The Whitsundays

With a backdrop of tropical rainforest, Whitehaven Beach, located in the Whitsunday Islands National Park, is regularly crowned Australia’s #1 beach. Pristine, pure, perfect – the silica sand here is dazzlingly white, washed in on the tide over thousands of years.

In the same latitudes as Tahiti, Mauritius and Rio de Janeiro, the Whitsundays are an international sailing hotspot. Local marinas sway with yachts from around the world, as sailors step ashore to enjoy some downtime in the Whitsundays’ island resorts and the bars and restaurants along the Airlie Beach waterfront.

The Whitsundays’ mainland gateway, Airlie Beach is a vibrant and multicultural town, with an unhurried, beachy soul. A long-time favourite with travellers, sailors, families and nature-lovers, Airlie makes it easy to change down a gear and slip into holiday mode – the kind of place where you come for a day and stay for a week.