bondipom

The parents have decided to come over in July August and have gone mad booking us sailing in the Whitsundays and going up to cairns. Sounds fantastic but I am working out transport. What airlines serve Whitsundays to Cairns and what is Airlie beach like compared to hamilton island?

Luke I Amyofath

Looks like virgin blue mate
dont know anything about airlie beach ham isl sorry

Megalania

Make sure they want to be rocking and roling on a yacht for days. Maybe hire one on Port Jackson for an hour or an afternoon if they are keen?

Luke I Amyofath

according to the misses who has been there, she says its easier to fly to ham isl and then take boats to wherever you want. she says airlie is a touristy town whereas ham isl was built specifically as more of a resort, with attached community.
she also figures qantas prolly flies there because it was ansett that used to.

HiddenPaw

Virgin Blue serve Mackay and Proserpine. I think Qantas regional service flys to Proserpine. Mackay is an hour's drive from Airlie Beach.

Staying on the mainland is far cheaper than staying on the islands. Airlie Beach is for the most part a backpacker hole (think Ayia Napa or Magaluf - lots of neon, all-day drinking, and 24-hour rowdiness). However, if you stay away from the main street where all the hostels are it's OK to use as a base to the islands.

Hamilton island comprises several high-rise apt blocks. The landscape is severely spolit by the development (including an airport runway). IMHO I would rather stay on the mainland and use the money saved to do other things (like a flight over the barrier reef). The island is geared up for the consumer - shops and restaurants. But why go to HI to shop at Kookai?

I was up there for a couple of weeks in September - it is gorgeous, especially sailing and walking on the islands as the views across the passages are spectacular, and the birdlife is prolific.

ANA123

We flew to Mackay, I'm sure it was more than an hour to Airlie beach but that was on a go slow coach! We enjoyed Airlie beach but its not somewhere I'd take my parents!

Grayling

Hamilton Island has quite a large airport and there will probably be connections to Cairns.There is also an airport at Proserpine.
Airlie Beach is full of backpackers and bars.

There are several ferries to the whitsundays fron Shute harbour.
We spent a few days on South Molle Island and it was beautiful.

We picked up a cheap late deal at a travel agent in Airlie Beach and went the next day.
There are usually several offers even to Hayman Island (rated as one of the best resorts in the world).
All much cheaper than usual prices.

G

Grayling

PS The Beaches on the Islands are much safer for swimming than Airlie beach as they are not affected by Box Jellyfish:scared:

G

lizzel

I spent several months working on South Molle Island a couple of years ago. Its where I met my future husband and we are going back there next year to get married! The Whitsundays are beautiful having travelled around the world several times I completly felt at home there. Personally Hamilton Island is very built up with high rise buildings and an airport. Its good for a night out though. South Molle is very basic but beautiful with some fantastic walks. Qantas flies into Hamilton Island regularily with Virgin Blue flying into Mackay and Proserpine. From these airports though they would need to get bus transfers to Airlie Beach in order to get the ferry to the islands. These ferries also running regularly with Fantasea Cruises. There are plenty of trips running from any of the islands that go to the Reef or Whitehaven Beach,(supposedly one of the top ten beaches in the world).