When people think of visiting Australia, they think of popular destinations like Sydney, Melbourne, and even Byron Bay.
However, if you’re looking to experience the amazing white sand, bright blue water beaches that we’re all familiar with from Pinterest or snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef, you need to add Whitsundays to your Aussie Adventure.
Whitsundays is a small coastal town in Queensland that has something for literally everyone. Whether you’re a backpacker, family with small children, or looking for the perfect couples retreat, Whitsundays is the perfect destination where the combination of adventure and relaxation meets and should definitely not be missed when traveling around Australia.
Where to Stay
There are quite a few places to stay in Whitsundays depending on your preference and needs. Hamilton Island which is located near the Whitsundays Islands offers a lot of luxurious accommodation. Another popular destination for accommodations is the Airlie Beach area which offers plenty to do and is especially more budget-friendly. Airlie Beach seems to have a lot more to do and has easy access to Hamilton Island through sailing trips and ferries, making it a better place to stay, in my opinion.
Airlie Apartments:
If you’re looking for accommodations right in the center of town and close to everything, Airlie Apartments is a fantastic place to stay whether you’re traveling with your family or away on a couples retreat.
Airlie Apartments provides ideally located beach apartments from the hilltop position overlooking Coral Sea Marina, Pioneer Bay, and the gorgeous Whitsundays Islands. With stunning views in just about every apartment, Airlie Beach has 1-3 bedroom apartments complete with kitchens, laundry facility, BBQ, and tons of space for entertaining your family on holidays.
Although located on top of the hill, Airlie Apartments is located only a 5-minute walk from the Airlie Beach Town Centre. With its prime location, not only do you get the spectacular views overlooking Whitsundays, but you get the convenience of walking down the street to hit up all the delicious restaurants, boutiques, and bars. It’s a nice combination of feeling like you’re escaping the “Airlie Beach scene,” without being fully removed.
The Great Escape in Cannonvale:
Our second accommodation on our Whitsundays Adventure after our sailing adventure was two nights at The Great Escape in Cannonvale. The town of Cannonvale itself is a retreat away from the Airlie Beach/Whitsundays area and is the perfect place for your family to stay when traveling to Whitsundays.
Cannonvale is a small coastal town that is located right next to Airlie Beach in the Whitsundays area, but is specifically known as “where the locals go to escape the tourist.”
Whether you’re a tourist or not, Cannonvale is a great option to stay in the Whitsundays area, with a little bit more peace and quiet and a lot more space.
Sailing Whitsundays Islands:
One of the main attractions of Whitsundays is sailing around the Whitsundays Islands. Whitsundays is comprised of 74 islands, nearly all of them inhabited, so to be able to explore the stunning area, sailing trips have become the go-to in Whitsundays. 
Since sailing is so popular in Whitsundays, there are a few different ways to sail for different prices and duration. There are day trips out to Whitehaven Beach and snorkeling tours, there are overnight sailing adventures, and there are even options to hire your own boat and sail around the islands yourself. We opted to sail with ISail Whitsundays on a two night, overnight sailing trip and it was honestly one of the best experiences we’ve ever had.
I went over our full sailing adventure in my review of ISail Whitsundays which you can find here.
However, if you’re looking to go to the Whitsundays area and especially want to see some of the most popular destinations like Whitehaven Beach, sailing with ISail Whitsundays is an incredible and really cost-effective way to experience Whitsundays with snorkelling, water sports, all food included, and tours around the popular Whitsundays destinations, if you’re going to go to Whitsundays, do yourself a favor and book a sailing adventure with ISail Whitsundays.
What to Do
AquaDuck:
If you’re looking to experience and learn more about the Airlie Beach and Whitsundays area, AquaDuck is the perfect hour-long activity for you. AquaDuck is a land and sea tour that allows you to learn about the Airlie Beach area and then go into the water and get some stunning views of Airlie Beach and Whitsunday area. Your tour guide will tell you about the areas native aboriginal people and the towns first European settlers before showing you through the streets and past the attractions and restaurants popular with visitors today.
