Scenic Drive

The beauty of the Whitsundays doesn’t stop at the reef and islands.  The Whitsunday Coast is a diversely beautiful region, with lush rainforests, secluded beaches and big river country. 

If you have a car (if you didn't bring your own, you can easily hire one in town), you can explore the diversity of this remarkable coastline. Bowen is famous for its beautiful beaches, Collinsville is reached via a drive through big river cattle country, the Eungella National Park to the south is lush and bountiful, culminating in a winding mountain road up to the peak of the ranges with spectacular views, waterfalls, hikes and platypus viewing in their natural habitat. The area closest to Airlie Beach is also renowned for its secluded beachsid hamlets like Dingo Beach and Hydeaway Bay to the north, and Wilson and Conway Beaches to the south.
 

Download Drive Trail Map

Planning on spending some time on the Whitsunday Coast?
We've put together a drive trail map, showing 6 drives you can do easily within a day from Airlie Beach.
These drive trails explore the diversity of the Whitsunday Coast from secluded beaches to mining towns to rainforest in the hinterland.

Download it by clicking on the image to the right.

 

Suggested scenic drives include:

• Cedar Creek Falls: a natural waterfall and swimming hole set in rainforest.
• Conway Beach and Wilson Beach: be sure to bring your wind-powered sporting equipment such as kite surfing or land kites
• Eungella National Park, Finch Hatton Gorge and Broken River for National Park walks and platypus spotting
• Peter Faust Dam for some barra fishing and BYO waterskiing
• Shute Harbour for short walks through the National Park or to a secluded beach
• Hydeaway Bay, Dingo Beach and Cape Gloucester for quiet, beautiful beaches and a good meal
• Bowen for stunning beaches and friendly country pubs
• Collinsville and beyond for Big River Country, wide open spaces and beautiful Australian landscapes.