The best time to visit Hamilton Island

Taking into account weather, accommodation prices, school holidays and stinger season, the best time to visit Hamilton Island in Queensland is between mid-August and mid-October.

The best time to visit Hamilton Island in Queensland is largely weather dependent, although accommodation prices are a factor, too.

As with every popular tourist spot in Australia, Hamilton Island accommodation prices ramp up during the school holidays. If you don’t have kids, then go when everyone else’s kids are in school.

3 Hamilton Island experiences worth booking in advance

Full day Great Barrier Reef snorkelling tour.
Full day Great Barrier Reef cruise to Reefworld pontoon – with underwater viewing gallery.
Private charter romantic sunset cruise.

When are the Australian school holidays?

The tricky part is knowing when the school holidays are, as the dates differ slightly by state. But as a rule of thumb, there’s Christmas and most of January, plus a couple of weeks at Easter. There are also a couple of other two week breaks, usually one in early July, and another in late September/ early October.

The long Christmas and January break is the biggest driver of higher accommodation prices, however, so avoid then.

Hamilton Island weather: Wettest months

But what about the Hamilton Island weather? When is the best time to visit Hamilton Island if you’d prefer to stay warm and dry?

Rainfall is the critical factor in the Hamilton Island weather. The Whitsundays are in the tropics, so there is a distinct wet and dry season. Between December and May, Hamilton Island gets more than 100mm of rain per month. February is particularly atrocious, with more than 300mm of rain.

Therefore, if you want to enjoy Catseye Beach and sunset drinks on One Tree Hill when it’s dry, aim for between June and November.

Best time to visit Hamilton Island: Driest months

The driest month on Hamilton Island is September, with an average rainfall of just 26.2mm. This is also when the average temperature starts to ramp up again. It’s below 23 degrees Celsius in June, July and August, which can be a little chilly for some.

In September, the average temperature on Hamilton Island is 25.4 degrees Celsius, which is much more agreeable.

When is stinger season in the Whitsundays?

The other factor to consider when booking a trip to Hamilton Island is marine stingers. This is the polite term for deadly box jellyfish and Irukandji. These marine stingers are far more prevalent during the warmer months, and stinger season is usually regarded as late October to May. During this period, you really need a stinger suit to go swimming on the reef.

Marine stingers are still around for the rest of the year – there just aren’t nearly as many of them.

With all this in mind, the best time to visit Hamilton Island is between mid-August and mid-October, being careful to dodge the school holiday weeks.

Hamilton Island accommodation options include the four star Reef View Hotel at Catseye Beach and the spacious Edge Apartments. You can also take a day trip from Airlie Beach to Hamilton Island aboard the Hamilton Island ferry, then hire a buggy.