Last Updated on October 7, 2022
Whitsunday Islands are of the most beautiful and exotic places in Australia. It’s an archipelago composed of 74 islands and is located in the Coral Sea, northeast of Queensland- in the heart of the Great Barrier Reef. However, only 10 of these islands are inhabited.
TAKEAWAY: The Great Barrier Reef is a 20 million-year-old life eco-system that stretches over 2.600 km, thus being big enough to be seen from outer space. In fact, it is bigger than the UK, Holland, and Switzerland combined, or half the size of Texas, approximately. Moreover, it is home to a very diverse marine life, with over 1500 species of fish, 215 species of birds, or 30 species of whales and dolphins, among others.
With many natural wonders, an abundance of wildlife, dazzling beaches, cosmopolitan megacities and large open spaces, Whitsunday Islands are a full-fledged tourist destination. It matches the taste of the people belonging to different age groups and offers them a unique experience that is almost impossible to find anywhere else. Furthermore, it is a great stop if you are planning a campervan road trip in Australia. Have a look at some important reasons why Whitsunday Islands are Paradise on Earth:
Excellent weather conditions throughout the year
The climate of the Whitsunday Islands is subtropical with warm winters. Due to trade winds, there are always excellent weather conditions. Trade winds have more power from May to August. Thus, January is the warmest month and July is the coldest of the year. Cyclones may come in the period from February to March. The average air temperature is 27.2 ° C and the water temperature varies from 20 to 24 ° C. So, you can visit this islands throughout the year.
Beautiful natural islands
Whitsunday is the largest island of the archipelago with an area of 12,150 hectares (30,000 acres). The cliffs of the island are covered with tropical forests, and the coast stretches the beach, covered with snow-white sand. The length of the famous Whitehaven Beach is 7 km.
North of Whitsunday is the island of Hook, which is home to the Whitsunday Islands National Park. From here, on a ship with a transparent bottom you can go on a sea excursion to admire the rich underwater world of the Great Barrier Reef. Coral reefs are a shelter for many colorful fish. Due to their bright color, they become invisible against the background of colored coral reefs.
Finally, Hamilton Island is the biggest inhabited island of the archipelago with a population of over a thousand. It is also its commercial center, and it has its own commercial airport with flights to Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Cairns. From here you can take a ferry to the other islands or take a trip to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.
Perfect destination for adventurers
In Australia, Whitsunday Islands are the best place for active tourism with adventures. More than 30,000 miles of amazing coastline can give visitors an unforgettable feeling of freedom and delight. Apart from this, here you can test yourself for the ability to survive in the wild. An excellent option for these purposes will be the outback areas – a real wilderness with an arid climate that is almost deserted. Independent travelers who are thirsty for a thrill can feel the influence of a desert place and unsuitable conditions for life.
Paradisiacal location for wedding ceremonies
Australia is one of the most popular countries for migration. Statistics confirm the fact that one-fifth of the country’s current population was born outside its borders. In spite of this, several couples go to Australia to marry with their life partner. Whitsunday Islands are one of the best places for this work thanks to its outstanding paradise-like ceremony locations. In fact, almost 500 weddings take place in Hamilton Island every year.
Excellent nightlife on the reef
Nightlife on the reef is one of the main reasons as to why thousands of tourists visit the Whitsunday Islands every year. Shops, theatres, beaches, hundreds of bars, clubs, restaurants, etc. make the nightlife of visitors amazing and thrilling. You can go to your favorite bar in Hamilton Island and enjoy the nightlife any way you want.
Variety of delicious seafood dishes
The Whitsundays are a fantastic place for all those people who love to taste a variety of seafood and local cuisines. Eating out with your friends and family members is a great experience for all expats and tourists. Although, there are a lot of food items that you could try, here are a few of them you would love to taste in the bars and restaurants of the Whitsunday Islands.
- Pan Roasted King Salmon
Pan Roasted King Salmon is an ideal fish for all those travelers who want to taste something delicious while visiting the Whitsunday Islands. Different chefs add different ingredients to make the pan roasted King salmon tastier. Just order it and taste it at least once.
- Crab-Mushroom Salad
Crab-Mushroom salad is also a delicious seafood for you. Chefs in restaurants fry the mushrooms together with the cashew nut in the butter. Then, they cut the sticks with the meat of the crab and keep them in the frying pan. Finally, they add a little olive oil, lime juice, soy sauce to make the perfect crab-mushroom salad. It is a mouthwatering food for all seafood lovers.
- Spicy Prawns with Sweet Dipping
Locals love Spicy Prawns with Sweet Dipping because they consider it a low-calorie dish. They contain protein and calcium. Prawns are the main ingredient, and in the process of preparation, they are supplemented with soy sauce, lemon juice, and spices. It is necessary to observe the proportions, so as not to accidentally break the taste. Prawns tossed with onions, chili and white wine and then served beautifully with sweet orange marmalade sauce can make you feel more satisfied and excited.
- Crab Cakes with Herb Salad
Crab Cakes with Herb Salad is a mouth-watering food for all seafood lovers. It takes 45 minutes to prepare this amazing meal. You can have this seafood dish to make your dining out with friends an unforgettable experience.
As you can see, there’s no doubt why the Whitsunday Islands are Paradise on Earth. With its beautiful landscape, excellent weather, delicious foods, amazing marine life, etc. it’s a perfect destination on the coast of Queensland, Australia. Every traveler should visit it at least once in his/her life.
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About the Author: Myra Hook has been a professional blogger for the last 5 years. Her major contribution is to the Aussie Adventure Sailing which offers world-class sailing adventures at Sailing Whitsundays . In her free time she loves doing research on travel, fashion, and photography, which suits her personality.