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When visiting Airlie Beach, the number one thing you need to do is make sure to take a day trip to explore the Whitsunday Islands, home to the most beautiful beach in Australia – Whitehaven Beach.
I’ve walked upon many of the beaches in Australia and none have the Wow Meter launching into the stratosphere like the stunning Whitehaven Beach does.
I’ve got backup for my bold statement.
It consistently ranks highly on the best beaches in the world lists and is world famous for its jaw-dropping natural beauty, including the #1 Best Beach in the World by TripAdvisor in 2021, #3 Best Beach in The World by World Beach Guide, and #1 in Forbes’ list of The World’s 50 Best Beaches.
So by now you are aware why you have to go there, but how do you actually make a day trip from Airlie Beach? In this guide, we’ll show you how you can do just that…
Where Are The Whitsunday Islands and Whitehaven Beach From Airlie Beach?
Airlie Beach is the main gateway to the Whitsunday Islands and is situated on the mainland of Australia. The closest island in the Whitsunday’s is just 27 km off the coast of Airlie Beach, so it’s the perfect place to base yourself for day trips.
Airlie Beach is located a 13-hour drive north of Brisbane or 1hr 45 minute flight. When traveling South from Cairns, it’s an 8-hour drive or 1 hr 25 minute flight.
The closest airport to Airlie Beach is Proserpine Airport (PPP), which is 26 kilometres away. There are direct flights to and from here from major cities such as Brisbane, Cairns, Sydney, and Melbourne, and many airlines operate this route, including Jetstar, Virgin and Qantas.
The distance from Airlie Beach to Whitehaven Beach is 33 km, and can only be accessed by boat or seaplane.
How To Get To Whitehaven Beach from Airlie Beach
There are a few ways you can get to Whitehaven Beach from Airlie Beach, but if you want to see it in one day, you are best booking a day tour.
You can find helicopter tours and scenic flight tours, though these are quite expensive and are usually only half-day experiences. They tend to take you to see Whitehaven Beach and maybe fly over Heart Reef, but they don’t show you as much of the Whitsundays as you can see from a boat.
We highly recommend you book onto a day cruise to see the Whitsundays. You will see there are several companies and tour operators departing from Coral Sea Marina in Arlie Beach from around 8.00am, so you can either head down there the day before your tour and book onto the next day, or book online.
Given how popular Whitehaven Beach is, I would recommend booking online so you don’t miss out.
We decided to book with Ocean Rafting, who have two different tours to choose from, the Northern Exposure and the Southern Lights tour.
The main difference between them is that the Northern Exposure offers more snorkelling time and the Southern Lights offers more beach time.
Our Experience On A Tour Of Whitehaven Beach from Airlie Beach
When we visited Airlie Beach, we decided to jump on the fastest boat on the water to zip around the Whitsundays and take in as much as we could in one day.
The fastest boat available is Ocean Rafting, which is a small, bright yellow semi-rigid inflatable, designed to enter the shallow waters where no other sailing vessels have permission to go – that is right up on the sands of Hill Inlet on Whitehaven Beach beach.
Ocean Rafting is a full-day adventure taking in the best of the Whitsunday Islands and a fun, adrenaline-fueled ride when at full speed. It allows you to see more in one day because of how quickly it can move across the crystal-clear waters, and is what we think is the best way to tour the Whitsundays.
Stop 1: Langford Island
Our first sign of paradise after departing Airlie Beach was a quick stop at Langford Island, a popular spot with snorkelers, divers and many of the sailing boats that anchor here.
It features a long sand spit that basically disappears at high tide, and judging by the scene we witnessed a magic spot for sunbathing and swimming.
Stop 2: Whale Watching, Whitsundays
After we sped away from Langford Island, a few of the locals who inhabit the waters of the Whitsundays were nice enough to come by and say hello.
We were about a month too early for peak whale season and whilst there are no formal whale watching tours in the Whitsundays, whale sightings can be a free bonus inclusion on your Whitsundays day tours, which is always exciting.
A friendly humpback whale frolicking in the distance gave us a wave, and it’s times like these when our 300mm zoom lens comes in handy!
