Hamilton Island offers plenty of reasons to get off your sun lounger and get amongst the action on, above and around the Whitsunday islands. Hamilton Island is your one-stop-shop for fun in the sun, with over 60 ways to enjoy the surrounding waters of the Great Barrier Reef and Whitsunday islands. Here are six Hamilton Island day trips you just can’t miss.

Jetryder jet boat ride

Can’t decide whether you want a scenic trip or a shot of adrenaline? If so, this trip is for you. When you’re not laughing and screaming at the spray drenched 360 degree spins, you’ll be enjoying the view on this jet boat ride with a difference. Taste the salt on your lips as the driver seeks out small waves and cuts across them, teasing the wheel left and right so you disco across the water. Jetryder is Hamilton Island’s fastest day trip!

Explore the Great Barrier Reef

Slip into the shimmering blue ocean alongside Hardy Reef, where coral gardens sparkle with jewel bright tropical fish and clown fish peek out of anemones tucked into the coral drop off, on this day trip to the Reefworld pontoon. When you get tired of snorkelling, head back to the pontoon and take a break in the underwater viewing area where huge fish glide past floor to ceiling windows. Everything from stinger suits, masks and fins to a gourmet seafood buffet lunch is provided on this Cruise Whitsundays trip.

Romantic sunset cruise on Richochet

Slip off your shoes and watch one of the Whitsunday’s famous sunsets from the deck of Ricochet, a luxury 47ft ocean-going catamaran which sails around the sheltered waters of Hamilton Island as evening descends. Unlike some ‘all-inclusive’ cruises where you have to virtually tackle someone to get a drink, this crew is generous with the bubbly. Complimentary drinks flow freely and a delicious antipasto platter will keep you going until dinner. With a maximum of just 12 passengers and loads of deck space, it is easy to find your own secluded spot to watch the sun go down with someone special.

Play golf in the Whitsundays

One of the world’s most beautiful golf courses and a restaurant with knockout views come together to create the perfect day out at Hamilton Island Golf Club. With holes strung along the spectacular ridges and steep valleys of Dent Island, this course offers obstacles such as impenetrable bushland and a 14th hole dubbed the ‘Valley of Death’. If you miss a shot, just blame the turtles swimming below the fairways for distracting you from the game.

See the world’s most famous beach

What could be more Aussie than a barbeque and a game of beach cricket on one of world’s most famous beaches? After you have dived in for a swim (it’s irresistible, trust us), the boat crew sets up stumps for a game of beach cricket on Whitehaven Beach. Travellers from around the world come together to try and smash a six along the sand or into the stunning surrounding waters. Retrieving the ball is the perfect excuse for another swim. There is time to explore Chance Bay, walk up to the Hill Inlet lookout and enjoy a beach barbeque before the scenic launch trip back to Hamilton Island.

Scenic flight to Heart Reef

See the best of the Whitsundays from the air on this one-hour scenic plane flight which takes in some of the area’s many highlights such as Whitehaven Beach, Hill Inlet, Hook Passage and Heart Reef. It feels as if you are looking at a postcard each time you gaze out the window. Rainforest tumbling down rocky hillsides, idyllic sheltered bays and crystalline blue ocean will have you reaching for your camera. Even better, you’ll save a bundle as this plane trip is half the cost of the same helicopter flight.

Disclosure: The writer is a terrible golfer and tries to avoid playing whenever possible. 

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