AquaDuck is perfect if you’re traveling with kids to Whitsundays, but my partner and I had a great time ourselves learning about the history, new developments, and taking in the beautiful views of the area. With the tour being an hour-long, it’s an easy way to feel like you’re getting to see a lot of the Airlie Beach and Whitsundays area, without spending much time which is perfect if you’re only in the area for a few days like we were.
Whitehaven Beach:
Whitehaven Beach is currently named the Second Most Beautiful Beach in the world and after seeing Whitehaven Beach with my own eyes, I can honestly say it definitely holds true to its title. The beach itself is 7 km long stunning beach in the Whitsundays Islands and is only accessible by boat, seaplane, and helicopter from Airlie Beach or Hamilton Island.
I personally don’t think you can visit Whitsundays without going to visit Whitehaven Beach. With it’s incredibly white, bright blue and turquoise water, Whitehaven is so stunning and shouldn’t be missed.
Our stop at Whitehaven Beach was apart of our ISail Whitsundays Sailing Trip. There are also tons of day trips to Whitehaven Beach from Airlie Beach where you can first hike up to the Hill Inlet Lookout which gives you those picture-perfect photos of the whole beach and then you can spend some time enjoying the beach from below.
However, due to the tide, those day tours are only a few hours long. With our ISail Whitsundays sailing trip, we were able to go to the Hill Inlet Lookout, snorkel in a different location for a little bit as the tides changed, and then returned back to Whitehaven Beach when all the tours had left and had the whole beach to ourselves. That was a pretty surreal experience having the 2nd most beautiful beach in the world practically to ourselves!
Whitehaven Beach is definitely my top destination in Whitsundays.
Hookeater Lookout Hike:
We love hiking, but with being in Whitsundays we didn’t think that we were able to do much hiking while visiting the area. However, there are a couple of great hiking trails in the Airlie Beach area that I highly recommend you check out as well.
Hookeater Lookout hike is located about a 10-minute walk from our accommodations at Airlie Apartments which was super convenient and we knew we had to take advantage of it with being so close. After doing some research, I found a lot of reviews that said people had trouble finding the location of the trail so we actually asked our airport shuttle driver who was nice enough to show us the location before dropping us off at Airlie Apartments.
The spot is a little tricky and we would have definitely had a problem finding it if it wasn’t for our driver. I included a couple of photos of the entrance and the area to hopefully help you find the trail a lot easier.
Once you find the staircase, the trail itself is super easy to navigate. We were warned by our airport driver that it is a pretty tough hike and we definitely felt like we got a good workout after completing the hike. That being said, if you’re of decent fitness level, you’ll be fine! It’s a Grade 4 walking track with bushwalking experience recommended. The hike is 8.2km and takes about 3 hours round trip. However, we were able to go there and back with stopping to take in the view in just a little over 2 hours.
We decided to go in the late afternoon due to the heat and that was a very smart decision as the temperature was nearly perfect during our hike. However, keep in mind the time the sun sets as you don’t want to be navigating your way down in the dark.
The hike was definitely worth it and gave us spectacular views of the Whitsundays Islands and was a great workout. Especially with sitting on a plane that morning, I love to do something active after sitting for so long, so the hike was the perfect option.
Airlie Creek Walking Track:
If you’re looking for a less demanding hike, the Airlie Creek Walking Track is the perfect option for you. The 850 m Airlie Creek Track slowly winds up the hill behind Airlie Beach along a gravel path, featuring rare flora and fauna like the Whitsunday Bottle Tree. The track winds you through a tranquil forest, which is home to magnificent fig trees, sub-tropical plants, beautiful native birds and ends up at scenic natural rock pools.
The walk itself will take you about an hour and you can access it on Waterson Way, Airlie Beach behind the Woolworths Shopping Centre.
