Whitsunday Island and Whitehaven Beach have been on the bucket sub-list of must-see best beaches of the world. We did a full-day Whitehaven Beach & Hill Inlet Chill & Grill trip with Cruise Whitsundays. We chose that trip because it gave us time at the beach and it didn’t include snorkeling from the boat, which we did not want to do. (There are tons of tour options available that include the island, from different vendors.) Our day started with an early morning walk across town to the port. They offer shuttle pick up but we figured we’d have a nice walk and save some cash. They have their own building and check-in was well organized. The seas were a little rough initially, but not for long.
We were somehow part of a “special” group that included dedicated seating in an air-conditioned cabin. The trip out to the island is on a larger boat. We stopped at Daydream Island and Hamilton Island first to pick up and drop off passengers.
Once at Whitsunday Island we transferred to a smaller boat to get into shore at the inlet. It was beach landing so be prepared to get a little wet.
The sand is fine and blindingly white as advertised. From the landing you walk across sand to a meeting point, then head up the trail to the lookouts. The trail is gravel and rocks. Though steep in spots, stairs are built in. We did the entire walk barefoot or in our Teva Pajaro flip-flops shown below. (We love these!)
We didn’t get to see the dramatic swirly white sand at the inlet but it’s still pretty. The trail passes three lookout points.
After hiking back down we went to the opposite beach to get on our boat to Whitehaven Beach. There are few permanent facilities at the beach: some picnic tables, low wood platforms in the shade, toilets. No fresh water. Our crew had to load and unload all the gear to make and serve lunch, beverages, etc. There were some nets set up for games and equipment for yard games around, though they weren’t being used much.
A barbeque lunch was served shortly after arrival and they had cans of beer and cider available to purchase, though they didn’t really advertise that. The prices weren’t bad, either.
Here’s our boat sitting offshore, and another pulled up near the beach. For a small additional fee ($30 when we went) you can rent a cabana, shown here. The shade was welcome. They also loan out free stinger suits, which are highly recommended if you get into the water, due to jellyfish. (Plus they cut down on the need for sunscreen!)
Here’s the long, wide, white beach. And water clear enough to see fish from shore. The fine sand is silica, so it doesn’t get as hot as regular sand. It’s also supposed to be good for polishing silver jewelry. The water is clear and there are few if any rocks, so it’s nice for swimming. So the beach is gorgeous but it is just a beach. I brought a book and was happy.
You really have to protect your lunch from the local seagulls; they recommended we eat only at the tables. This curlew stood under the trees like a statue almost the whole time we were there.
After time to hang out on the beach, the boat picked up us and all the gear later in the afternoon. The trip back was the reverse of the trip out, though we didn’t stop at Daydream Island. All of the staff we interacted with were great and while there were people on half-day and full-day tours on the same boat, it was always clear who needed to get off where. It was a great relaxing day out. (Just don’t expect a hive of activity and jetskis and sunbeds at the beach. It’s not that kind of beach.)