The flight over the Whitsunday Islands and the Great Barrier Reef is probably one of the most beautiful experiences on our travels. Although I have to admit that we felt a bit queasy in this little propeller plane 😅
The Whitsunday Islands consist of 74 islands, 17 of which are inhabited. Due to the sheltered location behind the Great Barrier Reef, the Whitsundays are considered to be one of the best sailing areas in the world.
Our accommodation was in Airlie Beach. From here you have a very good starting point for all kinds of activities.
We booked a full-day Fly & Cruise excursion (you find more information on this in the recommendations below).
Punctually at 6:45 am we appeared at the agreed meeting point and waited nervously for our absolute highlight of our Australia tour – a flight over the Whitsunday Islands and the Great Barrier Reef. Oh man, I was so excited 😅 It is a great feeling to see that even after so many trips there are still those moments where it takes your breath away.
Whitehaven Beach & Hill Inlet bei Ebbe
Heart Reef
Again with solid ground under our feet we were brought to the port of Airlie Beach and we steered on a catamaran towards the Whitsunday Islands National Park, to the famous Whitehaven Beach – one of the most photographed beaches in the world.
From the dock we walked a few minutes to the Hill Inlet Lookout. The view was simply breathtaking 😍
You have a fantastic view of the 8 km long Whitehaven Beach with the so-called Hill Inlet. Due to the ebb and flow of the tide, the appearance changes several times a day – turquoise water and sparkling white sand dunes merge into one painting.
We enjoyed the view at high tide. As a result, the sand dunes did not appear as strongly as at low tide, but that didn’t bother us at all, as we were able to marvel this natural spectacle on the scenic flight a few hours earlier at low tide.
Whitehaven Beach & Hill Inlet
Now the relaxed part of the day followed. We had 1 hour for snorkeling in the Inner Reef of the Great Barrier Reef and were finally brought to Whitehaven Beach for 2 hours (I will go into more detail about our snorkeling stop in the recommendations below).
Enjoying the sunset in Airlie Beach one last time before we had to pack our bags again.
our room view in Airlie Beach
A 3-week tour through Australia can be quite exhausting. We had completely underestimated the many different impressions and the long distances. That’s why we were all the more pleased to be able to relax 3 nights on one of the Whitsunday Islands at the end of our tour.
From Airlie Beach we took the fast ferry to Hamilton Island, about 1 hour away. We treated ourselves to the best hotel on the island – the Beach Club Hamilton Island. A hotel employee picked us up with a golf buggy and took us to the property. For the next 3 days, the only thing to do was eat, drink, sunbathe and enjoy. Well not quite, of course our daily sports program shouldn’t be missing 😉
Rooms with direct access to the beach
Our personal opinion about the Whitsundays and the Great Barrier Reef:
- the sightseeing flight was our absolute highlight
- very tropical landscape
- nice cozy people
- we were very disappointed with the snorkeling spots
On the following pages you can get a very good overview about Australia:
Best travel time:
We recommend the Australian winter from May to October as the best time to travel. At this time there is the least amount of precipitation and pleasant temperatures.
Hotel recommendations:
- Coral Sea Resort – Airlie Beach
- The Beach Club – Hamilton Island
More tips & recommendations:
We can absolutely recommend our day trip – GSL Fly & Cruise day trip through the provider Sailing Whitsundays.
https://sailing-whitsundays.com
However, we were very disappointed with the snorkel stop in the Inner Reef. We spotted hardly any fish, had poor visibility and found a lot of dead corals. We experienced the extreme effects of climate change (and partly also of mass tourism) with our own eyes. So if you really want to snorkel in the Great Barrier Reef, then you should accept the effort and time and go to the Outer Reef.
Whether a sightseeing flight in combination with a day trip or just the flight alone … either way, a flight over the Great Barrier Reef is an absolute MUST. It’s not that cheap, but it’s an unforgettable experience.
If you don’t want to compromise and want to experience EVERYTHING: flight, snorkeling in the Outer Reef and Whitehaven Beach, you should book the following excursion. Unfortunately very expensive ($ 690 per person) and sold out quickly. Unfortunately, we were already late 3 months before departure, already fully booked.
www.airwhitsunday.com.au/seaplane-tours/panorama-tour/
Transfer to Hamilton Island: The fastest and cheapest way to get there is by ferry. The cruise line Whitsundays offers a crossing several times a day (duration approx. 1 hour).
www.cruisewhitsundays.com
You can get even more impressions of this beautiful destination in our video about the Whitsunday Islands and the Great Barrier Reef – Have fun watching 😊
