Suggested itinerary and Whitsundays activities
This is a suggested itinerary only. Once you have secured your booking, we will send you a copy of our briefing DVD which contains more information to assist in preparing you for this great adventure.
Click here to contact one of our friendly staff to discuss your Whitsundays holiday activities.
Day 1. Arrive at Whitsunday Rent A Yacht's base at Shute Harbour where you will be prepared for charter with a three-hour briefing. This consists of an area briefing, followed by a hands-on vessel familiarisation. Before your briefing, you may load your personal gear on board. If we have organised your food and beverages, these will already be stowed for you. Your personal cruise guide will then take you for a sail or drive to ensure you and your group are confident in its handling. You may then head off to your first overnight anchorage, for example Long Island, which is about a one-hour sail from base. Here you have a choice of anchorages off the island resorts of Club Crocodile or Peppers Palm Bay.
Long Island is about five kilometres long and has five or six small peaks that are approximately 60 to to 90 metres above sea level. It is heavily vegetated and uninhabited except for two small resorts. The island has several small, protected beaches with excellent fringing coral for snorkelling and fishing.
Peppers Palm Bay Resort is on the protected western face of Long Island. If you feel like celebrating your first night at sea, try the quaint La Riviera restaurant. Or if you’d prefer to take a stroll, there is a 1.5-kilometre walking track through rainforest to Club Crocodile Resort which is situated to the north of Palm Bay.
Day 2. Next morning the real Whitsundays' activities begin - take your dinghy ashore and go for a bushwalk through the lush rainforest, ringing with bird song. Then be enticed back on board by the aroma of breakfast. All vessels are supplied with barbecues mounted on the stern - essential for one of the ultimate Whitsundays' holiday activities, a cooked barbecue breakfast.
At 8am you receive your first scheduled radio call. These are conducted every morning and provide you with a weather forecast. We also record your plans for the day. We have another 4pm 'sched' to ensure you are safely tucked in for the night.
After the 'sched', set off on a leisurely sail or cruise to the east in the direction of Whitehaven Beach. You will pass Gulnare Inlet and the craggy shores at the bottom of Whitsunday Island. The largest in the group, Whitsunday Island is uninhabited and blanketed in lush green vegetation dotted with majestic hoop pines. You will notice Whitsunday Peak, which reaches 395 metres above sea level and is a great landmark for navigation as it can be seen from virtually all directions. As you cruise through the narrow Fitzallen Pass, you will also skim the northern face of Hamilton Island and Hamilton Island Resort which is the biggest resort in the area and offers a variety of restaurants and great facilities to the visiting yachtie.
Or you may wish to travel from Long Island to Solway Pass - about a two-hour trip. As you enter the pass you will see your first dazzling glimpse of Australia’s most famous beach, Whitehaven Beach, with its six kilometres of pure white silica sand and clear turquoise water. The best anchorage is off the rocky point at the south end of the bay.
While you are there, travel by dinghy or walk to the northern-most point of the beach to the lookout on Tongue Point for one of the best views imaginable. When visiting Whitehaven there is also an overnight anchorage to the north, called Apostle Bay.
Alternatively, travel east to Hazelwood Island and anchor at Chalkies Beach on the western face. Windy Bay on the north and White Bay on the south offer magnificent expanses of coral reef.
Day 3. Rise early to cast your line or have an early dip as the sun beams over the sparkling seas, then enjoy breakfast on the beach. After speaking with our base at 8am head up the spectacular east coast, past the amazing Hill Inlet with its pure white sandy shoals and beaches. Here you may see mantaray, dolphins and huge green turtles bobbing in the clear blue water.
Pick up a mooring at Border Island and relish a barbecued fish lunch on board before walking to the top of this grassy little island which offers a 360-degree view of the area. The island appears surreal with its low shrubs and grass trees standing guard among the bushy thicket. Exotic bush orchids, with their metre-long flower spikes, cling to the rocky outcrops. The snorkelling is very good as the bay to the north is protected and has excellent coral reefs. This is an overnight anchorage and a lovely, secluded stopover worth visiting.
Or you may prefer to cruise through the narrows of Hook Passage to the south of Hook Island to Macona or Nara Inlet. Note that Hook Island Resort has changed hands and is currently being rebuilt.
Day 4. Nara Inlet is deep and fiord-like with steep heavily wooded embankments. If there have been recent showers, small waterfalls tumble down the rocky faces and provide a refreshing bath, particularly if you’ve just tackled the exhilarating climb to explore the caves where there are ancestral aboriginal rock paintings.
Nara is a narrow three-kilometre inlet which is very protected and suitable as an overnight anchorage in all weather conditions. Here, too, the fishing is great and there are lots of oysters to gather from the rocky shores at low tide. The inlet offers several anchorages, however, we recommend the one at the top as it is the most protected and quite beautiful. This anchorage is surrounded on three sides by steep rocky faces with ferns, palms and other rainforest plants, and is near the main waterfall.
