Whitsundays, Queensland
Airlie Beach
Mainland gateway to the Whitsunday Islands and the Great Barrier Reef. Facts and figures for visitors.
Getting To Airlie Beach
By air
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Nearest airport | Whitsunday Coast Airport (PPP), near Proserpine |
| Direct flights | Brisbane (Jetstar, Virgin Australia), Sydney (Jetstar), Melbourne (Jetstar), Cairns (Skytrans) |
| Airport to Airlie Beach | 39 km, about 32 minutes by car |
| Shuttle bus | About 40 minutes, meets every flight |
| Other airport | Hamilton Island Airport, then ferry to Port of Airlie (about 1 hour 10 minutes) |
By road
| From | Distance | Drive time |
|---|---|---|
| Proserpine | 26 km | 23 min |
| Bowen | 80 km | 1 hr |
| Mackay | 151 km | 1 hr 52 min |
| Townsville | 272 km | 3 hr 24 min |
| Cairns | 619 km | 7 hr 19 min |
| Brisbane | 1,114 km | 12 hr 36 min |
By bus, train and ship
| Mode | Detail |
|---|---|
| Local bus | Translink route 860 (Whitsunday Transit): Proserpine, Cannonvale, Airlie Beach, Shute Harbour. Runs 7 days. |
| Coach | Greyhound and Premier stop in Airlie Beach on the Brisbane to Cairns route |
| Train | Spirit of Queensland stops at Proserpine. A connecting bus runs to Airlie Beach. |
| Cruise ships | Ships anchor offshore and tender passengers ashore. More than 100 visits are expected in 2027. |
Airlie Beach Weather And Seasons
Driest month: September
Wettest month: January
Whale season: June to September
Stinger season: November to May
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg max °C | 29.9 | 29.6 | 28.9 | 27.0 | 24.3 | 22.3 | 21.6 | 22.9 | 25.3 | 27.4 | 28.8 | 29.9 |
| Avg min °C | 24.9 | 24.8 | 24.5 | 23.0 | 20.7 | 18.9 | 18.0 | 18.5 | 20.2 | 22.2 | 23.5 | 24.6 |
| Rain mm | 298 | 289 | 232 | 154 | 98 | 57 | 52 | 26 | 25 | 27 | 75 | 157 |
| Rain days | 13 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 11 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 8 |
Annual rainfall 1,481 mm over about 100 rain days. Bureau of Meteorology averages, Hamilton Island Airport station, 2002 to 2026.
Full Airlie Beach weather guideSwimming And Stingers
| Where | Facts |
|---|---|
| Airlie Beach Lagoon | Free. 4,300 sqm, 4.5 million litres, up to 2 m deep. Children's pool (1.5 m) and toddler wading pool. Stinger-free all year. Lifeguards 5:30am to 6pm May to August, 5:30am to 7pm September to April. |
| Boathaven Beach | Stinger net November to May. No lifeguards. |
| Cannonvale Beach | Stinger net November to May. No lifeguards. |
Stinger nets do not stop Irukandji. Wear a stinger suit in the ocean from November to May, including inside the nets.
Airlie Beach Whitsundays Tours
Most Whitsunday Islands, Whitehaven Beach and Great Barrier Reef tours depart from Coral Sea Marina or Port of Airlie.
Airlie Beach Accommodation
Walks Near Airlie Beach
| Walk | Distance | Time | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bicentennial Walkway (Cannonvale Beach to Airlie Beach) | About 4 km one way | ||
| Honeyeater Lookout, from Kara Crescent | 8.2 km return | 3 hr | Grade 4 |
| Coral Beach walk | 2.2 km return | 1.5 hr | Grade 3 |
| Conway Range trail | 27.1 km one way | 3 days, 2 nights camping |
Honeyeater Lookout, Coral Beach and the Conway Range trail are in Conway National Park. Source: Queensland Parks.
