Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
and rocky coral coves far outnumber the few sandy beaches. More than half a
dozen islands have resorts that offer just about all the activities you could ever
want—snorkeling, scuba diving, sailing trips, reef fishing, water-skiing, jet-skiing,
parasailing, sea kayaking, hiking, rides over the coral in semisubmersibles, fish
feeding, putt-putting around in dinghies to secluded beaches, playing tennis or
squash, and aqua-aerobics classes. Accommodations range from small, low-key
wilderness retreats to mid-range family havens to Australia's most luxurious resort,
Hayman.
The village of Airlie Beach is the center of the action on the mainland. The
Whitsundays are just as good a stepping-stone to the outer Great Barrier Reef as
Cairns—some people think it is better because you don't have to make the 90-
minute trip to the Reef before you hit coral. Just about any Whitsunday island has
fringing reef around its shores, and there are good snorkeling reefs between the
islands, a quick boat ride away from your island or mainland accommodations.
ESSENTIALS
GETTING THERE By Car
The Bruce Highway leads south from Cairns
or north from Brisbane to Proserpine, 26km (16 miles) inland from Airlie
Beach. Take the “Whitsunday” turnoff to reach Airlie Beach and Shute Harbour.
Allow a good 8 hours to drive from Cairns. There are several car-storage facili-
ties at Shute Harbour.
Whitsunday Car Security
(
&
07/4946 9955
or 0419/
729 605) will collect your car anywhere in the Whitsunday area and store it in
locked undercover parking for A$14 (US$9) per 24 hours.
By Plane
There are two air routes into the Whitsundays: Hamilton Island air-
port, and Whitsunday Coast Airport at Proserpine on the mainland.
Qantas
(
&
13 13 13
in Australia) flies direct to Hamilton Island from Brisbane.
Sun-
state Airlines
(book through Qantas) flies from Sydney, Cairns, and Townsville.
Airlink and Sunstate Airlines fly to Proserpine direct from Brisbane.
Virgin Blue
(
&
13 67 89
in Australia) flies to Proserpine direct from Sydney and with con-
nections from Perth, Adelaide, and Melbourne.
If you stay on an island, the resort may book your launch transfers automat-
ically. These may appear on your airline ticket, in which case your luggage will
be checked through to the island.
By Train
Several
Queensland Rail
(
&
13 22 32
in Queensland, or 07/3235
1122) long-distance trains stop at Proserpine every week. The one-way fare is
A$134 (US$87) from Cairns on the Tilt Train
.
Brisbane fares range from A$217
(US$141) on the Tilt Train to A$288 (US$187) for a first-class sleeper on
The
Sunlander.
By Bus Greyhound Pioneer
(
&
13 20 30
in Australia) and
McCafferty's
(
&
13 14 99
in Australia) operate plentiful daily services to Airlie Beach from
Brisbane (trip time: around 18 hr.) and Cairns (trip time: 9-10
1
⁄
2
hr.). The fare
is A$144 (US$94) from Brisbane and A$83 (US$54) from Cairns.
Whitsunday Transit
(
&
07/4946 1800
) meets all flights and trains at Pros-
erpine to provide door-to-door transfers to Airlie Beach hotels, or to Shute Har-
bour. The fare is A$29 (US$19) from the airport, or A$17 (US$11) from the
train station.
VISITOR INFORMATION
For information before you travel, contact
Tourism Whitsundays,
P.O. Box 83, Whitsunday, QLD 4802 (
&
07/4946
6673;
fax 07/4946 7387; www.whitsundaytourism.com). Another useful website
is www.whitsunday.net.au.
Tourism Whitsundays
' information center (
&
1800/
801 252
in Australia, or 07/4945 3711) is in Proserpine, on the Bruce Highway