Not only were our kids overjoyed about seeing our first whale for the season, then shortly after two manta rays glided gracefully by without a care in the world – as they do.
Stop 3: Snorkeling Whitsunday Islands
Our snorkeling adventures took place at Maureens Cove and Manta Ray Bay, two spots off Hook Island where you can swim with the huge batfish who aren’t shy and will eat out of your hand.
The Whitsunday’s are located right in the heart of The Great Barrier Reef, and so there are many places to stop and explore the coral reefs.
The water was a little chilly upon entering, it was the middle of winter after all, but once we jumped in that quickly became an afterthought as we went exploring for marine life.
This was Kalyra’s first official snorkeling experience and she loved swimming around with daddy comforted by the fact we weren’t out in the middle of the ocean and the shoreline was within easy reach.
Stop 4: Whitehaven Beach
After getting our snorkelling fix, we headed down to the biggest island in the Whitsundays, Whitsunday Island, and around the corner for the highlight of our tour – Whitehaven Beach.
Even though we’d been to Whitehaven before and knew what to expect, the moment Australia’s most famous beach comes into view is a site I’ll never tire of seeing.
Is there a prettier sight in the Whitsundays? I don’t think so.
As you pull up and step ashore on the pure white, silica sand and walk through the shallows of the crystal clear water you know you’re privileged to be setting foot on a real slice of Aussie paradise!
The swirling patterns in the white sand and aqua coloured water is like nothing I have ever seen.
You’ll be tempted to just collapse into the water or dig your toes into the powdery soft sand and sit in amazement.
But if you want to get the picture perfect postcard photo and see the beauty of Whitehaven and how the sea interacts with the land, you must do the walk up to Hill Inlet.
Stop 5: Hill Inlet, Whitsunday Islands National Park
At the northern end of Whitehaven Beach, you’ll enter the Whitsunday Islands National Park, and it’s here you can take the 10-minute short track through the tropical rainforest which leads to this spectacular lookout.
Hill Inlet is a stunning cove where the tide shifts the sand to create a fusion of swirling colours. The patterns of the shifting sands and small deep-water channels of turquoise water stretch from the National Park out into the Coral Sea.
Hill Inlet Lookout offers magnificent views across Whitehaven Beach and Whitsunday Island.
I’m sure you have seen the site of the swirling sands many times in photographs, but you must witness it with your own eyes, it’s truly breathtaking!
It was a brilliant weather day and we got a family snap by using our tripod and the self-timer on our camera for cherished memories!
The afternoon was spent walking, swimming and then enjoying a delicious lunch of seafood, BBQ chicken and salads on the best white tablecloth nature can provide.
Would We Recommend Ocean Rafting?
What I loved about this day trip with Ocean Rafting is that we had plenty of time to actually enjoy and photograph Whitehaven Beach.
I’ve heard that on some tours your time on Whitehaven is very short, but if you’ve come all this way to see one of the top 5 beaches in the world you want your time in paradise to be as long as possible.
We had ample time to walk up to Hill Inlet, play on the sand, swim in the water, and lunch time was leisurely. And the amount and quality of the food was impressive.
I like to eat a lot and always get worried on these day trips that there won’t be ample food to satisfy my cravings but there was that much food to go around that I think I ended up having three servings, and our kids were well satisfied too!
If you only have one day to explore the Whitsundays and Whitehaven Beach, this tour is a great option. Our crew were fun and knowledgeable.
Tips For Visiting Whitehaven Beach
Before you go, here are some of our top tips and words of advice about taking a day trip to the famous Whitehaven Beach from Airlie Beach…
- Depending on the time of year and the weather, make sure you take a jacket as the speed of the boat makes it windy and cool.
- Bring your regular beach-day supplies and get ready for an action-packed day in one of our favourite places in Australia!
- Carry a trash bag to take your rubbish with you. In fact, you cannot take anything but a camera onto Whitehaven Beach to protect its natural beauty.
- You may want to take seasickness tablets if you get sea sick. The ride can be bumpy!
- Bring snacks for the boat if you have kids. It’s a long ride!
- October to May is jellyfish season, so it’s recommended you wear a stinger suit if you plan to swim those months.
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