Whitsunday Islands - Queensland The Whitsunday Islands are a group of 74 islands that lie off the coast of Queensland, Australia and form part of the Great Barrier Reef. The islands are one of the most popular Australian tourist destinations.
Airlie Beach is the closest port from which to access the Whitsunday islands. With around 25,000 residents it is developed to cater for almost every kind of tourist and backpacker, and is the major hub for trips out to the Whitsunday islands.
The vast majority of islands are designated national parks and major attractions include access to coral reefs for snorkelling and diving, pristine beaches, especially Whitehaven Beach on Whitsunday Island and clear aquamarine warm waters. They are well connected by two major airports on Hamilton Island and the mainland town of Proserpine. Over half a million visitors come to the Whitsundays each year.
The Islands are what you come to the Whitsundays for. The name comes from Captain James Cook, the first Englishman to come to Australia, when he sailed here on 4 June in 1770. He was struck by the area’s beauty and named the island after the day he thought it was - "Whit Sunday", the seventh Sunday after Easter, in the Christian calendar. It later turned out his calendar was wrong, it was not Whit Sunday, but the name has stuck. From looking around you can see many expensive yachts sailing about, the playground for Sydney’s rich and Queensland’s property developers.
For those who are still saving for their own yacht, many different ferry companies operate from Airlie to bring people on daytrips around the sights. A typical daytrip might include a visit to Whitehaven beach, a trip to a part of reef for some snorkelling and a prepared lunch. Most islands do not have places to stay, since they are protected national parks. But for the more adventurous an enormous choice of camping sites dot every island, where nobody else will come.
Hamilton Hamilton Island is the most developed and populated Whitsunday island and has its own airport. It boasts some of the most valuable real estate in Australia, and has many options for hotel stays, which range from pricey to very expensive. The developments are large, and the only sky scrapers (albeit small ones) in the Whitsunday area are located here. Despite development, the island remains a haven for options in getting out to reef areas, fine accomodation, good walking around largely untouched island, and nice beaches.
In March 2007 a tragic accident took place when an intoxicated man attempted to dive from the fourteenth storey of a hotel into a swimming pool below. He missed, landed on a restaurant table and was taken to intensive care, but passed away two weeks later.
Whitsunday Whitsunday Island is the largest island in the archipelago, and home to the famous Whitehaven Beach. Most day boat trips come here and it is on most people’s "must see" list of things while here. Whitehaven beach faces east towards the open sea, making some boat journeys there very choppy. The size of the island also means there are dozens and dozens of little coves and inlets where people with yachts or boats can pull in away from it all. Many boats also go to Tongue Point, which has a well trodden trail up to a built lookout over Whitehaven. Some of the boat packages on offer for first time visitors can have the feeling of a troop march for one camera shoot place to the next, so if doing daytripping, choose your boat company wisely.
Whitehaven beach’s main attraction is the pure white silica sand, along a seven kilometre (four or five mile) stretch. Sun glasses are essential (seriously!). Different theories about the sand exist, one of the more interesting that Australia’s tectonic plates rubbed together and the silica oozed up from the Earth’s, before being washed up here. Because of the sand’s purity, it was almost mined by the American government in the 1960s for military uses. The substance can be used for satellite dishes. Luckily that did not come to pass, and the beach is now protected under the national park. Well over a hundred people dock here daily on tours, and it is always being voted one of the best beaches in the world, by the people who vote for these things. But between about 4pm and 10am it is entirely deserted, for the intrepid few that camp overnight (or people who own yachts). There is a pit toilet behind the beach and no running water.
Hayman Hayman island is the most beautiful and by far the most exclusive resort, the whole island privately owned. People without pre booked accomodation may not dock. Some of the most beautiful coral reefs are just off shore from here on the north west side of Hook Island.
Daydream Daydream island has some resorts on it in the more expensive range.
Others There is a long list of islands, most national park but some with small resorts. Long island and South Molle islands have places to stay. So do Lindeman and Dent islands
Australia and form part of the Great Barrier Reef. The islands are one of the most popular Australian tourist destinations. 
later turned out his calendar was wrong, it was not Whit Sunday, but the name has stuck. From looking around you can see many expensive yachts sailing about, the playground for Sydney’s rich and Queensland’s property developers. 
dozens and dozens of little coves and inlets where people with yachts or boats can pull in away from it all. Many boats also go to Tongue Point, which has a well trodden trail up to a built lookout over Whitehaven. Some of the boat packages on offer for first time visitors can have the feeling of a troop march for one camera shoot place to the next, so if doing daytripping, choose your boat company wisely.