travel42 Port Guide: Airlie Beach

travel42 Professional Cruise Port of Call Review

Airlie Beach, located on the mainland, serves as the hub of the Whitsunday Islands. It is located north of Mackay and Proserpine and southeast of Bowen and Townsville. The seaside tourist town is a 12-hour drive from Brisbane and a seven-hour drive south of Cairns.

Airlie Beach has a permanent population of just 1,200 but tourism numbers swell this during the holiday season. There are restaurants, bars, trendy boutiques and outlets selling every tourist activity possible—sky diving, jet boati...