Airlie Beach - Whitsunday gateway

The beachside coastal village of Airlie Beach is the perfect base from which to explore the mainland national parks and the Great Barrier Reef and islands.

There's a lovely community feel about Airlie Beach. The locals are warm and friendly and often stop to say hello and chat about the weather, which is almost always perfect. Beachside markets every Saturday add to the community atmosphere and are as popular with the tourists as they are with the locals.

Airlie is a great family base offering safe, calm water beaches, inexpensive meals, and an excellent variety of accommodation from luxury resorts to backpacker lodges.

From Airlie you can take scenic flights over the region and a range of tours out to the tropical islands of the Whitsundays including those with resorts or those uninhabited. Some of the largest bareboat charter fleets operate from here if you fancy skippering your own boat.

The range of activities on offer is limitless with every watersport imaginable from windsurfing to parasailing. You can learn to dive or snorkel and take a day trip to the outer reef to see some of the most vivid coral and fish in the world.

For those wanting to explore inland, a short trip from Airlie will take you to the Conway and Dryander National Parks and state forests. Take a four-wheel drive tour to experience the awe-inspiring beauty of the rainforest, home to the Proserpine rock wallaby, ferns, orchids and enormous hardwoods.