Whitsunday Islands Travel Forum

Just wondering, what the weather is like in early December?
Is it an expensive time to book accomodation and when do school hol's start?
Just got an email from Virgin Blue with some cheap flights...
Thanks guys
Betty

My girlfriend and I recently sailed the Whitsundays for a week at the end of January on a bareboat yacht. Loved the place! Warm water, turtles, dolphins, not that crowded, good diving, lovely islands and beaches. Can anyone recommend another place in the world that is a great sailing playground with good diving and warm water/weather like this? I want to book another holiday, but going back to the Whitsundays might not be that creative of me...! We're UK based.

My boyfriend and I have just book some cheap flights up to the Whitsundays for 5 nights in March. I was wondering where people would suggest we stay – is it better to go out to the islands or stay on the mainland around Airlie beach? I’ve looked up many of the hotels/resorts and they seem either expensive or they don’t get great reviews! ... I’m unconvinced by being stuck with resort food as well! (we probably would spend up to $200 a night, maybe a bit more). Also I wanted to ask if there was anything in particular you’d recommend doing whilst we’re there! Thanks! :o)

Hi,
Me, my girlfriend and my dad are travelling from Cairns to Sydney by car for 3 weeks and going sailing in Whitsundays would be so nice. I'm wondering if anyone has any advice on what boat to take? We don't want a party boat because my dad is coming with us but we're on a pretty tight budget so a cheap boat would be to prefer.

Cheers,

Tomas

Hi, I will be arriving Airlie Beach Fri and staying Until Mon (FEB), can anyone recommend a bareboat charter company that does 3 days hires. We are a couple so don't need anything big. Just want to get a feel for bareboat sailing.
Thanks

Can anyone advise which month is better to book for sailing & snorkelling - we would like to take a miss on the jellyfish or cyclones or extremely wet weather? Also, would we have to wear the special suits while swimming off islands & barrier reef in late Feb or late March?

Thanks
Lori

What is the weather like in the Whitsundays in June/July? Is the water warm enough for swimming?

Hi there,
My fiance and I are thinking of getting married on one of the Whitsunday islands but we are having a difficult time choosing WHICH ONE. As much as I would LOVE Hayman Island it is just too expensive. I have been to Hamilton about 10 years ago but apart from that I'm only just going from what I see on websites.
Have any of you been there recently and can offer any comments on what it is like now?
Or, can you suggest any other islands that would be nice for a wedding? (Approx 70 guests altogether)
Thank you for your help.

Heading up to the Whitsundays sometime in the middle of march. There is four of us my wife, 5 and 6 year oldboy and girl, and myself. What would be a the best places to see, probaly stay one week ,Very flexible since, and our kids are mellow, they don't need constent attention. Budget minded, but willing to bust out time to time,
Mahalo Bingem

My husband and I are leaving the first of February for a 5 week vacation to New Zealand and Oz. After spending several days in the Port Douglas area, my husband and I want to bareboat in the Whitsundays, but I have not found any flights listed from Cairns to Proserpine. I discovered the Tilt Train service, but it was not available on the day we want to travel, March 02. How do people get to Airlie Beach from Cairns? Drive???

im thinking seriously about moving to australia somtime in the next year/18 months - and have narrowed it down to queensland state,i think ! which area do you think is best , for lifestyle and job oppertunities for a 23 yr old , hairdresser ??? brisbane, gold coast,sunshine coast,cairnes or one of the queensland islands ??? and any additional info would be great !!!
thanks
:)

Hello,

We have booked a three day cruise around the Whitsundays on the Anaconda 3, has any one been or hear an reports about it???

After I booked I've read its the biggest party boat around, which is not music to my ears!!!!

Can anyone help

Cheers

Steve

I have made a booking at Koalas at Airlie Beach for three nights in December and also on their Pride of Airlie Whitsunday tour. I have since heard that this is a bit of an '18-30's type place and standards are not great. As we were looking for a relaxing stay rather than partying every night i'm contemplating cancelling my booking. Has anyone stayed there? Any info about the place and the tour would be much appreciated!

We are going on our honeymoon to Australia and would like to spend one or two nights camping on whitehaven beach.
We will book the campsite with the queensland park service but do not have transport to the island. How easy is this to find, how long will it take and how much will it cost?
If anyone has any internet adresses that may help please pass them on to us.
We are also planning a three day, two night cruise. From previous postings I gather that it is much cheaper to book one on airlie beach. How easy is it to find these there - we are on a fairly tight schedule and will be in the whitsundays at the beginning of december.
Any advice is welcome!!

Hi
Im researching cruises in the whitsundays and want to book a 2 or 3 night cruise for mid Dec. I'd rather not arrive in Airlie without a booking (hate leaving things to chanse!). I saw a few that I like if anybody has been on them or has heard any feedback please feel free to post, good or bad. There appears to be some pretty bad operators out there - we want something exciting with lots of activities - island exploring, snorkling, sucba diving and a bit of entertainment/ games on the ship without being totally insane. We are a couple in our early 30s. Here are the boats we were looking at:

http://www.sailing-whitsundays.com/products/listings/l0014.html

http://www.sailing-whitsundays.com/products/listings/l0006.html

http://www.sailing-whitsundays.com/products/listings/l0002.html

Or: if you have been on another trip that you thought good plese reccomend.
Thanks.

