Whitsunday Island - things to do?

[voyager-sue]

Hi,

We'll be stopping at Whitsunday Island on HAL Statendam. I hear that Whitsunday is a beautiful place and a good place to get a boat out to the reef. But the tour operator I was able to contact doesn't work with our ship's schedule.

 

Is it necessary to take the reef cruise to enjoy the Whitsundays? Can you snorkel and see a lot of reef and fish from the beach? Any info will be appreciated.

 

Sue

[vozzie]

Sue,

 

You can swim, sunbake, sail and snorkel from a number of Whitsunday Islands without going out to the reef, however:

 

1. The reef viewing inside the main reef is limited tp smaller fringing reefs
   
2. If you are there in summer, so are the stingers and the occassional croc. Whereas, out at the reef, you won't see either.

[Ransome]

It also depends on which side of Whitsunday Island you are anchored. On the eastern (seaward) side is Whitehaven Beach and Hill Inlet. Whitehaven Beach is pure white silica sand - absolutely spectacular, but remember to wear sun glasses due to the glare. If the ship anchors on the eastern side, they will probably run tenders into Hill Inlet where you can walk along Whitehaven Beach and also to the National Parks lookout. But there are no reefs on this side.

 

If it is the western (landward) side of Whitsunday Island (most likely Cid Harbour) there are a few fringe reefs with excellent snorkelling.

 

The Whitsunday Islands are not actually on the Great Barrier Reef. As vozzie has said, there are a few fringe reefs on the islands, but to see the real Great Barrier Reef you need to take a tour boat. Most of the tour companies have permanently moored platforms anchored on the Great Barrier Reef which they use as a base for snorkelling. Fantasea Cruises is probably the largest such operator in the area.