Bicentennial Walk:
The Bicentennial Walkway is how we got from our Cannonvale House to Airlie Beach area. Although it’s a means of transportation between the two destinations, it’s a walkway that definitely shouldn’t be missed.
It’s no secret that Whitsundays is breathtakingly beautiful. With the Bicentennial Walkway, you’re able to walk by some of the most beautiful parts of the Airlie Beach area including Airlie Beach and the Coral Sea Marina. The walk itself is extremely peaceful and is great if you’re looking to get a morning stroll in or looking to explore the Airlie Beach to Cannonvale area.
Shop Airlie Beach Main Street:
Airlie Beach Town Centre is where you’ll find everything from groceries, takeaway, and restaurants, to bars and clubs. The Town Centre isn’t large itself, but whatever you need you can find it here. There’s a few chemists or pharmacies, Woolworths, tons of boutiques and clothing stores, and an abundance of restaurants and takeaway shops.
The Town Centre is also where you’ll find a lot of the tour and attractions main offices. You can sign up for tours and sailing adventures or even rent a car from the town centre as well.
Lastly, if you’re looking for the night scene, the Town Centre is where you should be. There are a few clubs and bars that are open late and definitely seemed busy when we were there.
Airlie Beach Lagoon:
The Airlie Beach Lagoon is located right off the Town Centre and is an incredibly nice public pool. The Airlie Beach Lagoon is completely free and open for anyone to use, but it’s especially perfect for families. There are multiple different pool areas of the lagoon designated for different activities and age groups. There’s a fun kiddie pool area where the young kids can play in the water with their parents nearby or areas for people to swim laps. There was also lifeguards on duty during the day which can give parents a peace of mind that their children can play safely in the lagoon.
I couldn’t believe that this was a free public area because of how nice it was! It’s definitely a place where you can spend all day. After checking out of our accommodations at Airlie Apartment, before heading out on our Sailing Adventure, we hung out at the Lagoon for a couple of hours, just relaxing, which was a fantastic way to spend the morning.
I highly recommend spending the day at the Lagoon, especially if you’re travelling with children.
Where to Eat
KC Bar & Grill:
If you’re looking for some pub food at low prices, KC Bar & Grill is the place for you. With daily deals for lunch menu, you can get a delicious lunch for under $15! I got the bacon, chicken Ceasar wrap and it was delicious! Eating out can get expensive, especially in Australia, so finding places like KC Bar & Grill was great for a cheap, delicious lunch!
Fish D’Vine:
Fish D’Vine is highly recommended when visiting Airlie Beach according to Tripadvisor. I ordered a Mojito and the seafood pasta. The Mojito was delicious and something that Fish D’Vine is definitely well-known for. The seafood pasta, on the other hand, was lacking flavor and for not being the cheapest option to eat in Airlie Beach, I was definitely expecting something a bit better.
My partner got a curry and that had tons of flavor and was delicious. Fish D’Vine is definitely a place to consider when visiting Airlie Beach, especially for their Mojitos. I would just skip on the seafood pasta next time.
Airlie Hotel:
Airlie Hotel Pub is connected to Airlie Hotel and is conveniently located right on Airlie Beach Town Centre. With its large menu and drink selection, Airlie Hotel is the perfect place to go when you’re not sure what you’re in the mood for or traveling with a large group.
I absolutely loved the atmosphere of Airlie Hotel Pub. With amble seating located both in and outside, you have the choice to stay out of the heat or enjoy the nice Whitsundays weather and the beautiful view of the water and eat outside.
We ate lunch at Airlie Hotel Pub and it was absolutely delicious. Their breakfast buffet option also looked incredibly delicious, but sadly we didn’t fit it into our schedule.
D’viet House Vietnamese:
Located on the same street as Airlie Hotel Pub is D’viet House Vietnamese, a casual Vietnamese restaurant. We decided to have some Pho one afternoon and even though it was quite warm outside, we definitely made the right choice going to d’viet house.
