The Whitsunday islands lie off Queensland's central north coast, surrounded
by the stunningly-blue waters of the Pacific Ocean & Coral Sea. The
Whitsunday Islands are Australia's premier destination for Great Barrier Reef
diving and snorkeling. Dive boats depart regularly for day diving trips and
extended diving trips up to 3 days and nights. The "Outer Reef",
refers to that section of the Great Barrier Reef, which is situated at its
closest point, some 38 kilometres from the Whitsunday mainland. The Whitsunday
Islands scuba diving industry is quite large with modern, purpose built scuba
training facilities, spacious dive shops, state of the art diving gear and fast
modern dive boats to make your scuba diving course or scuba diving trip a
comfortable and memorable occasion.
'The Whitsundays' refers to the 74 islands of the Cumberland Group of
islands, known more commonly these days as The Whitsunday group. The islands are
actually two submerged mountain ranges, cut off from the mainland by geological
occurrences thousands of years ago. Situated at approximately 20 degrees south
latitude and 148 degrees east longitude and in the same latitude as Tahiti, New
Caledonia, Mauritius and Rio de Janeiro, the Whitsundays have, in recent years,
become one of the world's best destinations for diving and sailing.
The climate is sub-tropical being just above the Tropic of Cancer.
Whitsunday island holidays are also synonymous with sailing and cruising.
However, whitsunday island holidays are more than just a visit to 'one of the
best boating playgrounds in Australia'. Whitsunday island holidays give you
access to some of the world's most beautiful beaches, temperate waters,
protected rainforests and luxury resorts.
This group of roughly 160 beautiful tropical islands lies off the
north-eastern coast of Queensland and is today one of the greatest tourist
attractions in Australia.. This aquatic playground lies 150km north of Mackay
and 300km south of Townsville, which offer easy access to the wonders of the
Great Barrier Reef. Holidaymakers flock to the adjacent mainland and island
resorts to enjoy sailing, diving, exploring the reefs, or simply relaxing on
thousands of sandy beaches.
Located just north of Mackay, these seventy-four idyllic islands, known as
the Whitsunday Group, are set in the Whitsunday Passage, the safest sailing
waters in the world. Many islands are national parks, some are deserted
just waiting for you to explore them, others offer the last word in resort
luxury. All of them are beautiful. All islands are easily accessible by aircraft
or by cruise, private charter, or skipper your own bareboat yacht with your
friends or family as crew.
Today, dense green pine forests and roughly contoured coastlines give the
islands instant appeal, and the surrounding seas bustle with yachts and
cruisers. The few islands left in private hands house another three resorts,
while the rest are mainly uninhabited and largely the domain of local yachties.