We were recently down in the Whitsundays region and I have to admit there’s a lot to love about this beautiful region as we discovered whilst exploring Airlie Beach, Conway National Park, Dingo Beach and surrounds with the kids! Read more
Stay
We stayed in two different but equally family friendly places and visited a friend at another.
Our first night was at Orana Lodge on Beach Road in Cannonvale, just a short drive north of Airlie Beach. These self contained units are perfect for families traveling on a budget who like to be able to spread out. We had a two bedroom unit with a sofa bed in the lounge room so there was plenty of space for the five of us. The units all have their own balcony, a lounge room with TV, as well as a decent sized kitchen complete with all the essentials.
There is also a shared laundry, barbeque facilities and a pool.
We really enjoyed the pool and the beach is just a short walk form the Lodge as well. The foreshore has a path (the Bicentennial Walkway) which goes from Cannonvale to the Abel Point Marina and then into Airlie Beach. This path is great for prams, wheelchairs, rollerblades and bikes. We took our scooters and discovered a couple of swings and playgrounds as well as a skate park all within easy walking distance to Orana Lodge. The beach also has a stinger net for all year round swimming.
Then we had a night at the beautiful Whitsunday Lodge B and B it was great to find a B and B which could accommodate a family of 5 and one that we could relax in - without fear of breaking precious heirlooms or marking white lounges. The Whitsunday Lodge is located in the leafy suburb of Jubilee Pocket just minutes from the centre of Airlie and certainly much quieter. There is a small playground just around the corner within easy walking distance too.
The family room features a separate room for parents with an ensuite bathroom which opens out onto the pool area. The lounge area opens out to the front garden and has a dining area with tables and chairs, lounge chairs, a sofa bed, TV and DVD and a small kitchenette for making tea and coffee.
Breakfast is served each morning by the pool, Cathy our friendly host, prepares a selection of cereals, toast, fresh fruit, yogurt, juice and tea and coffee. We fed the kids first and then enjoyed a leisurely breakfast while we watched them swim. Such a great way to start the day!
We also visited Adventure Whitsunday Tourist Park where our friends were staying, this is regarded as the most family-friendly place to stay in this region and has won numerous awards. If you’re looking for loads of fun activities to keep busy kids occupied then you’ll certainly find it here. They have a jumping pillow, an adventure playground, mini golf, table tennis, beach volleyball, tennis courts, swimming pool with two water slides, pedal cars for hire, kids club, outdoor movies and a host of daily ever changing activities like scavenger hunts and colouring competitions. While it has lots of great family-friendly facilities there are also lots of people here so if you’re looking for a chance to get away from it all, this probably isn’t the place for you.
There are plenty of shady trees to help keep campers cool and a range of accommodation options available, including powered and unpowered camping or caravan sites, ensuite double cabins or luxury villas which sleep up to 8.
Eat
I have to recommend Neptune’s for great fish and chips, on the Airlie Beach Esplanade, although a little pricey they have a great selection of fish available to choose from including barramundi, coral trout and other reef fish. We ordered it to take away and had a picnic at the Airlie Beach Lagoon.
Hogs Breath Café is another great choice for families. The Airlie Beach Restaurant is the original Hogs Breath Café opened in 1989 and now found all over Australia. They have great kids meals which include a free drink and ice cream.
My favourite dining experience on this trip has to be the Montes Reef Resort at Hydeaway Bay, it is about an hour from Airlie Beach and while you do need to drive across some patches of unsealed road its definitely worth the effort. It’s an absolutely beautiful setting on a deck overlooking the turquoise waters and northern islands of the Whitsundays. The Resort is located right on the beach, and miles and miles away from anything else. Pure relaxation guaranteed.
My lunch was divine! A stunning prawn and avocado salad, featuring macadamia nuts, highly recommended! They also had highchairs, a great kids menu and a long sandy beach for the kids to play on while we waited for lunch to come out.
Explore
We’ve been to Airlie Beach a number of times in the past and almost always head straight out to the islands - bypassing much of the surrounding region, this time we did a bit of touring around and were pleasantly surprised by what we found.
Cedar Creek Falls is about 25 minutes from Airlie Beach. A popular spot with the locals it’s a cool refreshing place for a swim and also a great area to explore. The fresh water cascades down the rockface into a deep pool below. From Airlie Beach head towards Proserpine then turn into Conway Road and follow the signs to Cedar Creek Falls. Guided tours of this area are also available.
Conway Beach is a quiet spot just south of Airlie Beach. This is a great place for families looking for a relaxing escape with a playground and beautiful long sandy beach to explore yet still close enough to Airlie Beach for departures to the reef and islands. We stopped in at The Conway Beach Caravan Park kiosk for ice creams and it looks like a great place for families to stay.
The Airlie Beach Markets are held every Saturday morning on the Airlie Beach foreshore. At these colourful outdoor markets you’ll find all sorts of things here from cool drinks and fresh produce to hand made crafts and local artwork. There’s also a playground nearby with shady trees and picnic tables. These markets are definitely worth checking out if you’re at Airlie Beach on the weekend.
Lea’s Book Exchange although not officially one of the sights of the Whitsundays, is a great little book shop overlooking the Lagoon and the perfect place for grabbing some light holiday reading.
Shute Harbour is a beautiful natural harbour surrounded by the Conway Range National Park. There seems to be a fair bit of controversy in this area, with many local residents opposing further clearing of the natural environment for development.
Shute Harbour is the meeting place for a number of vessels, (there is also Abel Point Marina so be sure to check which one your vessel departs from if you are taking a trip to the islands). The views from the lookout here are stunning and there is a 1-2 hour walk through the forest which takes you down the hill to Coral Beach.
If you love bushwalking there are plenty of walks to try out in the Conway Range National Park. From the easy 30 minute Circuit Walk which departs from the picnic ground on the road to Shute Harbour to the 3 day Whitsunday Great! Walk a 30km journey from Brandy Creek to Airlie Beach.
The northern beaches of Dingo Beach and Hydeaway Bay are small idyllic beachside communities to the north of Airlie Beach.
Dingo Beach has a stinger enclosure, playground and the Dingo Pub - which also doubles as the local shop, post office and holiday accommodation.
Just 1km from Dingo Beach is the beautiful Hydeaway Bay and home to some very impressive houses with magnificent views across to the nearby islands. The reef comes right to the beach here, the Hydeaway Bay Caravan Park provides basic powered and unpowered sites for tents and caravans. Just down the road the superbly secluded Montes Reef Resort is a wonderful place to escape to, however with no air conditioning, pool or stinger net its best to visit between June and September.
Airlie Beach is a great base for exploring the Whitsunday Region with lots of hidden surprises just waiting for you to discover.