The Whitsunday Islands

The Whitsunday passage, is one of the most beautiful places in Australia for a holiday on the water.

Fifty-five Islands of the Whitsunday group are wholly or largely dedicated as national parks.Many have fringing coral reefs.They range in size from the large and mountainous Whitsunday and Hook Islands to tiny rock islets.The larger islands consist of green jungle-covered peaks, there slopes cut by gorges, with white beaches where they meet the sea.Seen from the mainland they spread across the whole horizon.

Hayman island, at the northern end of the Whitsunday passage is a well known tourist resort, but it's not a national park, Lindeman and Long islands combine holiday resorts with national parks.These islands are some distance from the Barrier reef, but it is possible to take a trip in a seaplane-helicopter to the outer reef and then transfer to glass bottom boats or you can visit the underwater observatory on Hook island.