When we had our lunch, there was hardly anyone there. However, the night before we walked by and it was absolutely packed. I’m definitely someone that looks at how many people are at a restaurant and what people are eating before deciding to eat at that restaurant myself, so it’s a good thing we walked by the night before, otherwise, we probably wouldn’t have stopped for lunch that afternoon. I’m definitely glad we stopped because the Pho was absolutely delicious and I highly recommend you try it out for yourself!
Fat Frog Cafe:
Fat Frog Cafe was one of my favorite places we ate and luckily we fit it in the morning we flew back home from Whitsundays. Opening at 7 am, we were able to take a 10-minute walk from our house in Cannonvale and enjoy a delicious, unique breakfast right by Cannonvale Beach.
Fat Frog has a large selection of breakfast that you can find at just about any cafe, with a few different twists to the menu. They obviously have a healthier vibe establishment, which I love and instead of choosing the eggs benedict as I would normally choose, I went for the green pea fritters served with poached eggs, halloumi, tomatoes, and rocket. The flavor combination was so unique but absolutely delicious!
They also have a dog-friendly options on their menu, making it the perfect place to bring your pup!
I’m glad we fit going to Fat Frog Cafe into our Whitsundays Adventure, but I wish we went there earlier in the trip- if we had, we would have definitely eaten there more than once! If you’re looking for a great cafe to get breakfast, lunch, brunch, or a coffee, I highly recommend Fat Frog Cafe!
How to Get Around
Heart of Reef Shuttles:
If you’re flying into the Proserpine Airport, you definitely need to get an airport transfer to get to Airlie Beach. With it being about a half an hour drive, organizing an airport transfer ahead of time is definitely recommended. We got our airport transfers from Heart of Reef Shuttles and I highly recommend them. We were picked up and dropped off by the same worker and she was incredibly friendly and super helpful.
As I mentioned, she went out of her way to show us how to get to Hookeater Lookout hike and was incredibly helpful with recommendations for the area as well. We also got a brief tour of the Proserpine area and as well as Cannonvale and Airlie Beach during our trip to and from the airport, which made the 30-minute drive a lot more entertaining.
Walk:
With Airlie Beach area being so incredibly beautiful, walking around is the best way to take in the views while getting from one destination to another. With paths like the Bicentennial Walkway and Airlie Beach Foreshore, this area is definitely a pedestrian-friendly area and encouraged in the area.
Taxi:
There is no Uber or Lyft in Airlie Beach so if you do want to get a ride around the area, you have to hire a taxi. It was pretty simple to get one. We used Mackay Whitsunday Taxi which you can request a ride right on their website.
Whitsundays is one of my favorite places we’ve visited in Australia since moving here. Australia has a lot of beautiful places, but so far, Whitsundays is definitely at the top and should definitely be your next bucket list destination. If you’re looking at planning your Australian adventure, I highly recommend you don’t leave Australia without a trip to Whitsundays.
If you want to learn more in-depth about specific activities or places we stayed in Whitsundays, check out my other Whitsundays Travel Blog Posts below:
Related Posts
Sailing the Whitsundays Islands: Adventure of a Lifetime
Where to Stay in Airlie Beach, Australia: Airlie Apartments Review
Family-Friendly Entertaining at The Great Escape, Cannonvale Rental
I hope you enjoyed my Whitsundays Travel Guide. It was definitely one of our favorite places we’ve been in Australia and I highly recommend you plan your trip to Whitsundays as well! In Whitsundays, you’ll find every kind of beauty, adventure, and luxury here in the Whitsundays, in the heart of the Great Barrier Reef which is why is the perfect destination for anyone! If you would like to stay up-to-date with Our Wandering Mind, don’t forget to subscribe!
Our Wandering Mind got the amazing opportunity to partner with Whitsundays Tourism for our Whitsundays Adventure. As always, all thoughts and opinions are completely my own.
