The Whitsundays group is a part of Australia’s largest offshore island chain, known as the Cumberland group.
All the islands and their surrounding waters (collectively known as the Whitsundays’) have international protection as a party of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area.
In addition, some islands have been declared national parks by the Queensland government.
The Whitsundays are famous for their rugged, green clad islands, turquoise blue waters and white sandy beaches. Many visitors to the region comment on the aquamarine shade of the sea throughout the Whitsundays. Very fine sediment suspended in the regions waters scatters sunlight as it penetrates the water, creating the shade of blue the makes this place famous.
Contrasting with the brilliant blue are the fine white silica sands of Whitehaven beach and Whitsunday Island. Whitehaven differs from most beaches in the Whitsundays, which tend to have coarser sand that includes fragments of shell and coral.
Surrounding the Whitsunday Islands are fringing coral reefs that form in the waters around the islands and occasionally along the mainland. Approximately 400 species of coral are found in the marine park, and exploring these reefs is one of the most popular visitor activities.
The islands and surrounding reefs provide valuable habitat for marine turtles. Six of the worlds’ seven species are found within the Whitsundays.
Each year humpback whales migrate north from their feeding grounds in Antarctica to warmer waters near eastern Australia. They travel along the east coast to the north of the Great Barrier Reef where they give birth and mate, before returning home. You may see pods of whales heading north through the Whitsundays during June and July or returning south between August and October.
The Whitsundays is located along Queensland Central Coast in north eastern Australia approximately 1120 km north of Brisbane and 630 km south of Cairns. The tropical resort town of Airlie Beach is the gateway and mainland hub to the Whitsunday islands and a great launch pad for water tours. Airlie Beach offers an abundance of accommodation styles suit whatever holiday or budget you are in search of. www.accomwhitsunday.com.au
Living in the Whitsundays has been described as a lifestyle. Around 35 000 people live in the region and are lucky enough to call the Whitsundays home.
Living in the Whitsundays feels like a life of never-ending summer- the dream, right? Well, you might need to throw on a jumper and a pair of jeans occasionally but it’s not necessary to fill your suitcase with a whole heap of winter clothing as they will simply sit in your cupboard for months on end.
Now, imagine having the Whitsunday Islands as your back yard? Living just a boat trip away from the Worlds famous Whitehaven Beach and the Great Barrier Reef!
Airlie Beach has two schools in town, Cannonvale State School and Whitsunday Christian College. Both of which have new buildings and facilities. The region also has 2 schools in Proserpine which is a mere 25 kms from the center of Airlie Beach.
We have 3 major shopping centres in Airlie if you include the main street as one. The other two are Whitsunday Shopping Centre and Whitsunday Plaza.
The main street has most things you could want including Woolworths, clothing shops, bottle shops, pharmacy, fast food, bars, clubs, cafes and restaurants.
Whitsunday Shopping Center has a Coles, bottleshops, pharmacy, butcher, discount shop, Hungry Jacks, and a couple of eateries.
Whitsunday Plaza, known as ‘Centro’ to locals, has everything you would expect to find in a suburban shopping centre. Including Big W, Woolworths, butchers, clothing stores, pharmacy, bottle shop, food outlets and much more.
You will need to appreciate the little things in life to love living in Airlie Beach. Most locals enjoy a sunset, a cool breeze and a beer or two. Most people in Airlie Beach enjoy a very outdoor orientated lifestyle, which could be anything from walking to sailing. The weather is good here for the majority of the year, so we like to embrace it.
