Discover the best ranch campgrounds near Hamilton Island, Queensland

Hamilton Island—with its well-connected airport to Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane—lies at the heart of the 74 islands within the Whitsunday Islands. It’s the natural jumping-off point for Whitsunday camping as well as beach camping within the national parks of the Great Barrier Reef. Try Whitehaven Beach, Chance Bay, Joe’s Beach, Nari’s Beach, or Dugong Beach on Whitsunday Island, or Crayfish Beach or Maureen’s Cove on Hook Island. Have an entire island to yourself at the national park’s Henning Island, where the Northern Spit camping area and its sandy beach are a popular rest stop for kayakers paddling the Whitsunday Ngaro Sea Trail.

Where to go

Whitsunday Island

Whitehaven Beach is the poster child for Whitsunday Island, and is often voted among the top 10 beaches in the world. Its dazzling white silica sand and turquoise waters are the main attractions for beach walking, swimming, and snorkelling, while a small campsite sits tucked in among the bushland on the beach in the southern corner of a sweeping bay. Walk across Hill Inlet at low tide to reach the lookout point at Tongue Point for sweeping views of the national park, beach, and islands.

Airlie Beach

Airlie Beach is the first stop for any Whitsunday Island holiday and one of Queensland’s favourite holiday playgrounds. Boats depart daily for the islands, but there is plenty to do in the town itself, with its free waterfront lagoon, markets and tour operators. Book a day trip to the islands to snorkel on fringing reefs and coral gardens at Hayman Island, kayak at south Molle Island, or swim among tropical fish at Maureen’s Cove.

Great Barrier Reef

The Whitsunday Islands lay within the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and are a dream destination for campers, snorkellers, scuba divers, kayakers and nature lovers. Book a boat tour to visit the outer reef, where water clarity is at its best, and scuba diving and snorkelling are superb. Around the islands, the best snorkelling locations to see colourful reef fish and corals are Blue Pearl Bay near Hayman Island, Butterfly Bay on the north side of Hook Island, and on the beaches lining the passage between Hayman Island and Hook Island.

When to go

The Whitsunday Islands are a year-round destination and a popular holiday region. During the summer months, they may be prone to dangerous tropical cyclones. The southeast trades are the prevailing wind, generally blowing between April and November, and making for great sailing and kitesurfing conditions. School holidays, especially during Easter and Christmas, are busy times when campsites should be booked well in advance.

Know before you go

Boats to Hamilton Island depart from either Shute Harbour or Airlie Beach.
Camping permits are required and must be pre-booked online.
Campsites have limited facilities, so campers should be self-sufficient and take all rubbish when they depart.
Open fires are not permitted at any campsites.
Marine stingers inhabit the waters of the Whitsundays, so precautions like stinger suits should be taken, particularly during the summer months.
Shark attacks have occurred at Cid Harbour, where swimming is not recommended.
Tour operators at Hamilton Island, Airlie Beach, and Shute Harbour can arrange island drop-offs and camping connections for island-hopping campers.