Whitehaven Beach is 7 kilometres long and made up of 98% silica sand. It stretches from the South East corner of Whitsunday Island, North to Hill Inlet.
Hill Inlet is mid way along the East side of Whitsunday Island where the tides wash the silica sands into the inlet creating the famous swirling sands.
Many online booking agencies advertise tours to Whitehaven Beach using an image similar to Image A above. Needless to say their customers are disappointed they did not see the swirling sands of Hill Inlet.
Also, some tour operators claim Hill Inlet to be North Whitehaven Beach. If you can’t walk the 7 Kilometres along the beach, see Image C above, then you ARE NOT on Whitehaven Beach.
Some tours take their customers to Tongue Bay for the short walk to the Hill Inlet Lookout and then proceed to the Southern end of Whitehaven Beach for their beach time.
There is a very limited number of tour operators who have permits to allow actual beach time in Hill Inlet and only one operator who can anchor their boats in the inlet.
For further information, contact us here at Airlie Beach Tourism