Feet wet

Aviating Whitsundays style

At the heart of one of the seven Natural Wonders of the World, the Great Barrier Reef, lie the Whitsundays, combining 74 tropical islands along with many coral reefs and beaches, such as the iconic Whitehaven Beach.

Early tourist operators identified the benefit of access to this playground by air and have been accessing the region since 1973, using a multitude of aircraft from seaplanes such as the Buccaneer and Mallard to floatplanes such as the Beaver and Cessna 208 Caravan. Some notable features are best seen from the air such as Heart Reef, Hill Inlet and Whitehaven Beach, along with whales, turtles and other marine life. Floatplane operators today are Air Whitsunday based out of Whitsunday Airport near Airlie Beach and Hamilton Island Air based on Hamilton Island.