Short answers to the questions people ask before a stay in town. How the place works, which islands you can reach, what most visitors miss, what suits children and whether to sail or take a fast boat. Choosing between Whitsundays tours from Airlie Beach? The fares sit side by side there.
Start with the first post if this is your first visit: it covers Coral Sea Marina and the other departure points, and the free Airlie Beach Lagoon. The islands post sorts out which boat lands where. The facts post explains how a local pilot came to spot Heart Reef, and the family post sets out the ages and heights each boat allows. Longer planning pieces are in the guides.
A town of three marinas, a free swimming lagoon, one road out and no road to the islands. How the place works, where the boats leave from, and how to plan a first stay around the days on the water.
Whitsunday Island, Langford and the resort islands, one by one. Which boat lands where, which days only pass by, and which reef you see from the air and never swim over.
The marina that changed its name, the pool that is stinger-free all year and the reef a pilot spotted in 1975. Then the line between the fringing reefs and the outer reef, which decides what a snorkel day shows you.
Minimum ages and heights, and the days that take infants or stop at 12, 16 or 18. A free pool with lifeguards, and which boat suits which child, from the steady catamaran to the jet boat.
Sail against motor, set side by side. How long each takes to reach the islands, what you do on board and what you bring, then the refund terms and who each day suits.
The practical answers are in the visitor guide and the FAQs, and every tour is compared on Airlie Beach Tours.
