Whitsunday Sailing Questions

Airlie Beach is located just north of Mackay on the Central Coast of Queensland, Australia.

You will need to fly into Whitsunday Coast Airport (PPP) located in Proserpine.  Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne all have direct flights.

Transfers can be pre-booked online at Heart of The Reef Shuttles, or with us. Please let us know at the time of booking if you would like us to organise. The transfer service between Whitsunday Coast Airport and Airlie Beach takes around 40 minutes. The shuttle will drop guests at their desired location. Alternatively, you can book a taxi transfer to Airlie Beach.

Hamilton Island is a 35 – 50 minute ferry ride to the mainland. Please let us know at the time of booking if you would like a ferry transfer arranged, and we can organise this for you. Alternatively, you can call Resort Connections on Ph: + 61 (0) 7 4946 7322 to organise your own transfer.

The Ferry price is $55 per person from Hamilton Island to the Port of Airlie Marina, Airlie Beach. From Port of Airlie, it is only a short walk to Airlie Beach central.  However, if you require a bus or taxi, you can talk to the friendly staff at the ferry terminal and they will be able to help you out.

No, we do not pick up or drop off at Hamilton Island.

From Brisbane, it will take around 14 hours, and will take about 7-8 hours from Cairns.

There are luggage storage facilities in Airlie Beach or you may be able to store your luggage at your hotel or accommodation.

You can bring a small, soft-sided bag on board. No hard cases are allowed and please no zips.

Many shops on the main street of Airlie Beach sell cheap bags that are appropriate, such as dry bags, tote bags or food shopping bags. They are the perfect size for trips to the Whitsundays and dry bags have the added bonus of keeping all your belongings dry.

A bag without any zips/zippers.

Bed bugs used to be a common problem on the east coast of Australia, especially amongst travellers using hostels and budget accommodation. Often, bed bugs would transfer from the beds and linen to the zips on people’s backpacks/luggage.

These would then be brought onto our boats. This is not a problem on our vessels anymore. In addition, zippers scratch the wood surfaces of the boats. Therefore, to minimise the risk, we ask that you don’t use a bag with a zip.

There is a public car park in Coral Sea Marina | Resort (formerly Abell Point Marina). You can stay for any period but parking fees are payable at your own cost.

All of our vessels depart from Coral Sea Marina | Resort (formerly Abell Point Marina). The marina is split into two villages – North and South. Please check your specific boat page for the exact departure point. In the south village, there is an area of umbrellas with green turf and benches, which is the meeting point.

The Whitsundays gets around 300 days of sun a year. That being said there are two distinct seasons – winter (dry season) and summer (wet season). Winter is from May through to November and summer is between November through to May.

From June to November are the best times to visit as the climate is at its best. Between July to October you will also have the opportunity to see whales.

There are many secluded bays in the Whitsundays all with something different to offer. Your skipper will determine the best bays to go snorkelling in for each trip, by taking into consideration the weather, wind, time and tide. This way, you will always be taken to the best spots available.

Between all the vessels in our fleet, we will have at least one boat visiting Whitehaven Beach every day of the year. We have day trips and overnight trips, all of which will visit Whitehaven Beach at some point during the trip. So, you can decide what kind of trip best suits you, and go from there.

We provide a mask, snorkel and stinger suit for every person on the trip, which is included in the price. We do not provide fins. We do provide life jackets, and other flotation devices on request if needed.

All our tours are eco-certified, and for us to keep in line with the regulations set out by this certification, we do everything we can to limit the amount of damage to the coral. We found, through years of experience, that giving people fins drastically increased the damage occurring to the coral.

We strongly advise that you do not bring fins on your trip, unless you have permission from the skipper of your trip prior to departing.

A stinger suit is a thin wetsuit appropriate for the warmer water here in the Whitsundays. They are designed to help protect you against stingers and from the sun while you snorkel.

Stinger suits are provided on all of our boats, however if you have your own wetsuit you would like to bring, you are more than welcome.

A stinger is a general term used to describe anything in the water that may cause a sting in some way. From sea lice to jelly fish, we do get them in the Whitsundays, as with everywhere in the World. So, for your protection and safety we ask that you wear a stinger suit when in the water.

You can swim in the Whitsundays all year round. There is no defined ‘jellyfish season’ however, you are at higher risk of being stung when the water is warmer. This is why, year-round, we ask that you wear a stinger suit.

