The ultimate guide to camping on the Whitsundays!

The Whitsunday Islands are world-renowned and a must-do on every great Australian travel adventure. One of the main reasons they are so well known is Whitehaven Beach, the 2021 TripAdvisor Best Beach in the World. With pearl-white sand and crystal-clear blue water in a tropical region, what’s not to love? The Whitsunday Islands are located in the heart of the Great Barrier Reef off the East Coast of Australia in Queensland. Comprising 74 different islands, the Whitsundays offer nothing short of the chance for a trip of a lifetime. Whether looking at day trips, overnight sailing, or camping, this guide has everything you need to know about exploring the Whitsundays and Whitehaven Beach.

Day trips to the Whitsundays:

If time is not on your side, plenty of day trip tour options are available. These are easy to find through a quick Google or even when you get to Airlie Beach. They are the perfect way to see all the popular things in a short trip, most taking you to Whitehaven Beach and Hill Inlet. While an excellent idea for anyone short on time, we highly recommend camping as the best way to experience the Whitsundays.

What to bring camping on your Whitsundays trip:

Gas or fuel stove for cooking (open fires are prohibited in National Parks)
Lighter or matches
Cooking pot
Bowl, plates, cups, and cutlery
Fresh drinking water—allow between 5-10 litres per person daily; Scamper provides this!
Food
Plastic container/tub to store food/rubbish in to keep animals/pests away
Plastic bag/container for rubbish
Sunscreen
Sunglasses and hat
Bathers and towel
Snorkelling gear
Hiking shoes/clothes for exploring the island
Food (pack more than you think)
Waterproof tent
Sleeping mat
Pillow
Sleeping bag/quilt
Raincoat (just in case)
Torch
Toilet paper
Power bank
A good book

How to get to the Whitsunday Islands:

Camping on the Whitsunday Islands is a unique and beautiful experience, and it doesn’t need to break the bank if you know the right way to do it. Scamper is the only company that operates transfers from Airlie Beach (Shute Harbour) and Hamilton Island to the campsites. There are other companies, but they only operate private transfers and cost so much more—about $1,000 more. Moreover, Scamper also hires out all the equipment you need for camping on the Whitsunday Islands, making it even easier.

There are 15 campsites across the four main islands: Hook Island, Whitsunday Island, South Molle Island, and Henning Island. The best thing is that Scamper offers multi-stop transfers, allowing you to camp at multiple sites and islands in one trip! This is highly recommended and easy to do and ensures you get the most out of your Whitsunday experience!

Scamper boat pulls up on Whitehaven Beach

Camping on the Whitsundays

You must book campgrounds before going to the island, and we suggest checking availability before booking your transfer to the islands. The Whitsunday Islands campgrounds are all managed by the Queensland National Parks rangers and can be booked through their website. Make sure to book early, as popular camp spots, including Whitehaven Beach, can book out early, especially during school holidays.

As stated above, there are 15 different sites to choose from, each giving you a different experience. Looking back, we would have done three of the islands, or three spots, with two nights at each! We recommend selecting at least two different camp spots.

Prices:

$7 per night per adult.

$28 per family per night (a family is defined as one or two adults and up to 5 children under 18).

The campsites in the Whitsundays and why you should visit them:

South Molle Island:

Paddle Bay campground

Great for: swimming, snorkelling, hiking, mountain biking and fishing. Undercover picnic tables and toilet.

Located on the northern tip of South Molle Island, you have easy access to all the walking tracks and excellent beach frontage. Incredible sunset views that overlook the mainland and the best position if you are hoping to get across to Mid Molle Island. Swim, snorkelling, hiking, and fishing are all available—a long-drop toilet and undercover picnic table area are available at the campground.

Sandy Bay campground

Great for: swimming, snorkelling, hiking, mountain bike and fishing.

Undercover area, toilet and picnic tables.

Located on the west side of South Molle Island, behind Mt Jeffery, this is the perfect campsite for keen hikers and mountain bikers. A shady campsite, great for bigger groups.

Planton Island:

Great for: Swimming, snorkelling and relaxing.

Ah, private island, anyone? With only one campsite available, you will be the only people on the island—an excellent camp for people looking to swim and relax.

Danman Island:

Great for: Swimming, snorkelling, fishing and relaxing.

If the other private island is booked out, take this one! Located just south of South Molle Island, only one campsite is available, meaning you will have the entire island to yourself while you are there.

Whitsunday Island:

Dugong Beach campsite

Great for: Kayaking, fishing and hiking.

Direct access is available to the Whitsunday Peak trail and lookout with incredible views overlooking the Whitsundays.

*Remember, no swimming in Cid Harbour*

Naris Beach

Great for: Kayaking, fishing and relaxing.

This campsite is perfect for people looking to relax. With great views across Cid Harbour to Cid Island, sit back and relax in this secluded campsite with no worries.

