Whitehaven Beach: Hill Inlet, the lookouts and how to get there
A plain guide to Whitehaven Beach on Whitsunday Island, for guests staying with us in Airlie Beach: which end to visit, the tides, the walks and what to pack.
- Where
- Eastern side of Whitsunday Island, the largest of the 74 Whitsunday Islands
- Length
- About 7 km of beach
- Sand
- About 98% silica: fine, bright white and cool underfoot
- Access
- Boat or aircraft only. No roads, no bridge
- Distance
- About 40 km by sea from Shute Harbour to the south end
- Facilities
- Toilets, picnic tables and a camping area at the south end. No shops
- Stinger season
- Late October to May. Wear a stinger suit to swim
- Country
- Ngaro land and sea Country, Whitsunday Islands National Park
What Whitehaven Beach is
Whitehaven Beach is a beach of about 7 km on the eastern side of Whitsunday Island, in Whitsunday Islands National Park. The national park is managed by the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service and sits inside the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. The sand is about 98% silica, which is why it stays bright white and doesn't burn your feet the way ordinary beach sand does.
No one drives to Whitehaven Beach. Every visit starts with a boat, seaplane or helicopter from Airlie Beach, Shute Harbour or one of the resort islands. From Whitsunday Reflections, most guests take a day or half-day tour that leaves from Airlie Beach in the morning and is back by late afternoon.
The beach has two ends, and they're very different visits. That's the one thing worth understanding before you book.
The south end and Hill Inlet
The south end: Whitehaven Beach day-use area
The south end of the beach is where most boats land, and they can land at any tide. This is Whitehaven Beach itself: the long white beach, the picnic area, toilets and the camping area in the trees behind the sand.
Two short walks start here. The Whitehaven Beach lookout track and headland track is a 1.4 km circuit, about 40 minutes, up to a large timber lookout that looks north along the whole beach towards Hill Inlet. The Solway circuit is 1.2 km, also about 40 minutes, up to a rock platform over Solway Passage and the islands around it.
The north end: Hill Inlet and Tongue Point
Hill Inlet is the tidal inlet at the northern end of Whitehaven Beach, and it's where the swirling white sand and blue water photos come from. You see it from the Hill Inlet lookout track at Tongue Point: 1.3 km return, about 40 minutes, uphill to a series of lookout platforms. A short side track leads down to Lookout Beach at the mouth of the inlet, 500 m return.
Boats reach Tongue Bay, the landing for the lookout track, from mid to high tide. The sand patterns in the inlet change with every tide, so no two visits look the same, and the picture you see depends on the tide the day you go. Hill Inlet is a culturally significant place for the Ngaro people.
| South end | Hill Inlet (north end) | |
|---|---|---|
| Boat access | Any tide | Mid to high tide at Tongue Bay |
| What you see | The beach itself, and the whole 7 km from the lookout | The swirling sand and water of the inlet from above |
| Walk | Lookout and headland track, 1.4 km circuit, about 40 min | Hill Inlet lookout track, 1.3 km return, about 40 min |
| Facilities | Toilets, picnic tables, camping area | None at the lookout |
| Swimming | Yes, straight off the beach | At Lookout Beach, or on the main beach if the tour stops there |
Many tours visit both ends in one day. When you book, ask which end the tour lands at and whether it includes the Hill Inlet lookout. That one question tells you what your day will look like.
Getting to Whitehaven Beach from Airlie Beach
There are five main ways to see Whitehaven Beach. The right one depends on how much time you have, whether you want to swim or see Hill Inlet from above, and how you feel about fast boats.
| Type | Time | What you get | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Half-day cruise | Morning or afternoon | A larger, steadier boat to the south end, time on the beach | Short on time, young children, anyone who doesn't like fast boats |
| Full-day boat tour | Most of the day | The beach plus other stops, often a lookout, snorkelling and lunch | A full day out on the water |
| Fast boat to Hill Inlet | Full day | Landing at Tongue Bay for the Hill Inlet lookout, then the beach | Seeing the inlet from the lookout, not seasick |
| Sailing trip | Overnight or longer | Whitehaven Beach as part of a few days among the islands | Couples and groups with time |
| Scenic flight | About an hour or more | Hill Inlet, Whitehaven Beach and the reef from the air; some tours land | The view from above, photographers |
We run a tour desk at reception and can book any of these for you. Guests who book their stay direct with Whitsunday Reflections also get discounts on some local tours, in their booking confirmation email. See the tours we can book for you.
Planning a Whitehaven day from Whitsunday Reflections
Pick the right day
Check-in at Whitsunday Reflections is from 3pm and check-out is by 10am, and most Whitehaven tours leave in the morning. So book the tour for a full day of your stay, not the day you arrive or the day you leave.
Getting to the boat
Most Whitehaven Beach tours leave from Coral Sea Marina or the Port of Airlie, both in Airlie Beach at the bottom of the hill. The walk down into town from the apartments takes about ten minutes. When we book your tour, we'll tell you which marina it leaves from and what time to be there. Getting here and around has the hill, the walk and taxi details.
What to pack
- Hat, sunglasses and sunscreen. There's very little shade on the sand.
- Water. There are no shops on Whitsunday Island.
- Lunch and snacks if your tour doesn't include lunch. Every apartment, from the one bedroom apartment up, has a full kitchen with Bosch appliances, so it's easy to pack your own.
- Swimmers and a towel. Pool towels are $2.50 each from reception.
- A stinger suit from late October to May. Most tours supply one in stinger season; check when you book.
- Walking shoes for the lookout tracks, and a bag to carry your rubbish home.
Ngaro Country and the national park
The Whitsundays are the traditional land and sea Country of the Ngaro people, known as the Canoe People. Archaeological research shows the Ngaro have lived in the Whitsundays for at least 9,000 years. The best-known Ngaro site is the rock art at Nara Inlet on Hook Island, and Hill Inlet on Whitsunday Island is a culturally significant place.
Whitehaven Beach is in Whitsunday Islands National Park and the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, so park rules apply. Camping at Whitehaven Beach needs a camping permit booked ahead with Queensland Parks. Leave the sand, shells and plants where they are, take all your rubbish with you, and keep to the marked tracks.
For walkers with more time, the Ngaro Track is a 32 km, three-day hike across Whitsunday Island from Whitehaven Beach to Hill Inlet.
Whitehaven Beach questions
How long is Whitehaven Beach?
Whitehaven Beach is about 7 km long, on the eastern side of Whitsunday Island. Hill Inlet is at the northern end and the day-use area, toilets and camping area are at the southern end.
Can you see the Hill Inlet swirls from the beach?
Not really. The swirling sand and water of Hill Inlet are seen from above, either from the Hill Inlet lookout track at Tongue Point or from a scenic flight. From the south end of Whitehaven Beach, the lookout and headland track looks north along the beach towards Hill Inlet.
Do I need a stinger suit at Whitehaven Beach?
From late October to May, yes. That's stinger season in the Whitsundays, when box jellyfish and Irukandji can be in the water. Most Whitehaven Beach tours supply stinger suits in season, and they're also good sun protection.
Is there food or water on Whitehaven Beach?
No. There are no shops or cafes on Whitsunday Island. The south end has toilets and picnic tables, but you need to bring your own water and food unless your tour includes lunch.
Can Whitsunday Reflections book a Whitehaven Beach tour for me?
Yes. Paulette and Geoff run a tour desk at reception at Whitsunday Reflections and can book Whitehaven Beach tours, cruises and scenic flights. Guests who book their stay direct get discounts on some local tours, in their confirmation email. Call 0416 048 131 or ask at reception.
More Whitsundays guides
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