Marinas And Departure Points
| Marina | Facts |
|---|---|
| Coral Sea Marina | 520 berths, vessels up to 80 m. About 10 minutes on foot from the main street. Most tour boats depart here. |
| Port of Airlie (Cruise Whitsundays terminal) | Ferries to Hamilton Island and Daydream Island, plus reef trips. More than one million passengers a year. |
| Shute Harbour Marine Terminal | About 10 minutes by car from Airlie Beach |
Places To Eat In Airlie Beach
| Type | Places |
|---|---|
| Italian | La Tabella Italian · The Belvedere at Toscana · Sorrento Restaurant & Bar |
| Seafood | Treehouse Airlie Beach |
| Asian | Eastwoods Dining · Spicy Thai · Joa Sushi Airlie Beach |
| Mexican | Mika Airlie Kitchen & Bar |
| Steak and grill | KC's Bar & Grill · Hog's Breath Cafe Airlie Beach |
| Pubs and bars with food | The Pub · Paradiso Airlie Beach · Anchor Bar · Beaches Bar & Grill · Mulligans Sports Bar · Whitsunday Sailing Club |
| Modern Australian | The Deck Airlie Beach · Northerlies Beach Bar & Grill · The Palms Restaurant & Bar |
| Cafes | Cafe One 3 · Village Cafe Restaurant & Bar · Zorro's Cafe & Bar · Sidewalk Cafe · Wisdom Cafe · Fat Frog Beach Cafe · My Rainbow Cafe, Bakery & Catering |
| Fast food and takeaway | McDonald's Airlie Beach · McDonald's Cannonvale · KFC Cannonvale · Subway Cannonvale · Whitsunday Seafood Bar · Beagles Pizza · Dickie's Dogs |
| Supermarkets | Woolworths Airlie Beach Central · Woolworths Cannonvale · Coles Cannonvale |
Each name opens the business on Google Maps for hours, directions and phone.
Airlie Beach Events By Month
| When | Event |
|---|---|
| Every Saturday morning | Lions Airlie Beach Community Markets, on the foreshore |
| July | Airlie Beach Triathlon Festival |
| August | Great Barrier Reef Festival (mostly free, fireworks on Friday night) |
| August | Airlie Beach Race Week |
| November | Airlie Beach Festival of Music |
| 31 December | New Year's Eve fireworks at 8:30pm and midnight |
Doctors, Pharmacies And Emergency
000Police, fire, ambulance131 444Police, non-urgent132 500SES, storm and flood07 4813 9400Proserpine Hospital
Emergency services
| Service | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Proserpine Hospital | 26-32 Taylor Street, Proserpine | Nearest hospital, 26 km. Emergency department open 24 hours. 07 4813 9400 |
| Whitsunday Police Station | 8 Altmann Avenue, Cannonvale | Emergencies 000 |
| Whitsunday Ambulance Station | 7 Schnapper Street, Cannonvale | Emergencies 000 |
| Whitsunday Regional Council | 24 hours 1300 972 753 |
Doctors
| Practice | Address | Phone | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whitsunday Doctors Service | 257 Shute Harbour Road, Airlie Beach | 07 4967 7700 | Mon to Fri 8am to 5pm |
| Cannonvale Medical Centre | 7/230 Shute Harbour Road, Cannonvale | 07 4948 0041 | Mon to Fri 8am to 5pm, Sat 9am to 4pm, Sun 9am to 12pm |
| 121 Medical Centre | Shop 6/121 Shute Harbour Road, Cannonvale | 07 4946 4622 | Mon to Fri |
Pharmacies
| Pharmacy | Address | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| LiveLife Airlie Beach 7 Day Pharmacy | 366 Shute Harbour Road, Airlie Beach | 07 4946 7000 |
| LiveLife Pharmacy Whitsunday | Whitsunday Shopping Centre, Cannonvale | 07 4946 6950 |
| LiveLife Pharmacy Cannonvale | 8 Galbraith Park Road, Cannonvale | 07 4948 3288 |
Marine sting first aid: call 000, then pour vinegar on the sting for at least 30 seconds. Irukandji symptoms can take 5 to 45 minutes to appear.
Parking And Getting Around
| Option | Detail |
|---|---|
| On-street parking | Free with time limits on the main street and esplanade |
| Free long-term parking | Waterson Way council car park, under 5 minutes on foot from the main street |
| Paid car parks | Council car parks including Port of Airlie and Coral Sea Marina. Pay at the machine or with the EasyPark app. |
| Local bus | Translink route 860 along Shute Harbour Road between Cannonvale, Airlie Beach and Shute Harbour |
| Taxi rank | Main street, Airlie Beach |
More Whitsundays Information
Sources
Australian Bureau of Statistics 2021 Census. Bureau of Meteorology climate statistics. Tourism Research Australia, year ending June 2026. Whitsunday Regional Council. Whitsunday Coast Airport. Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service. Mackay Hospital and Health Service. Business details from Google Maps, checked October 2026.
