Whitsunday Guide - Whitsundays - Whitsunday Accommodation.

The Whitsunday Islands and mainland areas were first occupied by the Aboriginal Ngaro People. Evidence of their presence is seen on many of the islands in the form of middens and rock cave paintings. It was in the 1880's that grazing leases for the islands were granted to settlers. At this point in time Airlie Beach was basically Rain Forest. It wasn't until 1904 that the Abell Family arrived on the beach to start a new life away from the drought ridden Boonah District in S.E.Queensland. The next few years were spent in clearing ground for market gardens and orchards. It was in 1917 the settlers decided to open up a road to Proserpine to facilitate their ambitions to start a sugar cane farm. A year later the track was completed. Meanwhile the inhabitants of some of the islands had ideas of entertaining guests on their properties, and this was achieved by inviting Proserpine locals to catch the mail boat which frequented the islands on a regular basis. From those early beginnings we now have an enormous Tourism Industry ion operation. Gone are all the sheep and their grazing areas, but deer are still to be found on Hamilton Island. The deer were originally introduced as a menu item, but unfortunately goats can run faster than humans.

Fantasea Cruises
'AMMARI'.
...Great Barrier Reef
pleasure cruising.
Boutique overnight Great
Barrier Reef cruising has
arrived in the tropical
Whitsunday's.

While in The Whitsundays, a trip out to Cedar Creek Falls and Conway Beach is a pleasant experience. Take the Shute Harbour Rd. out towards Proserpine and you will see the Conway Rd. turn -off on your left hand side. The falls and the rockpool are a cool place to be in mid summer. There is a track on the right of the falls that takes you right to the top. Conway Beach has B.B.Q. facilities and the beach is generally quiet and you could find yourselves the only occupants. For a trip further afield, just keep on the Shute Harbour Rd. and continue to Proserpine and head South til you come to the Laguna Keys Turn off on your left. At the end of this road is the Laguna Keys Resort. Keen golfers will love the course there.

Dining. Cruises.

The Whitsunday Passage is without doubt, one of the most beautiful areas on the planet. There are 74 islands in the group and several of these have their own resorts. The town of Airlie Beach is the main tourist centre for the area, and with the addition of 'The Lagoon' and the new look 'Esplanade' it makes for a very enjoyable stay in the area. Backpackers abound in this neck of the woods, so scooter hire is a popular means of transport for getting about during the day. Shute Harbour is the departure point for Fantasea Cruises that operate ferry services to most of the island resorts and run daily trips to the reef and Whitehaven Beach on Whitsunday Island. Abel Point Marina is the Airlie departure point for lots of other cruise options. Bareboat charters are numerous,so if you want to 'go it alone', you can. Proserpine,The Whitsundays Administrative Centre, is just 20 mins away, and visits to the Sugar Mill and The Historical Museum are available. Call Andy for a fishing trip to Faust
Dam. Backpackers. Charters. Adventure.

The arrival of P & O's 'Sapphire Princess' saw an estimated 2000 visitors to Airlie Beach on Jan.6th.2008. Awaiting their arrival at Abel Point was the team of volunteers from The Whitsunday Chamber of Commerce Ambassador Program. On arrival the visitors are warmly greeted and presented with a Information Booklet on Airlie Beach and directed to the coaches waiting to transport them to the town centre. Alternatively they are informed of the opportunity to take a pleasant stroll along The Boardwalk into the centre. Many of the passengers prebook trips and tours, of which, Oceanrafting and the Camira cruise are extremely popular.The Whitsunday Sailing Club is another popular venue for them to sit back and relax on the verandah and watch the world sail by. The Ambassador Program has proved extremely popular with our guests as many have expressed their desire to return and spend more time with us.

The Whitsunday Chamber of Commerce Ambassador Program hosts P&O Cruise visits to Airlie Beach. Ambassador Programme members at Abel Point.
Cruise Schedule. Jan. 6th. 2008. 'Sapphire Princess'. Arrive 0900.--Depart 1800. Jan. 21st. 2008. 'Pacific Sun'. Arrive 0800.--Depart 1600. Feb.18th. 2008. 'Pacific Sun'. Arrive 0800.--Depart 1600. Mar.5th. 2008. 'Pacific Star'. Arrive 1000.--Depart 1800. Mar.11th. 2008. 'Pacific Sun'. Arrive 0800.--Depart 1700. Mar.13th. 2008. ' Sun Princess'. Arrive 0800.--Depart 1700. April.9th. 2008. ' Sun Princess'. Arrive 0800.--Depart 1700. May.19th. 2008. ' Pacific Sun'. Arrive 0800.--Depart 1600. May.27th. 2008. ' Pacific Dawn'. Arrive 0800.--Depart 1700.

Looking out to the pier photo. Balcony view of Whitsundays. Whitsunday Beach view.

Apart from hiring an aircraft , the best view of the islands from the mainland is at Shute Haven. Take the Shute Harbour Rd. and turn left at The Shell Garage. Follow the road past The Lions Lookout and continue til you come to Harbour Ave. At the end of the Ave. is a car turning point opposite Coral Point Lodge. Views from here are spectacular. Beyond the Beak ( Mainland Foreground) you will see North Molle, Mid Molle, South Molle, Daydream, Hook, Whitsunday, Gunn and Denman Islands.