There is no coral at Whitehaven Beach, the waters are extremely clear, meaning from above you can see any fish and underwater life very easily without a mask. You are more than welcome to bring a mask to the beach with you anyway if you would like.

This is your holiday, and we want to show you the very best that’s on offer in the Whitsundays. However, you are under no obligation to get in the water if you do not want to.

Yes. Summer Jo is our dive boat with a qualified Dive Instructor onboard each charter with full dive equipment.

Yes. In the Winter (May – October) on Summer Jo this charter goes to the outer Great Barrier Reef.

In a cabin baggage size bag bring; enough clothes for the duration of your trip, swimwear, a towel, light footwear such as flip-flips/thongs or slides, sunscreen, hat, sunglasses, and camera.

Depending on your vessel and trip, you may or may not be provided with a bath towel. Please check on your specific boat’s page.

No, you will need to bring a beach towel.

We suggest to bring light footwear, such as sandals, thongs/flip-flops or slides.

There is a galley and a fridge on board all of our boats that do overnight trips. All meals and snacks are provided during overnight trips and are freshly prepared on board by the crew. We will also cater for all dietary requirements.

We ask that you do not bring any foods that require being stored in the fridge or that you will have to cook in the kitchen as this will not leave enough room for the crew to carry out their jobs. If your personal medical supplies need to be kept in a fridge that is okay.

Yes – all meals and snacks will be freshly prepared for you onboard by crew members.

Guests on overnight vessels who request alternative dietary requirements will incur a surcharge payable on arrival onboard. Please note we are unable to accommodate Halal and Kosher requirements.

This depends on the individual. We advise bringing however much you would normally drink for a social event, per how many days/nights you are on the boat. Please be advised – you do not have to bring alcohol at all if you do not wish to.

On BYO vessels, once you have boarded the boat there will be no other options to buy alcoholic drinks. There are usually options for purchasing soft drinks.

You are allowed to bring whichever drinks you want. On most boats, we just ask you do not bring glass or red wine on board.

You can purchase alcohol from the local Airlie Beach Hotel – Bottle Shop located in Airlie Beach Main Street or Reef Gateway – Bottle Shop which is in Cannonvale.

You will be able to pay for your drinks at the end of the trip using cash or card.

Fun Sailing is a term we use for our boat trips which are aimed at young and young at heart backpackers. Generally, between the ages of 18-35 years old. The boat trips we aim at this group are our Maxi Sailing Yachts.

There is a permanent shade awning onboard Southern Cross, Siska, Boomerang and British Defender there are roll-out shade awnings which the crew will put up at their discretion.

There is phone reception in most areas around the islands. The only place you may not get reception is on the eastern side of the islands.

No, there is no wifi on board any of our vessels.

Yes, there are USB ports onboard for you to charge devices.

There are no lockers available on our boats, however, there are very few instances of theft on the boats. If you realise something has gone missing, please inform your skipper and he will be able to help you search.

This will depend on the length of your trip. All trips will visit Whitehaven Beach and Hill Inlet and go to at least one snorkelling location. For a day trip you will find an example itinerary on the Whitsunday Bullet page.

Yes, you will have an opportunity to get off the boat during your visit to Hill Inlet and Whitehaven Beach and at least one snorkelling location.

Bring some seasickness tablets with you and follow the instructions on the label. Usually, you have to begin the dosage before you step onto the boat. There are some great natural seasickness remedies too, such as ginger tablets and lemon and ginger tea.

On top of this, make sure you sit in the fresh air on the deck of the boat you’re travelling on. Looking at the horizon can also help.

This varies from boat to boat and is also dependant on the weather and tide. The fastest boat in our fleet is Whitsunday Bullet which will take around 45mins to reach the islands. The slowest boat in our fleet is Solway Lass, which will take 2 hours to get to the islands.

This varies from boat to boat and is also dependant on the weather and tide. The fastest boat in our fleet is Whitsunday Bullet, which takes around 1.5hrs to reach Whitehaven beach. The slowest boat in our fleet is Solway Lass which will take about 4 hours to get to Whitehaven Beach.

The walk from Tongue Bay to Hill Inlet usually takes around 15-20 minutes. From Hill Inlet Lookout to Whitehaven Beach takes approximately 20-25 minutes. And from Whitehaven Beach back to Tongue Bay takes approximately 10-15 minutes.

There is a low level of fitness required for the bush walk to Hill Inlet Lookout. It is a gentle uphill slope for most of the way to the lookout.

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