Hi there, We are going to the Whitsundays in Dec 06, and looking for a boat trip for 2 -3 nights suitable for a family with a child aged 9. Obviously trying to avoid booze cruise etc. Does anyone have any recomendations?

just wanting to know if you can hire these suits somewhere in airlie beach for our stay in the whitsundays? do they cover your feet or face at all? how much are they per day to hire?thanks so much

if you travel over to hamilton island with fantasea cruises just for the afternoon not as a staying guest can you use any of the resort facilities ? also is there any other things to do or hire just for people visiing oronly for those stayin?thanks

is the water all around white haven beach safe to swim?

just wanting to know around the islands is there any stingers or is the water everywhere safe to swim?also what about sharks and rays are they around alot in that area?

Hi all. We're travelling up to the Whitsundays in September and are thinking of visiting Dunk or Brampton Island, and I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions about which was better for snorkelling, walking in the rainforest and that sort of thing.
Thanks!

What areas are the best for fishing July 1-15 and what kind of fish are most prevelant at that time of year? What bait is most popular? Does anyone have any basic tips? We will be on a cat and some of us will be fishing and some snorkling.
Also, any recommendations for where the best spots are to dock a cat for the night so we can hit good food and a calm port? Thanks! Liz

I have just started to book my 6 week honeymoon in oz and nz for next march and april. One of the things i most want to do is sail around the whitsunday islands. Can anyone recomend a good company to do this with and if it will be cheaper to book before we go or when we get there. any help and advice would be much appreciated.

Has anyone stayed on Hamilton Island over the Christmas period? If so, was it a good resort at that time of year? Are all the facilities open over the Christmas holidays? What was the weather like e.g. hot and humid?

Any information would be great!

Going to Australia in November. Want to see and experience Barrier Reef. Thought we would visit Whitsundays for this. Found a site offering sailing whitsundays on catamaran called Wings from Wings of the Dawn. Anyone know of its reputation please. Certainly looks wonderful. Also - please!!!!! Are Whitsundays area good place to view and experience reef in all its glory? Thanks.

Maxi Samurai with Tallarook Sail & Dive - I want to urgently advise anyone of some SERIOUS safety and hygiene concerns and the hugely sub-standard conditions. After we had left port and were sailing out to
sea, the first thing to crew did was to open cans of beer - one after the other they drank as we started our trip - was this a sign of things to come? While I started to enjoy the scenery, the crew were far from professional. In fact, on several occasions I felt UNSAFE and worried that there might be an accident. The sleeping area inside the Samurai held a very bad smell, was very dirty and some of the seating was falling apart. The sleeping area is one giant room, not sectioned off in any way. No itinerary was given to us about places we were to visit. There was no explanation as to which islands we were sailing past. The diving and snorkeling equipment was in a very poor state. The stinger suits had holes in, the gloves didn't fit tightly, no one had fins the right size for their feet and they were torn, and the snorkels did not have safety valves. The first night's sleep was unbearable.The sleeping area was unbearably hot and very smelly. On the second night, the crew were were having races in speed boats in the pitch black around our boat, and acting dangerously. Their attitude made everyone apprehensive about them being in control of our lives in the middle of the sea. None of the crew involved themselves with any of the passengers with any evening chat, activities. The brochures very definitely lie. AVOID THIS COMPANY AT ALL COSTS!

Like the other person, we too had a nightmare of a trip with the Tallarook company operating out of Airlie and are desperately trying to find the relevant complaints authority for the area. The standard of accommodation, catering, dive equipment and supervision was totally substandard and not at all what we expected given that we too did not pay a bargain backpackers rate. Like the other complainee, we too have contacted the company in person and writing and have recived no positive response from their 'customer services. Please, if anyone knows the correct authority governing the standards required for sailing trips in this area, contact me so I can attempt to save others the hassle of being treated in such a way.

Hi again guys..
there will b 3 of us planning to get to Hamilton Island on 7th Jan and leaving on 11th,, we have been told to stay in airlie beach.. can anyone suggust some where nice clean good for late 20's and early 30's girliess./.. also we were thinking that we would have to try a boat trip mayb one over night, all i have found are the 3 day trips can any of you think of a overnight trip..
thanks guys
bloomy

How is the weather by Airlie Beach and Whitsunday Islands in February? We are planning on taking a boat with Avatar for 2 nites and 3 days. Is this a bad time to be there? If so, what other way can we experience the islands at that time.

Hi there I'm going to fly into Cairns in late September and fly out of Proserpine (near Airlie beach) mid october. I'm a certified diver and I'd dearly love to do some diving on this trip but haven't got much money to splash. I already looked into volunteering on a dive boat with no success so I'm wondering if anyone has any other suggestions, in particular if they have seen good standby rates available? I'd love to get to Yongala, thats my dream for this trip but I think the daytrips aren't great value as I need to be taken with a guide (less than 15 dives). If I could do my advanced while I was there, even better!
Any suggestions?