Located in the Whitsundays just off the central Queensland coast near Airlie Beach, Hamilton Island is a popular holiday destination for people seeking a relaxing beach holiday. It has beaches, sunset cocktails and several good restaurants, with things to explore and do away from the beach.
Most of the Whitsunday Islands are uninhabited national park islands but Hamilton Island is privately owned and well developed for tourists (unfortunately this includes a high rise eyesore on Catseye Beach that look better on the Gold Coast).
The upside of this development is that ‘Hammo’ is easy to get to because it has an airport with direct flights from most east coast Australian cities. It is also accessible by ferry from Airlie Beach or Shute Harbour (approx one hour).
So, while it is a popular tourist destination its still a beautiful place to visit and it isn’t too overcrowded.
If you like to feel more secluded opt to stay in a house or the at seriously gorgeous exclusive retreat of Qualia, which hides behind large gates on the top end of the island. Overall its an easy place to have a nice relaxing holiday with enough to keep everyone occupied if you’re travelling as a group.
Here’s some of the ways to spend your time on Hamilton Island:
1. Beach and ocean activities
The hotels all have nice pools but if you are a beach lover, head to Catseye Beach. It is the central beach on the island with nice white sand and calm water so its good for swimming, kayaking and stand up paddle boarding.
This is also a good spot for snorkeling because turtles feed on the seagrass in the area – one of the buoys off the beach is a known for frequent sightings of turtles so ask around to find out which one it is.
Note: Don’t forget it is stinger season between Oct-April so stinger suits are recommended during these months.
if you like noisier watersports, you can also take a jetski tour from the marina which is a really fun way to explore around the island from the water.
2. Explore the island
Everybody gets around on Hamilton Island on golf buggies. Some accommodation places provide a buggy with your stay but if yours doesn’t you should rent one and do your own self guided tour of the island. Take in all the views of the ocean and if you’re driving around at nighttime, watch out for possums and wallabies.
If you want to get a bit more active, get up early in the morning and walk up to Passage Peak for some beautiful views. Make sure you take water and sunscreen with you.
3. Hang out at the marina
Most of the restaurants are around the marina and there’s also a few shops if you feel like going for a stroll and spending some money.
Hamilton Island is a mecca for people who love sailing so the marina is always full of enormous big white boats, especially around the time of the Hamilton Island Race Week in September.
4. Sailing & reef trips
The Great Barrier Reef is right on the door step so if you’ve never been to the reef you should definitely include it on your itinerary.
You’ve basically got a couple of options – taking a full day trip to the outer reef or going on a sail boat to Whitehaven Beach, which includes a snorkel at an inshore reef off Haslewood Island. How to choose?
Going to the outer reef is a full day trip where you’ll be diving or snorkeling out in the middle of the ocean. There is an option to travel by helicopter or seaplane if you want to cut down on travel time.
For snorkelers who want to see some coral without committing to a full reef trip, we’d recommend a sailing trip instead.
Ricochet offer a great small group sailing trip on a catamaran that leaves the marina at 9.30am and returns at sunset. They take you to Chalkies Beach on Haslewood Island to snorkel and then sail over to Whitehaven Beach for lunch. On a sunny day it is a glorious day out that enables you to soak in the beauty of the Whitsundays. On a rainy day, you might be better off on a reef trip because you’ll be getting wet anyway.
The only slight downside is the frenzy of backpacker boats blaring out their music, but the sailboat offers a nice refuge where you can watch the crowds while sipping champagne.
Small group sailboats cost approx $400-500 pp for a day trip. Food and drinks are included (inc. beers and wine)
travel nq fast facts:
- You can fly directly to Hamilton Island or travel by boat from Shute Harbour near Airlie Beach
- It is located within the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park
- The optimal amount of time for a visit is probably 3-4 nights