My name is Caity and I’m a tropical lover and happiness advocate who lives in the Whitsundays (near the world famous Whitehaven Beach). I grew up in the Yarra Valley in Victoria, Australia with vineyards minutes away from my doorstep. With a national park and hiking trails a short walk from my family home, it was always easy getting out into nature and exploring.
I love traveling the world and when it comes to travel destinations, I tend to be drawn more to nature than big cities. Nature has a special way of rejuvenating the soul. Immersing myself in the natural world is grounding and I find myself taking the time to appreciate the small things in life.
I definitely inherited this passion for travel from my Mum. She owns a travel agency, so we were very lucky as kids to travel as a family and experience so many different destinations. I caught the travel bug at a very young age!
Sunshine and adventure are two things that sum me up and reflect my love of the tropics. Think relaxing on beautiful beaches, snorkelling marine wonders and a backdrop of green foliage with way too many palm trees to count! I have visited some amazing countries: French Polynesia, Hawaii, the Caribbean and Fiji, to name a few. I have also volunteered in Samoa.
Moving to Hamilton Island, Whitsundays
In 2020, I changed up my life and made Hamilton Island my new home. Hamo is the perfect base to explore everything that the beautiful Whitsundays has to offer. For those visiting, three to seven days is the ideal amount of time – depending on how much you want to see and do.
My favorite time here is from June to October as stinger suits aren’t needed. Since moving, I have done some amazing tours that visit Whitehaven and nearby reefs. Flying out in a helicopter to the Heart Pontoon at Hardy Reef was one of the highlights I have experienced so far.
Why Whitehaven Beach is Pure Paradise
Whitehaven Beach is certainly one of the main attractions of the Whitsundays. It’s an untouched oasis – a seven kilometre stretch of pristine 98% silica white sand. I love that this beach is located on an uninhabited island and accessible to everyone. In my opinion, the southern end of the beach doesn’t have the same “wow” factor as the northern end.
Hill Inlet (at the northern end) is what should be on a traveler’s bucket list. A guided walk to a lookout where you will witness swirls of turquoise blue waters with some of the best sand in the world – what’s not to love?
5 Best Things To Do at Whitehaven Beach
- Visit the Hill Inlet Lookout: Hill Inlet is a must-see! From working at the Tour Desk on Hamo, I know a common misconception is that all tours that go to Whitehaven go to Hill Inlet. But this isn’t true! Ensure that when you are booking a tour to see Whitehaven Beach that it lists Hill Inlet in the itinerary. Keep in mind that this location is tide dependent.
- Swim in the Crystal Clear Waters: It doesn’t matter where you swim along the 7km stretch, but just get in the stunning crystal clear waters!
- Snorkel at Chalkies Beach: Chalkies is located opposite Whitehaven and I love it just as much (or even more because there are less crowds). There is no snorkeling on Whitehaven as there is no reef there, so this is the closest snorkeling spot with so many fish to see. Turtles can be spotted too if you’re on the lookout for them. Also do the short walk to the lookout – it’s beautiful and some people don’t even know it exists!
- Travel by Seaplane to Whitehaven Beach: It’s such a fun way to get there and it includes a scenic flight of the surrounding islands. Plus you get an aerial view of Hill Inlet before an amazing water landing. Save the helicopter experience for a flight over the outer Great Barrier Reef.
- Hike to South Whitehaven Lookout: This only opened a couple of years ago – but it’s a 45-minute return walk that gives you views over Whitehaven and Chance Bay. The perfect place to escape the crowds.
Best Ways to Reach Whitehaven Beach
I have visited Whitehaven a few different ways: by sailing catamaran, speedboat and by seaplane. There are so many tour operators to get you there from either Hamilton Island or Airlie Beach, depending on where you are holidaying. I think the most important thing to consider is what kind of day you want to have there. A half day, full day or snorkeling day?
With so many options (more than 15 tours and operators) departing from Hamilton Island alone, there is something to suit everyone. There are ferries run by Cruise Whitsundays that can just drop you off at the southern end, or even helicopters that will land you on a private mid-section of the beach – these are well known for proposals (if you need some proposal ideas)!
Where to Stay near Whitehaven Beach
If you are looking for budget accommodation, choose Airlie Beach as there are some great backpacker options there. If you want more of a resort vibe, then come to Hamilton Island. You can choose from hotels or holiday homes/apartments. Reef View Hotel has an outstanding view of Catseye Bay, and many of the homes have views over the Whitsunday Islands.
Regardless of where you stay, there are beautiful pools by the beachfront which are accessible to everyone. A handy tip: holiday homes come with a buggy and they make getting around the island so much easier. Plus, they are fun and a bit of a novelty too. I recommend having one for your stay.
My Favorite Memory from this Beautiful Beach
My favorite memory from Whitehaven was the day I sailed there on Explore’s ‘On the Edge’ catamaran. It was bliss. The water was like glass, it was so calm. This meant we couldn’t sail and had to motor most of the way.
But the lack of wind made for some incredible water clarity for a snorkel at Chalkies Beach. Then we spent two hours on Whitehaven Beach just lazing about. It was the perfect mix of relaxation and adventure on that day.
Need to Know Before you Go
- Use the soft sand of Whitehaven Beach to exfoliate. It’s the perfect type of sand to use to clean your skin and jewellery! But don’t try and take any of the sand home with you or you could face a hefty fine.
- Don’t worry about shoes when you step onto the beach, the sand at Whitehaven never gets hot! Perks of being made almost purely of silica.
- The better the weather, the better your experience will be. By this, I’m referring mainly to the winds. Avoid northerly winds if possible. Unfortunately, they are not good for visiting Whitehaven and many of the tours will not be able to make it there in these conditions. Visiting between the months of June to October is likely to be the best weather.
