Whitsunday Islands don’t seem all that great

[Hasbeen]

Most of the cloudy water in the Whitsundays comes from Repulse Bay, between there & MacKay. There are dozens of mangrove creeks, & the muddy water coming out of them on even moderate tides has to be seen to be believed. Fly over the area during an ebb tide, & the is a distinct change from brown to blue where the flows meet.


The creeks offer some very good cyclone bolt holes, & lots of sandflies. You don't have to be too far up these creeks to have great protection. I have spent over half a dozen cyclones up one just south of Shute Harbor with a fleet of Happy Bay boats in the old days.


Beautiful coral in the south western bay on Haselwood island, & along much of the south of the island. Also great fishing.


If you want great visibility, great coral & good overnight anchorages, try Net, Knuckle & Kennedy reefs. I used them regularly for charter fishing anchorages for some years, back when you never saw another boat out there. They have a number of late afternoon easy access anchorages , which give good protection.


When I first sailed the Whitsundays there were only 6 boats moored in Shute, & only 5 at Airlie beach. No marinas of course. Perhaps I had the best of it, but for short sailing passages between great anchorages they are hard to beat. I have sailed much of New Guinea the Solomons, & many other Pacific islands, & found it was only isolated Atolls that offered much better water or coral. Can you guess I love the Whitsundays?

[BobFord]

Great report ,Hasbeen , I love Whitsundays but now have to seek out 'isolation '. I'll be checking your tips , next season. First discovered the islands about 1984. Last time at Kepple, this year , there were 60+ yachts in Long Bay !!!

[Simi 60]

Originally Posted by BobFord

Great report ,Hasbeen , I love Whitsundays but now have to seek out 'isolation '. I'll be checking your tips , next season. First discovered the islands about 1984. Last time at Kepple, this year , there were 60+ yachts in Long Bay !!!

Insanity isn't it, we bailed out several months early this year and came back to our fortress of solitude in Moreton bay
Had clear waters and zero boats for days on end

I wish covid would end and people would go back to flying to Bali for holidays instead of clogging up MY waterways

[BobFord]

Hey Simi ! As I exited NE Channel , last month , inbound , my thoughts were the same as you re Moreton Bay. Trying to suss out some 'unique ' , places for next season.

[RaymondR]

It's about 1,250 nm, as the seagull soars, between Tweed Heads and Thursday Island with a plethora of anchorages only a few of which are ever in any way crowded.