Slice of Paradise

Slip into blissful island time in Australia’s Whitsundays. BY

JILLIAN DARA

Australia’s Whitsunday Islands are an unimaginable destination. As many screensavers or wanderlust-worthy documentaries as you may come across of the 74 continental islands off the central coast of Queensland, located within the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, none of them quite do this site justice. That may seem unlikely given the location’s perfectly azure waters punctuated by 1,430 miles of reefs, but as someone who’s visited firsthand, I can vouch none of my carefully snapped photos of Heart Reef from a helicopter tour above the chain of coral systems can compare to the image imprinted in my mind when I put down the camera and simply absorbed the panorama through my own eyes.

Perhaps this is the reason for the Great Barrier Reef’s listing as one of the seven natural wonders of the world; the destination cannot be oversold, and it’s one of my few trips that exceeded expectations.

The ocean inarguably boosts the beauty of this region — after all, 2,900 coral systems surround it — but it’s not simply a beach destination. The Whitsundays showcase the locale with a plethora of ocean activities, discoverable both above and below the surface, including not only the obvious beach lounging or afternoon yacht excursion but also floating dive centers and tours way above the surface in helicopters and seaplanes. Of course, you can scuba dive and snorkel to experience the vast marine life here — UNESCO records 400 types of coral; 1,500 species of fish; and 4,000 types of mollusks — and hike on the individual islands to witness soaring views in case flying high above the reefs seems unnerving. (I promise, it’s worth it, though.)

Due to a unique topography, there are no bad views, even at sea level. In fact, you can view the swirls of powdery sand stirred up in the aqua waters like a detailed watercolor from the snow-colored beaches. This is why picnics and day excursions to Whitehaven Island, consistently