Hamilton Island, Whitsundays, Queensland
Guide to Hamilton Island
White sands, green palms and a coral reef on your doorstep. Hamilton Island just might be paradise.
Hamilton Island is one of Australia’s most desirable holiday destinations. ‘Hamo’ – as it’s affectionately known to locals – is the largest island in the Whitsundays, an archipelago of 74 scenic islands that make up just one part of the Great Barrier Reef. Luxury resorts, scuba diving, beaches and scenic flights – this is a place with remarkable beauty both above and beneath the water.
Domestic airlines offer scheduled flights from many Australian cities to Hamilton Island Airport, a major gateway into the Whitsundays.
- Hamilton Island Airport (HTI) services domestic and chartered flights
- Hotels and resorts on the island provide complimentary airport transfers
- Ferry services and boat transfers from the mainland to Hamilton Island are available from Port of Airlie and Shute Harbour near Airlie Beach
Hamilton Island is car-free. You can hire a golf buggy to get around, or take advantage of a complimentary Green Shuttle, which runs between resorts and the marina.
Hamilton Island enjoys warm weather year round, with glorious summers and mild, relatively dry winters. Whenever you visit, you'll find the waters of the surrounding Great Barrier Reef are warm and ideal for snorkelling or diving. The island is popular during Australian school holidays, and you can expect crowds during Hamilton Island Race Week in August.
- High season: Australian school holidays (December to January, mid April, early July and late September)
- Low season: Autumn (March to May)
- Don’t miss: Spotting the humpback whales that make their way to the warm waters of the Whitsundays from Antarctica to give birth to their calves from June to September
