Central Beaches

Driving along Queensland’s coastal highway offers plenty of opportunities for you to stop along the way to experience the beaches of Queensland’s central coastline. Enjoy a picnic lunch under beachside palm trees or put on your snorkel and explore coastal reefs.

Visit the beautiful beachside resort town of Yeppoon or the sandy beaches of Mackay. Then of course there are the stunning island beaches found along Queensland’s coastline. Made up of 74 islands, The Whitsundays offers some of the most beautiful island beach experiences you will ever find. Whitehaven Beach on the largest of the Whitsunday islands has been consistently voted amongst the most beautiful beaches on the globe. Stretching over 6km, its brilliant white silica sands, some of the purest in the world, offer a beach experience you will never forget.

But Queensland offers over 600 islands along its stunning coastline, each offering a uniquely distinctive island and beach experience. Heron Island is a pristine coral cay right on the World Heritage listed Great Barrier Reef. Here you can swim straight off the beach into an endless kaleidoscope of colourful corals teeming with tropical marine life. Lady Elliot Island in the Southern Great Barrier Reef can easily be accessed by plane from Southern Queensland and offers a beautifully natural insight into Queensland’s eco reef islands.