We spent 3 weeks exploring The Whitsundays - possibly one of Australia's most iconic attraction's. We stayed in Airlie Beach, Daydream Island & Hamilton Island. Here is what we got up to, where we ate and where we stayed.
Airlie Beach
Located an hour north of Mackay, it's the most cost effective place to stay to explore the Whitsundays. You can access most islands by catching a ferry from the port, and almost all experiences leave from Airlie beach, so you don't need to break the bank to stay on one of the islands to experience all the Whitsundays have to offer.
WHERE WE STAYED
We stayed at the BIG4 Adventure Holiday park - we booked it during a sale so got a great price. The value for money was fantastic as the park has every facility you could want including a large water park, pools, mini golf course and even a small farm petting zoo for the kids.
The Bathrooms were pretty standard - not amazing but definitely not bad compared to some of the places we have stayed.
WHAT WE DID
Reef Sleep with Cruise Whitsundays
Our favourite experience of the trip so far. It cost us $610 per person and was worth every cent.
The tour includes a full 2 days at Reef World - A pontoon at Hardy reef near the edge of the Great Barrier Reef. The beauty of this experience is that you have the pontoon to yourself for most of the time. During the day (11am - 3pm) the pontoon is open to day visitors - up to 300 others. During this period we felt like it was super crowded on the pontoon and in the water. However with reef sleep you have a whole area sectioned off to the small group so that means you are away from it all. We also found that the snorkelling was 10000% better once everyone left and in the morning before the boat arrived. We saw many more fish and even sharks and turtles when there were less people in the water early on the second day.
Now onto the food. This was the best we have probably eaten all trip. The quality was amazing and trust us you won't be left hungry one bit. Morning and afternoon tea are provided on both days as well as a buffet lunch on day 1 and a chef prepared meal on day 2. The dinner was next level, with delicious canapés as you watch the sun go down before taking a seat for dinner. (think prawns, oyster and rib eye steak) Most drinks are also included (beer, wine and coffee and soft drink) for both days so you are never left thirsty.
The staff were absolutely incredible, Andy who runs the experience was an amazing host and really made the night what it is. I would recommend this to anyone traveling to The Whitsundays. You can find more information and where to book here
Red Cat Adventures
We did 2 tours with Red Cat Adventures as a package deal to save a bit of coin; these were the Tongarra sail and the Thundercat experience.
Tongarra Sail - This was a very relaxing day spent cruising around the islands on a catamaran. The team on board was amazing and full of knowledge on marine life and the area. Its BYO drinks which were great to enjoy at the end of the day while watching the sun set over Airlie beach.
The trip includes a visit to Langford sandbar where you get to walk around the island and then a trip to a reef drop off which was some of the best snorkelling we have done so far this trip.
Thundercat - This tour is for those seeking a little bit of adrenaline, the Thundercat takes you to Australia's most famous beach - Whitehaven beach and to Hill inlet for an elevated view of the beach.
One thing to note is that the boats can only take you there during high tide, so you are less likely to get those classic sandbar shots of the beach unless you get really lucky - the day we were there the tide was super high so the view wasn’t as amazing as it looks online.
The tour then takes you to 2 snorkel spots around Hook island. It's a great day out and lots of fun with lunch included. The staff were amazing. The only negative is that they provide all snorkelling gear except for flippers which made swimming a bit more difficult in the open water. Especially as we were swimming against the tide. Apart from that it was an amazing day
Airlie Beach Lagoon
This is a free pool located in the city centre of Airlie beach, with plenty of amenities and places to relax nearby its a great spot to enjoy a dip in the pool and relax the day away
WHERE WE ATE
We ate out more than we had planned as we meet up with some friends so here is a breakdown of where we went and what we recommend
Airlie Beach hotel
Possibly the most expensive drinks ever - ($22 on an Aperol spritz) The chips were good but we only stayed for one drink as we didn't want to break the bank on a few drinks.
One Tree Cafe
We enjoyed breakfast here one morning, the food was great but it did take over an hour to receive our coffees and an extra hour for our meal, so don't go here if you have things planned/booked for the day. The cafe overlooks the lagoon which is a great central spot in Airlie Beach.
Fat Frogs Cafe
This was a great little cafe overlooking the water. Great coffee and great food - it does get very busy so I would recommend getting here early in the morning if you want to dine in.
Magnums Hotel
A decent place for drinks, with good music and a large beer garden. Unfortunately they don't serve any food however there is a takeaway pizza place at the back of the beer garden.
DAYDREAM ISLAND
WHERE WE STAYED
There is only one resort on the Island so there are no other options (currently you can only visit the island if you are booked to stay there due to Covid19). However there are a few different room options to choose from so can pick one suited to your budget.
We stayed in the pool view room which was around $400 per night. The hotel itself was great, nothing too special but met our expectations for what we paid.
WHAT WE DID
The island itself is very small, you can walk from one side to the other in 10 minutes. Due to this I would say 2 days is the perfect amount of time to see it all, and have plenty of time to relax by the pool
Lovers cove
This is the main beach to swim off - a great spot to watch the sun set and the best place to go snorkelling off the island - all gear is provided by the resort, including stinger suits in the summer months.
