Island.
Some of them can be quite expensive, especially on Hamilton, but there are a lot of little cafes with very reasonable prices and great food.
If you want to give it a go, you can try Northerlies Beach Bar & Grill, Pebble Beach or Fish D’vine and Rum Bar.
So now you know that not only the Whitsundays are worth visiting but they are a truly amazing place! If you are spending some time in Queensland, they should be your number one stop!
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