Camping in the Whitsundays

The Whitsundays are an island group on the Great Barrier Reef, with Whitehaven Beach and Hill Inlet on Whitsunday Island landmarks of the island group. On the mainland, Airlie Beach is the gateway to the islands, and up the coast, Bowen sits on a peninsula with the Coral Sea on three sides and eight beaches of its own.

Where is the best place to camp in the Whitsundays?

The choice is between Airlie Beach and the beaches around Bowen. Around Airlie there are plenty of holiday parks, such as NRMA Airlie Beach Holiday Park at Cannonvale. In Bowen, a string of parks sits close to the beaches, including Queens Beach Tourist Village. The islands themselves have eight national park camping areas on South Molle, Hook and Whitsunday islands, linked by the Whitsunday Ngaro Sea Trail, and inland, Lake Proserpine Camp Area is by the dam.

What is there to do in the Whitsundays with kids?

In Airlie Beach, the swimming lagoon is a large chlorinated pool, an alternative to swimming in the sea, and boats leave the two marinas for the islands and Whitehaven Beach. At Cannonvale, the Animal Park is right next to the parks. In Proserpine, the Proserpine Water Park is in town. In Bowen, founded in 1861 as Port Denison, Kings Beach, Queens Beach and Horseshoe Bay look out to Gloucester Island, and the Historical Museum is close to the parks.

• Hamilton Island Wildlife Park – Animals, Whitsundays. Closest campground: Repulse Creek Camp, 21 km
• Historical Museum – Museums and history, Bowen. Closest campground: Harbour Lights Caravan Park, under 1 km
• Collinsville and Scottville and District Historical Society Inc. – Museums and history, Collinsville. Closest campground: Collinsville 72 Hr RV Rest Area, 2 km
• Proserpine Museum – Museums and history, Proserpine. Closest campground: Proserpine Tourist Park, 2 km
• Proserpine Water Park – Swimming, Proserpine. Closest campground: Proserpine Tourist Park, under 1 km
• Bowen Swimming Pool – Swimming, Bowen. Closest campground: Harbour Lights Caravan Park, under 1 km
• Collinsville/Scottville Memorial Pool – Swimming, Collinsville. Closest campground: Collinsville 72 Hr RV Rest Area, under 1 km

What are the best lookouts and nature spots in the Whitsundays?

In Bowen, Flagstaff Hill and the Horseshoe Bay lookout look over the bays, and there is a lookout at the old WW2 radar station. Inland from Airlie, Cedar Creek Falls is a waterfall in the hinterland.

• Airlie Beach Lagoon – Swimming spot. Closest campground: NRMA Airlie Beach Holiday Park, 2 km
• Flagstaff Hill – Lookout. Closest campground: Harbour Lights Caravan Park, 2 km
• Cedar Creek Falls – Waterfall. Closest campground: Repulse Creek Camp, 8 km
• Mount Nutt Lookout – Lookout. Closest campground: Queens Beach Tourist Village, under 1 km
• Mother Beddock Lookout – Lookout. Closest campground: Rose Bay Caravan Park, under 1 km
• WW2 Radar Station Lookout – Lookout. Closest campground: Rose Bay Caravan Park, under 1 km
• Horseshoe Bay Rotary Lookout – Lookout. Closest campground: Rose Bay Caravan Park, 1 km
• Grays Bay Lookout – Lookout. Closest campground: Rose Bay Caravan Park, 1 km

Is it safe to swim in the Whitsundays?

Swim inside stinger nets where they are provided, at patrolled beaches between the flags, and wear a stinger suit, or use the Airlie Beach lagoon. Marine stingers such as box jellyfish and Irukandji are in tropical Queensland waters all year, with the higher-risk season from November to May, and saltwater crocodiles live in rivers, estuaries and coastal waters, so obey warning signs and swim only where it is marked as safe.

Are there powered sites in the Whitsundays?

Yes. One campground here has powered sites confirmed: NRMA Airlie Beach Holiday Park. For the rest we are still confirming, so check with the park or holiday park before you book a powered site.

How far is Bowen from Brisbane?

Bowen is about 1,165 km north-north-west of Brisbane, 201 km south-east of Townsville and about 67 km north-west of Proserpine, the inland town near Airlie Beach.

Facts from Wikipedia, "Airlie Beach" (CC BY-SA 4.0), Wikipedia, "Whitsunday Islands" (CC BY-SA 4.0), Wikipedia, "Bowen, Queensland" (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Queensland Government, dangerous marine animals.

Map of campgrounds in the Whitsundays

27 campgrounds

• Collinsville 72 Hr RV Rest Area — Collinsville, QLD. caravan sites, drinking water, dump point, pets allowed, showers, tent sites, toilets
• Normanby Road Nature Bush Camp — Bogie, QLD. camp kitchen, caravan sites, showers, tent sites, toilets
• NRMA Airlie Beach Holiday Park — Cannonvale, QLD. dump point, powered sites, wifi
• Airlie Beach Tasman Holiday Parks — Jubilee Pocket, QLD
• BIG 4 Adventure Whitsunday Resort — Cannonvale, QLD
• BIG 4 Conway Beach Tourist Park Whitsundays — Conway, QLD
• BIG4 Airlie Cove Caravan Park & Resort — Jubilee Pocket, QLD
• BIG4 Whitsunday Islands Holiday Park — Flametree, QLD
• Bloodwood Camp — Cape Conway, QLD
• Bowen Palms Caravan Park — Bowen, QLD
• Bowen Village Caravan Park — Bowen, QLD
• Camping Reserve — Newlands, QLD
• Camping Reserve — Newlands, QLD
• Gumlu Caravan Park — Gumlu, QLD
• Gunna Go Caravan Park — Myrtlevale, QLD
• Harbour Lights Caravan Park — Bowen, QLD
• Hydeaway Bay Caravan & Camping Park — Hideaway Bay, QLD
• Kipara Tropical Rainforest Retreat — Jubilee Pocket, QLD
• Lake Proserpine Camp Area — Lake Proserpine, QLD
• Molongle Creek Van Park — Gumlu, QLD
• NRMA Bowen Beachfront Holiday Park — Bowen, QLD
• Proserpine Tourist Park — Proserpine, QLD
• Queens Beach Tourist Village — Bowen, QLD
• Repulse Creek Camp — Cape Conway, QLD
• Rose Bay Caravan Park — Bowen, QLD
• Tropical Beach Caravan Park — Bowen, QLD
• Wangaratta Caravan Park — Bowen, QLD

Region boundary: ABS ASGS Edition 3 Tourism Regions 2021 (Tourism Research Australia), CC BY 4.0.