The Living Reef
This is an aquarium-like room located in the middle of the resort. With plenty of fish including Nemo and Dory, it's a good place to relax and enjoy the view.
Pools
There are 3 pools on the island - the 2 main pools are located right next to the resort with the other on the opposite side of the island. We would recommend the ones close to the resort especially as it has a swim up bar
WHERE WE ATE
You are not able to bring any food or alcohol to the Island so you are very limited to where you can eat (there is also no food shops etc) so you have to eat at the restaurants. However, breakfast is included in the price of the room. There are 3 restaurants to choose from.
Infinity
Infinity has an asian inspired menu, both of us got the Nasi Goreng which was delicious. Again the meals were not cheap at $35+ per plate and about $20 for a desert. So not a cheap night out, but a tasty one.
Inkstone Bar and Restaurant
We ate dinner here on night 2 - again you are looking at $35 for any dish. The food was good but they forgot our drinks so it was a bit of a disappointing finish to our trip. However they did give us a free meal due to the error and the staff were amazing, so overall a decent night.
DAYDREAM ISLAND SUMMED UP
An expensive few days, mostly due to the limitations on food.
Would I go again? I think it's one of those places you only go to once, now we have done it there isn't much drawing us back for a second time. We did everything there is to do and ate everywhere there was to eat. It was a very nice experience but it was probably just a one time visit.
HAMILTON ISLAND
WHERE WE STAYED
The Palm Bungalows - The beauty of the bungalow is that they include a kitchenette so we were able to save some money by cooking our own meals (there is a IGA on the island to do a food shop)
The bungalows are a part of the Reef View Hotel, so you have access to the pool at the resort as well as the main pool on Catseye Beach. It was decently priced and very comfortable. We would stay here again.
WHAT WE DID
Catseye beach
This is the main beach on the island, a beautiful spot to watch the sunrise and go for a swim, lined with palm trees so you can get that classic tropical shot.
This is also the best spot to go snorkelling off the beach, all gear is provided by the resort including unpowered water sports such as; stand up paddle boards, kayaks and even little catamarans.
Walking tracks
We only walked to coral cove. It was incredibly steep so be prepared. But it was a nice spot to stop and have a play on the giant swing. We intended to do the other walks as well, however it was such a hot day that we just decided to spend it by the pool.
WHERE WE ATE
We ate out a little more than initially planned. Most restaurants you have to book months in advance so make sure you plan ahead. If you don't secure a booking there are still a few places to get food such as the pub, fish and chips and a pizza joint.
Marina Pub
We ate lunch here on our first day, the meals were a bit pricey but overall a really big feed and the food was tasty.
The Bakery
The best spot to get a quick and cheap feed (also your morning coffee) . It's pretty much as you expect from a bakery with a little added $$$ because, you know, it's Hamilton Island.
Fish & Chips
These were the best fish and chips I've ever had - you're looking at $25 for one serving, so on the expensive side, but it was worth the money. It's located on the marina and they have chairs and tables just outside the shop so it was a relaxing and peaceful place to enjoy the food and watch the sunset.
Manta Ray Restaurant
We were very lucky to get a table as we made friends with a staff member on a tour. Manta Ray is usually booked out months ahead, the food was good, the vibes were great and the view was amazing. We got 2 meals, 2 drinks and a dessert to share and it set us back $120, so pretty good value compared to some other spots on the Island, and with a much better view.
Sails
Again, very pricey but the food was good. We got a few small taster plates for lunch (was still $100+ and we left a little hungry). But it was a nice place to enjoy a drink with a great view of the pools and Catseye Beach. Drinks were also a little pricey but you're paying for the view.
GETTING AROUND
There are no cars on the island so the only way to get around is to walk, catch the bus or hire a buggy. You can hire a buggy for the day (approx. $95 for 24 hours) or catch the free shuttle buses. We opted to save some money and just use the bus. It took us everywhere we needed to go and operated until 11pm. Because the bungalows are centrally located we were also able to walk almost everywhere as well.
HAMILTON ISLAND SUMMED UP
Worth the visit. It was probably the most expensive week of our whole trip, but was a nice break from the trailer (especially since it had been 1 year since we left so was a great time to have a break. Would I go again? Yes - we had a lovely time and would like to experience the Island again, even if it's just for a day trip.
OUR OVERALL THOUGHTS ON THE WHITSUNDAYS
I would be lying if i said it lives up to the hype and my expectations. We really enjoyed ourselves however it was a very expensive location and we didn't feel like it reflects what you see on Instagram. The water wasn't as blue and it wasn’t as luxurious as we were expecting.
I will say that Reef Sleep surpassed our expectations and we would 100% do it again. If you only have a few days to explore The Whitsundays make sure you add this to your itinerary.
If we were to go back, we would just base ourselves off Airlie beach and avoid the expensive hotels and just go for a day trip via the ferry.
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