The Morning After. On the night of the 11th of February 2008, very strong northerly winds struck the exposed coastal area of Airlie Beach.They resulted in disasterous consequences for many of the yachts anchored and moored in the area. Although every year at this time we have the occasional mishap with the odd yacht dragging the anchor when the northerly winds blow, these were exceptionally severe.

Damaged boats after high winds Airlie Beach

Over 40 yachts were either badly damaged or completely written off after this very nasty episode. The yacht on the left was hard up on the rocks but the cat on the right was at least lucky to get a softer landing up high and dry on the beach. During this time of the year quite a number of the locals take their boats around to moor in Shute Harbour as it is well protected from the Northerlies.

Bowen.

This small town has some fabulous beaches and bays, providing visitors with a real getaway from it all experience. Snorkelling spots are superb and windsurfing is popular in this area. Taking a guided tour of approx. 90 mins gives you the opportunity of seeing the 24 Historical Murals that are situated at various places around the town.

Driving just 45 mins north of Airlie Beach you arrive at Bowen, nestled on the shores of Edgecumbe Bay, view from Flagstaff Hill.

Mullers Lagoon, described as one of the most beautiful wetlands habitats and parklands anywhere to be found is situated in the centre of town. Visit the only 5 star restaurant in town at Flagstaff Hill and enjoy the fabulous 360 deg. views. All in all, a great day trip if you are holidaying in Airlie Beach, or a wonderful get away from it all holiday in the Northern Whitsundays.

VISIT THE ISLANDS.

Whitsunday Island is the largest island in the Whitsundays and is 100% National Park.Kept in pristine condition, there are no resort facilities here, but there is a camping site. Visitor numbers to the island are quite significant as several tour operators run trips to the world famous Whitehaven Beach. This beach is probably one of the most photographed beaches in the world. Lindeman is the southernmost island in the group and is about 1 hour from Shute Harbour. Nature walks reveal lots of varieties of flora and fauna on the island. Windsurfing and snorkelling are popular off the beach , and the island also has a 9 hole golf course. In the cool of the evening you can take advantage of the 5 floodlit tennis courts and follow by visiting the nightclub on the island.

Hamilton has a variety of accommodation types on the island, ranging from The Palm Bungalows, through to Private Residences. At this point in time the north side of the island is being developed to accommodate a 6 star resort. Visitors will be transported by helicopter to their own private quarters. In the main resort, guests will find that on any given day there are at least 40 different types of activities that they can participate in. Buggies are the form of transport on the island ,or you can take advantage of the free shuttle service that operates throughout the day to all parts of the island. Fantasea runs reef trips from the island every day , and also trips to Whitehaven Beach on Whitsunday Island. On the south side of the island there is a Go Cart Track, Rifle Range, and a Golf Driving Range. Plenty of things to keep you occupied here.
This island is blessed with 2 resorts.The original resort was Happy Bay, and was completely transformed in the 80's, and is now Club Crocodile Resort. The Resort has a wide range of facilities ,and several walking tracks. Situated 20 mins from Shute Harbour , the island has a steady flow of daytrippers from nearby Shute Harbour.
South of the main resort is another , Peppers Palm Bay. Exclusive and quiet, for the honeymooners, the resort has no televisions or telephones in the rooms. It has a beautiful lagoon fringed by palms, that has been dredged to accommodate yachts with reasonably shallow drafts. Only 21 cabins and bungalows, all overlooking a private beach, and for entertainment in the evenings a Mini Movie Theatre.An island for the folks that want to be alone.

In the old days it was called West Molle. Back in 1930 a couple from Sydney set of to voyage round the world in their yacht Daydream. On arriving at The Whitsundays they fell in love with the area and susequently bought the island from it's owner and stayed. The island has a Tropical Pool stocked with fish , and live coral also collected from this area. Plenty of day trippers visit this island, and they have a separate area set aside from the main resort. On the West side of the island there is a coral beach called Sunlovers. Just wade out a few metres and you can see the various coloured tropical fish up close.Try snorkelling and get a view of the coral that is close to the beach. This island has a real tropical flavour.
In the long distant past , this island was frequently visited by Queensland Aborigines. Their interest was in the basaltic rocks that are abundant on the island. These were used for making primitive cutting implements and axes.Take a walk on the track to Spion Kop, and you will see the evidence of a stone quarry . In the mornings on South Molle , fish feeding is carried out by staff on the pier. The island's guests are housed in units in the tropical gardens or on the beach front. Several walking tracks can be encountered, plus a 9 hole golf course. Water sports are plentiful, and reef trips are available from the island every day of the week. Ferry services from this island are to Abel Point Marina, not Shute Harbour.

Hayman Island is located at the northern area of The Whitsundays. Originally opened in the 50's it was totally refurbished in 1985. The resulting change elevated the resort to exclusive membership of The Leading Hotels in the World. The garden areas are magnificently maintained and are adorned with giant Grecian Urns, Satues and Fountains. Plenty of watersports here, and several restaurants for the culinary artistes. Guests are transported by the island's luxury vessel from Hamilton Island Airport to their guest quarters with 5 star service all the way. If you can afford it, do it.
Coral viewing from this island is splendid. There is an underwater observatory here and a small resort with camping facilities. the island has some of the highest peaks in The Whitsundays, and is the second largest of the Whitsunday Islands. There are many beaches around Hook, and private yachts tend to visit regularly as the coral is probably the best in the area. Off the main tourist track ,as Fantasea the main ferry operator does not have scheduled trips there. A lot of locals tend to go to the beach areas of Hook Island to get away from the maddening crowds.

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