Day 5. Take a short cruise around to the western face of Hook Island (the second largest in the Whitsunday group) then head north to Langford Reef. This is a delightful day-time stopover with the reef and sand spit emerging at low tide and then disappearing at high tide. It’s a great area for picnicking at low tide. The vast array of cheeky fish skirting among the coral 'bommies' makes it one of the best snorkelling spots in the area. As navigation can be tricky through the reefs, always refer to your chart and the 100 Magic Miles Guide which shows how to enter the area safely.
The world-class Hayman Island Resort lies to the north and can be visited during the day to enjoy a very exotic lunch-time experience. However the best overnight anchorages are at Stonehaven to the east of Langford Reef, Blue Pearl Bay on the western face of Hayman Island or around the top of Hook Island into Butterfly Bay. No anchoring is permitted at Blue Pearl Bay and Butterfly Bay, however moorings are provided. This minimises the risk of damage to the reef as this is a very sensitive ecological area. When snorkelling and diving around this island group you can expect to see an amazing variety of marine creatures including enormous clams. If you venture ashore at Butterfly Bay and explore the creeks at certain times of the year, the bushland is clouded with thousands of golden butterflies.
Stonehaven is on the western face of Hook Island and is not as protected as Cid Harbour or Nara Inlet. However, there are three anchorage areas with moorings to choose from and the northern-most anchorage has a very nice beach with good fishing from the rocks to the south.
Day 6. Head south to Cid Harbour and spot the majestic sea eagles that scoop the waves for small fish. The main anchorage at Sawmill Beach is off a shoaling sandy beach edged with reef. If you’re feeling adventurous, climb through the rainforest over spring-fed streams and palm forests to the top of the Whitsunday Peak. For the less energetic, the bushwalk to Dugong Inlet, which offers a beautiful secluded beach, is well worthwhile. Expect to encounter large, lazy goannas and lots of birdlife on the way.
Cid Harbour, one of the most popular anchorages in the area, is situated on the western face of Whitsunday Island. It is often chosen as a first-night anchorage as it is about a two-hour sail from our base at Shute Harbour.
Day 7. About a one-hour sail to the west will take you to South Molle Island Resort. A fun relaxed resort, check with our base to see their entertain programs. You may also use the facilities such as shops, laundry etc.
Day 8. Slowly cruise to our home port at Shute Harbour, past the colourful Daydream Island Resort and Spa, one of the more recently refurbished resorts in the area. We also offer a seven-night package which combines a five-night boating adventure followed by two nights of pampering at the resort.
Note: When booking a charter for eight or more nights, you are required to return to base for a mid-charter turnaround to top up water and fuel, fresh linen and food and beverages plus anything else you and your group may require. If you would prefer to spend a few extra hours, you can catch a bus or taxi to Airlie Beach and Cannonvale to explore this beautiful mainland resort area. It offers a very good variety of shops and restaurants plus medical and other facilities.
Charterers can return to base, collect their vessel and continue to their next overnight location. However, you may choose to have a night out at Airlie Beach, stay on your yacht at Shute Harbour and head off the next morning or sail to Airlie Beach and anchor off the main beach opposite the sailing club. Another option is to proceed to the Abel Point Marina at Cannonvale.
Day 9. Sail to Hamilton Island resort for a visit and a little retail therapy or simply relax and enjoy the bustling boatie atmosphere in the harbour village. An overnight stopover is permitted and is generally in a marina berth. A fee applies. The island also has a major airport. Consider a trip to the outer Barrier Reef by helicopter during your stay. Sightseeing
seaplanes can also be organised to collect you from your boat in selected anchorages.
Day 10. Cruise to Club Med Lindeman Island, the only Club Med resort in Australia. If you wish to visit the resort you must pay for a pre-costed meal package. There are several anchorage options in delightful bays on or near the island.
Day 11. Visit uninhabited Shaw island, which offers several great anchorages. Explore Neck Bay on the western face. The short walk through palm groves takes you to the eastern face of the island. Cruise to the southwest to anchor off Burning Point, an ideal anchorage when there’s a brisk 'sou’easter' blowing. Shaw Island is rugged and spectacular, possibly one of the most beautiful in the area. If time permits, we suggest spending several nights in this area. However check your vessel cruising limits.
There are 74 islands in the Whitsunday area. Six islands have resorts, with nine resorts in total. Most of the resort islands are basically uninhabited except for the area allocated to the resort buildings and facilities. Charter yachts are welcome to visit them and a fee generally applies costing between $30 and $80 per vessel per night. The facilities vary with each island. When paying these fees you are entitled to use the facilities such as toilets and showers, laundry, swimming pools etc. and to purchase goods such as meals, beverages, ship supplies, and souvenirs. There are approximately 120 approved overnight anchorages in the area. The suitability of each anchorage depends on the weather forecast.
Note: Although you may book a minimum five nights to 14 nights (or longer) you may prefer to visit only six or seven anchorages and stay several nights in a favourite spot. Each anchorage has its own individual charm and no two are the same!
Click here to contact one of our friendly staff to discuss your Whitsundays holiday activities.
