10 Night Charter Itinerary Southeast Winds

Settle in aboard your boat at Coral Sea Marina the night before you sail. Stock up on food and drinks in town, collect your snorkel gear and walk the boardwalk into Airlie Beach for dinner.

Cid Harbour, on the western side of Whitsunday Island, is calm, well protected and an easy first sail from Airlie Beach. Easy tracks link the beaches, and the climb to Whitsunday Peak rewards you with views across the islands. Take water and your camera. Swimming is not recommended in Cid Harbour, so save your swims for other anchorages.  

If you have time, pick up a mooring at Dumbell Island for a morning snorkel. Then move to Cateran Bay on Border Island for the night. It has moorings, good snorkelling with plenty of fish life, and a short walk up to the ridge for wide views. The beach is reachable at mid to high tide.

Tongue Bay has more than a dozen free public moorings and is the start of the walk to Hill Inlet Lookout, the most photographed view in the Whitsundays. Land the dinghy on a rising or high tide, as the reef is hard to cross at low tide. The swirling sands show best around mid to low tide, so plan your timing at your briefing. Afterwards, walk down to Lookout Beach and wade the Hill Inlet shallows, or visit Betty’s Beach at the tip of the inlet.

Staff tip: go early or late in the day and you may have the lookout all to yourself. 

Chalkie’s Beach sits directly opposite Whitehaven Beach, with the same white silica sand running into a ridge of pristine coral reef. Pick up a mooring, which is protected from east and south-east winds. For a longer snorkel, follow the Haslewood Island reef from Katie’s Cove, past Honeymoon Island, to Chalkie’s Beach. Go when the tide is low and the water is calm.

Whitehaven Beach stretches 7 km along the east coast of Whitsunday Island, with soft white silica sand that stays cool underfoot. Anchor off the south end, which is sheltered from south-east winds. There are no public moorings here, so anchor in sand and watch for the small reef off the southern tip. Walk the Solway Circuit to the South Whitehaven Lookout, or take the longer track to Chance Bay. Once the day boats leave, you have the beach for sunset.

Hamilton Island is the halfway point. Top up your water, drop off rubbish and restock supplies. Use the resort facilities for the day, try an activity, have a drink at the swim-up pool bar or book a restaurant meal. Stay in the marina, or anchor at Beach 25 if you would rather stay out.

Nara Inlet is protected from almost all wind directions and is a popular spot to catch up with other boaties. Take the short walk to the Ngaro Cultural Site and learn about the Ngaro people, the traditional owners of these islands.

The bays along the north side of Hook Island have free moorings and some of the best snorkelling in the Whitsundays. Spend the day moving between them, then settle in at Butterfly Bay for the night.

• Manta Ray Bay (day stop): a popular snorkelling spot with colourful coral and fish life. A popular location for schools of Yellow tail Fusiliers, Giant Trevally and the famous Maori Wrasse.
• Butterfly Bay (overnight): snorkel straight off the beach, ideal for beginners. Take your camera ashore, as the butterflies are there most months.

Put a trolling line out on the way, as you may catch dinner. Take care navigating into Stonehaven, as there is fringing reef and scattered coral heads. Once you are in, there are plenty of moorings, good snorkelling and great sunsets.

Finish with a night in Bauer Bay, a north-facing beach on South Molle Island. Walking tracks cross the island and there is decent snorkelling on the fringing reef.  Next morning it is a short trip back to Coral Sea Marina for the 9:30am return.