Complete Guide to Whitsundays Destinations

 The Whitsundays destinations are one of the top destinations in Australia. They are a group of 74 islands that hold much beauty, wonder and adventure waiting to be discovered. Let’s face it, with 74 islands to explore, kilometres of squeaky white sand beaches – and the kind of mainland hub you find yourself plotting a seachange to after just one visit – you won’t be short of things to do in Whitsundays destinations. Your bucket list will be overflowing, in fact, with these:

1.    Great Barrier Reef: From the Whitsundays destinations, you can take a short boat ride to the stretches of the Outer Great Barrier Reef. There are several tours that venture beyond the confines of the islands, including Reefworld, Explore, Kiana and Reefsleep.

2.    Whitehaven Beach: Whitehaven Beach is known as one of the best beaches in Australia, if not the world! The seemingly endless silica sand beaches are known for their clarity and softness, and its waters for their warmth and clearness. It's a huge beach that stretches 7km in length, leaving room for the many tourists that visit here daily. As it is located on Whitsunday Island, it is only accessible by boat or float plane.

3.    Hill Inlet Lookout: Hill Inlet Lookout is also located on Whitsunday Island, above Whitehaven Beach. It is the famous lookout point that overlooks the famous swirling sands of Whitehaven Beach. The inlet's sands are constantly changing with the tides, never creating the same masterpiece twice. You can see this famous view point by visiting the island by boat or plane or from above in a scenic flight.

4.    Fringing Reefs: The fringing reefs of the Whitsundays destinations are the reefs that surround the islands themselves. These reefs were formed as the islands were formed and have created unique ecosystems through the Whitsundays. The fringing reefs offer a diverse place to snorkel, with colourful fish life and marine animals such as sea turtles, stingrays and dugongs. Most days tours and overnight tours allow guests to snorkel or scuba dive in these reefs. Ask us which one is right for you!

5.    Islands: There are many islands worth visiting while you are in the Whitsundays. From Airlie Beach, the main departure point for island tours of the Whitsundays, there are several islands that are ideal for visiting, including Whitsunday Island, which is home to Whitehaven Beach and Hill Inlet Lookout, the famous Hamilton Island, and Daydream Island, which is a newly renovated resort island, due to open in early 2019. You can visit Whitsunday Island on most boat tours, and get a ferry from Port of Airlie to visit Hamilton Island or Daydream Island.

Whitsundays Fishing: The Do’s And Don’ts

 

Whitsundays Fishing: The Do’s And Don’ts

Located in North Queensland, Australia, Whitsunday’s 74 beautiful islands and coastlines are surrounded by stunning azure seas, which are filled with a great variety of pelagic and reef fish. With pleasant bommies, shelves, reefs, sheltered bays, and channels, Whitsundays is an amazing place to go fishing. However, to be able to manage the fish stocks and maintain the natural balance the Whitsundays fishing has some set rules and regulations that you must follow.

Whitsundays Fishing Tips and Tricks

The best time to fish: It is always advisable to go light on your fishing gear than carry heavy equipment in your fishing charters. Fishing on the edge of a reef, an hour before or after the tide has occurred can be a great time to fish. Another preferable time would be when the sun is not high, i.e., early mornings or late evenings and nights. Prawns, squid, a small fish, etc. are some readily available baits there.

Fishing gear: If you are going fishing form a charter, a hand line is the better options, whereas, a rod should be preferred when fishing from rocks.

Best practices for fish feeding: Whitsundays fishing guides require you to use only raw marine products or fish pellets. Don’t use food more than a kilogram of weight. Do not try to feed the fish with hands, instead, throw it onto the water. Also, make sure that no snorkeller or swimmer is in water at the time of feeding fish.

Fishing rules and size limits: Here in Queensland, there are rules as to what size of the fish can be taken. This allows the fishes to spawn at least once and contribute to the population. The fish caught is measured from the tip of their mouth till the tail, and if it does not meet the legal size, you need to return it the water, taking care that you shouldn’t harm or cause it any injury.

 Take and possession limits: Whitsundays fishing observes takes and possession rules to keep a check on the number of fishes that one can take, to serve the following reasons:

•    Conserve species that are exploited
•    Catch sharing among anglers
•    Reduce illegal marketing

Closed seasons: To protect the fishes in the spawning seasons and protect fishers from adverse weather conditions that might be fatal, Whitsundays have some closed seasons that prohibit fishing.

Closed waters: There are specific areas where fishing is not allowed. These closed waters are maintained for the following reasons:

•    A population of threatened or endangered species of fish might be inhabitant there.
•    It could be an area where the fishes might come together or assemble before or during the season of spawning.

Whitsundays fishing rules are a must to follow, for your safety and the well-being of the coral population.