Gold Coast to Airlie Beach road trip: Best stops, distance & time
Gold Coast to Airlie Beach drive: The final leg
It’s another 151km from Mackay to Airlie Beach, but you may wish to consider a couple of side trips. Eungella National Park offers platypus-spotting at Broken River, plus waterfall hikes and swimming holes in Finch Hatton Gorge.
You can also see kangaroos on the beach in Cape Hillsborough National Park .
The turn-off for Airlie Beach is just after Proserpine, where you can do a crocodile-spotting cruise on the Proserpine River. The road to Airlie runs through quieter Cannonvale on the way in.
9 memory-making Airlie Beach experiences to add to your visit
- Whitehaven Beach day cruise – with plenty of snorkelling thrown in.
- Glass bottom boat tour – see coral and marine life without getting wet.
- Heart Reef flight – see the islands and Great Barrier Reef from above before flying over Australia’s famous heart-shaped island.
- Proserpine River crocodile safari – see the big crocs from a boat.
- Whitsundays sunset cruise – with free snacks and sparkling wine.
- Sailing on the Camira – glide around the Whitsunday Islands under sail.
- Whizz around the islands on a guided jetski tour.
- Waterfall explorer day tour – with swimming in Hinterland rock pools.
- Enjoy high speed thrills on a jet boat ride.
Things to do in Airlie Beach include hiking the Airlie Creek Track, swimming in the Airlie Beach Lagoon and Whitsundays kayaking tours, plus helicopter flights and day trips to Hamilton Island. There are also multiple day trips from Airlie Beach to the other Whitsunday Islands.
Which Whitsundays cruise should I choose?
- For those with limited time: Whitehaven Beach half day tour.
- For the highlights reel: Whitehaven Beach and Hamilton Island day trip.
- To see the reef two ways: High speed Whitsundays cruise plus scenic reef flight combo.
- For romance, sparkling wine and sunset under sail: Multi-beach and reef Lady Enid cruise.
- To see several islands: Sailing and snorkelling adventure.
- For an overnight sailing adventure: Matador two day yacht cruise.
Airlie Beach accommodation picks
Specialist Australian booking site Wotif offers Airlie Beach accommodation for from $114 a night. You can look through the best deals here.
However, some Airlie Beach accommodation options are worth highlighting:
- On a budget: Tasman Holiday Parks Airlie Beach.
- For families: Big4 Adventure Whitsundays Resort.
- For waterfront apartments: At Marina Shores.
- For pampering: Coral Sea Marina Resort.
- For great value: Colonial Palms Motor Inn.
More Queensland travel
What to see on the Townsville to Innisfail drive.
Do a glass bottom boat tour near Cairns.
Go snorkelling at Arthur Bay and Florence Bay on Magnetic Island.
Stop at Coomba Falls on the Toowoomba to Kingaroy drive.