> > by Joanna Hall
Think for a minute about what would constitute the perfect tropical island getaway – warm weather, impossibly azure, calm waters, blinding white sand beaches, colourful marine life and corals, and hammocks overlooking the water.
Throw in cocktail bars, unreal sunsets, sailing and all manner of water sports and you have the Whitsunday Islands in a nutshell – a 74-island group in North Queensland which epitomises the tropical getaway cliché. From snorkelling and scuba diving, to sailing, whale watching, reef fishing, riding in a helicopter, water skiing, jet skiing, parasailing, sea kayaking, hiking in rainforests, fish feeding, picnicking on secluded beaches, and playing tennis – it’s an adventure destination which caters for all tastes, but there’s no shame in sitting by a resort pool with a cocktail in hand to catch a few rays.
The Whitsunday Island group is stunning from the water, but seen from the air it’s pure sensory overload and a helicopter tour of the islands is the only way to gain a full appreciation of their scale and beauty.
Helicopter tours range from 10 minute joyrides to a full morning or afternoon tour with a champagne picnic stop at the world famous Whitehaven Beach. It’s on the eastern side of the uninhabited Whitsunday Island and its seven kilometres of blinding white silica sand has earned it the title as one of the world’s great beaches. Ferries and luxury cruise yachts also offer day trips to Whitehaven along with stops at other islands and snorkelling sites.
Further out on Hardy Reef one of the most unforgettable underwater experiences takes place on a large floating vessel called ReefWorld. Catamaran ferries make daily trips to ReefWorld and helicopters can land on a purpose built floating landing pad. Snorkelling the shallow Hardy Reef ( a part of the Great Barrier Reef) is the best way to get up-close-and-personal with thousands of colourful reef fish, and there’s also a semi-submersible submarine for those who don’t want to get wet.
And if you’re lucky one of the resident gropers may appear from the deep to pay a visit, and at three metres these fish are perhaps the most impressive out on the reef.
For lovers of the ocean and all things aquatic there are few places in the world which match the Whitsundays, and for the romantics the natural beauty of
the area and the sunsets will leave a lifelong impression.
NEED TO KNOW
DO get in the water and see the amazing underwater life - whether you’re into scuba diving, snorkelling or swimming, it’s all about the warm water and the reef.
DON’T leave without doing a flight over Whitsunday Island and Heart Reef - the naturally formed heart-shaped collection of coral which can only be seen from the air.
COUPLES WILL LOVE the Whitehaven helicopter flight and seafood beach picnic with champagne - it doesn’t get any more romantic than this.