The Islands that stretch along the Queensland coastline roughly from Mackay to Bowen are known as the Cumberland Group. They are broken into the Whitsunday Group, Lindeman Group and the Sir James Smith Group. Commonly, the sailing community tends to refer to the entire Cumberland Group as 'the Whitsundays'. Most of these islands are National Parks and are managed by Queensland Department of Environment and Heritage. See Whitsunday Maps

Geologically the Whitsunday Islands once formed a part of the mainland. Melting of the polar caps ten thousand years ago raised the sea level causing the islands to become cut off from the mainland. The vegetation and geographical makeup of the Whitsunday islands is therefore very similar to the mainland.

The hinterland of many of the islands are extremely rocky, steep and dotted with the ubiquitous hoop pine. The highest Whitsunday mountain, Hook Peak on Hook Island stands 450 metres tall. Lofty ridges, in conjunction with fjord like anchorages and narrow valleys combine to create exciting sailing as accelerated gusts of wind, known locally as 'bullets', whistle down from the surrounding ridges and funnel down into the Whitsunday anchorages.

Bullets needn't worry you particularly, but it is good practice to get your sails down before you enter the confines of a Whitsunday anchorage, so your attention can be directed at locating the fringing reef and any scattered coral heads, and not worrying about your sails, and articles of clothing that could be blown overboard.

The fringing coral reef follows the contour of the island and is rarely found more than one hundred metres offshore. This certainly makes for easier navigation... However sailors new to the Whitsundays should be aware of a number of isolated outcrops of very extensive coral (Langford Reef, Waite (white) Bay, etc.). Other small rocky outcrops which can be awash at low tide have also caused grief for the unwary (Platypus Rock, Spitfire Rock, Surprise Rock, etc.)... you can refer to these in Whitsunday Tourist Info, Map of Whitsundays

It is important to understand that the outer Reef is well off the coastline of Queensland and must be travelled to by boat or light plane. Some islands with fringing reefs are comparatively close to the mainland (half an hour by boat) but nowhere is the coral so close that you can see it or walk out to it from the mainland.

Obviously the ideal way to see the Reef is to actually get into this water. The most practical way for the average person to do this is go scuba diving off liveaboard diving boats or snorkel... If you can swim at all, you can learn to snorkel. It is not hard, and the rewards are great. Most people still remember their first snorkelling experience as the opening up of a new world. Perhaps because of the silence and drifting quality, there is an extraordinary sense of being part of the world below. If you have never done it before, it really is worth a try. However, don't attempt it if you can't swim.

Moorings protect coral

The anchorages of the Whitsundays are among the best in the world, ranging from deep fjords providing all weather protection, to isolated beaches with their own fringing coral reefs and infrequent visitors.

Each year over half a million people visit the Whitsundays, an area that makes up only one per cent of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area, but attracts 50% of all visitors that take a charter yacht Whitsundays boating holiday... An average of 300 boats are in the Whitsundays section of the park every day.

Such a high volume of charter yacht and bareboat traffic is a potential concern for the delicate and fragile fringing reefs that are one of the most popular attractions in the Whitsundays.

All of the waters and reefs around the Whitsunday Islands are part of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, managed by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority. Certain rules apply in relation to anchoring at sensitive reef sites and when visiting bird nesting islands.

One of the major problems associated with large numbers of boats visiting the Great Barrier Reef is anchor damage to the corals. Anchoring causes chains and anchors to drag along the seabed, damaging the structure of the reef which takes years to repair... In some instances the coral never returns to its original condition.

To prevent this anchor damage a number of the Whitsunday fringing reefs now have extra protection to stop this damage.

Markers and public moorings have been placed in popular bays where anchoring can damage coral, and also to stop on-going damage... Manta Ray Bay and parts of Bait Reef have been closed to anchoring.

Public moorings

To reduce coral damage by charter yachts and bareboats, and to maintain continued access for reef appreciation activities for visitors taking Whitsunday Island day trips, public moorings have been installed at many sites in the Whitsundays area. Public moorings are blue beehive shaped buoys with a colour coded band. There are five classes of moorings and the specifications are displayed on the colour coded band and on the engraved tag attached to the pick up line. (see table below).

Currently a public mooring has a 2 hour time limit on day use. This means that a vessel cannot occupy a mooring for more than two hours between 7.00 am to 5.00 pm. This has been introduced to ensure fair and equitable use of the moorings. However if you moor to a public mooring after 3.00pm you may remain on the mooring overnight until 9.00am the next day. All public moorings are available for overnight use.

A little care and planning by a skipper on a charter yacht will help save the accidental damage of fragile coral beds with anchoring gear. Remember that the depth drops off steeply around many reefs to an average depth of 30 metres and in the Marine Park you are required by law to comply with designated 'no anchoring areas'.

Be aware of anchorages where you can pick up public moorings, as this makes for an easy nights sleeping, particularly for those on a Whitsundays yacht charter, and should be pre-planned when deciding on your evening anchorage. To review where these moorings are located see Locations of Public Moorings in the Whitsundays