Whitsunday Islands National Park

Protected area in Queensland, Australia

20°3′37″S 148°52′27″E / 20.06028°S 148.87417°E / -20.06028; 148.87417Established1944Area170 km² (65.6 sq mi)Managing authoritiesQueensland Parks and Wildlife ServiceWebsiteWhitsunday Islands National ParkSee alsoProtected areas of Queensland

Whitsunday Islands is a national park in Queensland, Australia, 920 kilometres (570 mi) northwest of Brisbane. It contains Whitsunday Island and 31 others.^[1]

Geography

The Whitsunday Islands lie midway along Australia's Queensland coast and are bordered by the Great Barrier Reef and the waters of the Coral Sea. Migrating humpback whales favour the waters around the Whitsunday Islands as a calving ground between May and September each year.^[2] Marine stingers are found in the waters of the islands between October and May.^[2]

The region spans from the beaches of Bowen in the north and Laguna Whitsundays in the south. All 74 of the islands are surrounded by the Great Barrier Reef and only eight of them are inhabited.

On Whitsunday Island is the six km long Whitehaven Beach.^[3] The beach has camping and picnic facilities in its foredunes. A walking track links to Chance Bay.

Access

Access is by private or commercial boat from Airlie Beach or Shute Harbour.^[1]

References

^ ^a ^b "About Whitsunday Islands". Department of National Parks, Sport and Racing. 1 December 2014. Retrieved 7 March 2016.
^ ^a ^b Explore Queensland's National Parks. Prahran, Victoria: Explore Australia Publishing. 2008. p. 19. ISBN 978-1-74117-245-4.
^ Short, Andrew D.; Brad Farmer (2012). 101 Best Australian Beaches. NewSouth. p. 208. ISBN 978-1742245997. Retrieved 7 March 2016.

External links

Media related to Whitsunday Islands National Park at Wikimedia Commons

National parks of Queensland

Central

Darling Downs

Far North

North

South West

North West

Central West

Wide Bay-Burnett

Brisbane and Surrounds

Former national parks

Blue Lake

Protected areas of Queensland

v t e North Queensland
Cities	Mackay Townsville
Townships	Airlie Beach Ayr Bowen Charters Towers Ingham Proserpine
Local Government Areas	Burdekin Charters Towers Hinchinbrook Mackay Palm Island Townsville Whitsunday Region
National Parks	Blackwood Brook Islands Bowling Green Bay Brampton Islands Broad Sound Islands Cape Hillsborough Cape Palmerston Cape Upstart Conway Dipperu Dryander Eungella Gloucester Island Halifax Bay Wetlands Holbourne Island Homevale Lindeman Islands Magnetic Island Molle Islands Moorrinya Mount Aberdeen Mount Martin Mount Ossa Newry Islands Northumberland Islands Orpheus Island Paluma Range Pioneer Peaks Reliance Creek Repulse Island Round Top Island Smith Islands South Cumberland Islands South Island Swain Reefs Whitsunday Islands
Places of interest	Wallaman Falls Whitsunday Islands