Airlie Beach travel guide: reef trips and where to stay

This Airlie Beach travel guide covers the basics for a trip to the Whitsundays: how to get there, how to get around, what to do and where to stay. Airlie Beach is a small resort town on Queensland's Whitsunday Coast. Tourism Australia calls it a gateway to the Whitsunday Islands and the Great Barrier Reef.

Most visitors spend a few days here before or after an island holiday. The town has a lagoon, a Saturday market, restaurants and a busy waterfront. Boats for the islands leave from the town marina and from Shute Harbour, about 10 km to the east.

Sources for this section: Tourism Australia, Guide to Airlie Beach; Wikipedia, Shute Harbour.

Getting to Airlie Beach

The easiest way in is by air. Tourism Australia says to fly from Brisbane to Whitsunday Coast Airport at Proserpine, also called Proserpine Airport. Tourism Australia puts the Brisbane flight at one hour and 40 minutes, while Tourism Whitsundays lists about 1 hour 30 minutes for Brisbane and 2 hours 30 minutes from Sydney. As of early 2021, the airport is served by Virgin Australia, Jetstar and Alliance Airlines. Alliance flies direct from Brisbane three times a week.

Buses and taxis meet every flight. Tourism Whitsundays puts the ride to Airlie Beach at about 25 minutes. Tourism Australia says shuttle buses take about 40 minutes, so it is safer to allow the longer time.

The other airport is Great Barrier Reef Airport on Hamilton Island. Cruise Whitsundays runs ferries from there to Airlie Beach and to other island resorts.

You can also drive or take the train. The Bruce Highway runs through Proserpine, and Airlie Beach is about 20 minutes off the highway along Shute Harbour Road. The Spirit of Queensland train stops at Proserpine, and buses and taxis meet arriving trains. Greyhound, Premier and Oz Experience coaches also serve the town.

Sources for this section: Tourism Australia, Guide to Airlie Beach; Tourism Whitsundays, Getting Here.

Getting around town and to Shute Harbour

The town centre is easy to walk. A flat boardwalk curves around the foreshore, and most tours include a courtesy pick-up. For longer trips, Whitsunday Transit buses link Proserpine, Cannonvale, Airlie Beach and Shute Harbour every 30 to 60 minutes. A night service between Cannonvale and Jubilee Pocket runs seven days a week until 10:30 pm.

Taxis (13CABS) run around the clock, and Hertz has a car hire outlet in town. Shute Harbour is the main departure point for ferries and water taxis to the islands, including camping transfers to the national park beaches.

Sources for this section: Tourism Whitsundays, Getting Around; Wikipedia, Shute Harbour.

Reef trips and things to do

Most people come for the water. Tourism Whitsundays lists tours by water, by air, and by overnight sailing, plus bareboat charters where you skipper a yacht yourself. Tourism Australia says sailing tours leave Airlie Beach on everything from luxury cabin cruisers to bareboats, and that beginner sailing courses are on offer.

For the reef, Cruise Whitsundays runs a snorkelling day on a large catamaran to Hardy Reef. It also runs ReefSleep, a pontoon moored on the reef where you sleep in a swag. Up to 18 guests stay each night. Scenic flights by seaplane or helicopter go to Whitehaven Beach and Heart Reef, and a tandem skydive lands on the beach at Airlie.

On land, Airlie Beach Lagoon sits between the beach and the main street. Tourism Australia says you can swim there all year, lifeguards work in daylight hours, and the park has shade and free barbecues. The Airlie Beach markets run on Saturday mornings on the esplanade, with local jewellery, clothes and crafts.

For a walk, Conway National Park is just minutes away. The Coastal Fringe Circuit is flat and easy at 1.2 km, and you might spot an endangered Proserpine rock wallaby.

Sources for this section: Tourism Whitsundays, home page; Tourism Australia, Guide to Airlie Beach.

Where to stay

Tourism Whitsundays sorts places to stay into groups: apartments and holiday homes, backpackers and hostels, hotels, motels and resorts, camping and caravanning, and bareboating. Examples on its list include Airlie Beach YHA, Coral Sea Resort, BIG4 Adventure Whitsunday Resort and Club Wyndham Airlie Beach.

A simple rule works well. If you plan to eat out and go to the market, stay near the main street and lagoon. If you have a car or want a quieter base, look at the holiday parks and apartments along the coast. If you want an island stay, the same site lists resorts on Hamilton Island and Daydream Island, reached by ferry.

Prices change with the season, so check each provider for current rates before you book.

Sources for this section: Tourism Whitsundays, Stay pages and accommodation list; Tourism Australia, Guide to Airlie Beach.

Stingers and safe swimming

Tourism Whitsundays says marine stingers can be in the water all year, and that October to May is the higher risk season. It advises that you can swim safely in all parts of the Whitsundays by taking simple precautions. Accredited tour operators supply stinger suits to customers at little or no cost during snorkelling, diving and swimming.

Whitsunday Regional Council keeps vinegar at each beach on the Whitsunday Coast. If someone is stung, pour vinegar over the area, do not rub it, and call 000 for an ambulance. The lagoon is a useful choice in stinger season because it is a managed swimming area with lifeguards.

Sources for this section: Tourism Whitsundays, Stinger Information; Tourism Australia, Guide to Airlie Beach.

Sources

1. Tourism Australia, Guide to Airlie Beach: australia.com
2. Tourism Whitsundays, Getting Here: tourismwhitsundays.com.au
3. Tourism Whitsundays, Getting Around: tourismwhitsundays.com.au
4. Tourism Whitsundays, Stinger Information: tourismwhitsundays.com.au
5. Tourism Whitsundays, home page and accommodation list: tourismwhitsundays.com.au
6. Wikipedia, Shute Harbour: en.wikipedia.org