All The Gear But No Idea: Whitehaven Beach Lookout

Whitehaven Lookout 03-01-2024

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Route: Whitehaven Beach, Solway Circuit, Whitehaven Lookout

Date: 03/01/2024
From: Whitehaven Beach

Parking: N/A
Start Point: Whitehaven Beach
Finish Point: Whitehaven Beach
Region: Whitsunday Island National Park

Route length: 1.6 km
Time taken: 00:34
Average speed: 3.5 km/h
Ascent: 72m
Descent: 72m

Points of Interest: Whitehaven Lookout

The Whitsunday Islands, located 55km off the Queensland coast, offer everything you’d expect from a tropical paradise; turquoise waters, swirling white sands and beautiful secluded beaches. There are 74 islands in total, many of them uninhabited national parks with a handful offering basic camping through to the ultimate in luxury accommodation. Whitsunday Island is the largest of the islands, lending its name to the entire group.

Whitehaven Beach is one of the most famous beaches in the Whitsundays thanks to its pristine white sands. The beach and its associated lookouts are only accessible by boat, so you'll need your own or be on a tour like we were. Several tours leave daily from Shute Harbour and the nearby tourist town of Airlie Beach.

Shute Harbour

The Whitsunday Islands

Whitehaven Beach

Whitehaven Beach is located on the east side of Whitsunday Island so it usually takes an hour to two to sail from Shute Harbour. Whilst travelling from Shite Harbout, you may be lucky enough to stop at the incredible Hill Inlet at the north end of the beach.

Whitehaven Beach extends over 7km along Whitsudnay Island. What makes it special is the silica sand, making it dazzlingly white and beautifully fine. The magic of the beads of sand is that they don’t retain heat from the sun so you won't end up burning your feet.

While it is known that silica comes from eroding quartz, no quartz can be found in the surrounding area so its actual origin is still being determined. What is known is the available sand is finite so taking sand away is a criminal offence - unfortunately, the popularity of the beach and its reputation of having some of the world's whitest sand means many tourists are compelled to try and steal it.

Whitehaven Beach

Whitehaven Bay

While lounging on the sand or paddling in the water are normally the preferred choices for visitors, one of the best ways to see Whitehaven Beach is from the lookout located on the hill above the beach. This requires a short hike that is all uphill but the views are worth it.

The hike commences from the information boards at the back of the main area of the beach and forms a small part of the hike to the neighbouring Chance Bay. Opened in 2019, the walking track climbs through Australian native bush and local rainforest to the lookout platform.

Whitehaven Beach

The track is very clearly marked but has lots of stairs. Once you get close to the top there is a fork in the track marking the beginning of a short loop - you can go either way to get to the top. From the lookout, there are uninterrupted views of Whitehaven Beach to the north and the Solway Passage to the south.