*Remember, no swimming in Cid Harbour*

Joes Beach

Great for: Kayaking, fishing, and relaxing.

Just down from Naris Beach on the western side of Whitsunday Island, this is another secluded campsite great for relaxing.

Whitehaven Beach

Great for: Swimming, snorkelling, kayaking, hiking and relaxing.

Toilets and undercover areas are available.

One of the most famous beaches in the world, and you can camp on it! This pure white silica sand and turquoise water beach is popular to visit, but hardly anyone camps here! Once the day tours leave around 4:30 pm, you will be left with the beach almost all to yourselves; just a few campers are left each night. Each campsite in the campground has a little table to keep your food stored on, helping to keep wildlife out—access to the Southern Lookout, Chance Bay, and Hill Inlet (low tide).

Chance Bay

Great for: Kayaking, swimming, snorkelling, fishing and hiking.

Picnic table and toilets available.

A short distance from Whitehaven Beach but much quieter. South-facing towards Pentecost Island, Chance Bay campsite is the perfect site if you want the Whitehaven Beach experience but quieter. Not a 30-minute leisurely walk away from Whitehaven Beach, but away from the crowd, this site is perfect for camping with the family.

Cairn Beach

Great for: Swimming, snorkelling, hiking and fishing.

Located on the northern tip of Whitsunday Island facing Hook Island, this site is perfect for adventurers. Excellent snorkelling is available straight off the beach, and access to Cairn Lookout with breathtaking views across the Whitsundays.

Hook Island:

Steens Beach

Great for: Swimming, snorkelling, kayaking and fishing.

This is the perfect site for a kayak adventure, with small islands easily accessed from here. Furthermore, it is excellent for snorkelling, with fringing reef accessible straight off the beach.

Maureen’s Cove

Great for: Swimming, snorkelling and kayaking.

This campsite is excellent for those kayakers who are kayaking around the islands and need a stop-off. Good snorkelling is also accessible off the beach.

Crayfish Beach

Great for: swimming, snorkelling, fishing, spearfishing and kayaking.

Crayfish Beach campsite is probably the best site for snorkelling. Located in Mackerel Bay on the eastern side of Hook Island, it has some of the best coral cover in the entire Whitsundays group. An absolute must-visit for keen snorkelers and water explorers.

Curlew Beach

Great for: Fishing and relaxing.

Situated on the southern end of Hook Island, this shady campsite is perfect for a fishing adventure.

Henning Island:

Great for: Swimming, fishing and relaxing.

This campsite is excellent for relaxing north of the famous resort island, Hamilton Island. The campsite has an open camp that is the perfect spot for sunset views.

What you can hire from Scamper:

If bringing your gear is too hard, there is no need to worry; Scamper has you sorted. They hire out everything you need for camping. See the list below for everything they hire out!

Spinifex 3-man Dome Tent	$25 first night, additional nights $10
Gas Stove	First night $10, additional nights $5
Cooler 55L	First night $10, additional nights $5
Cooler 25L	First night $5, additional nights $3
Sleep Mats	First night $2, additional nights $2
Pot & Frypan	First night $5, additional nights $3
Cutlery Set	First night $10, additional nights $3
5kg Bag Ice	$5
Torch	First night $4, additional nights $2
Camp Chair	First night $5, additional nights $2
Sleeping Bag	$5
Snorkel Mask	$3 per night
Fins	$2 per night
Stinger Suit	First night $5, additional nights $2
Self-Inflatable Sleep Pad	$5 first night, additional nights $2
4-man Dome Tent	$30 first night, additional nights $15
6-man Dome Tent	$40 first night, additional nights $20

Hiring a Kayak

If exploring the water around the islands is something you want to do, make sure to hire a kayak too! While Scamper doesn’t hire them out, Salty Dog Sea Kayaking does! You will need to notify Scamper that you intend to take a kayak, which costs $15 (paid to Scamper directly) to transport.

Prices:

$60 per night for two people sit on top kayak.

$40 per night for a single person sitting on top kayak.

Getting to Shute Harbour:

Shute Harbour is 15 minutes from Airlie Beach and is easily accessible by private vehicle, taxi, or public transport. For those driving your car, free parking is available at Shute Harbour. However, it is limited. Therefore, we suggest arriving early to secure your parking spot. Buses run regularly from Airlie Beach and take you to the Harbour, less than 200m from the Scamper check-in. Be sure to carry cash with you, as they do not accept card payments.

Things to know before camping on the Whitsundays:

Rats, snakes, and spiders call these islands home, but they are nothing to worry about, just something to be aware of. Especially the rats; you must ensure all your food is stored in a tub and off the ground.
Toilet paper is not always available in the toilets, so it’s best to bring your own just in case it has run out!
There is little to no reception, especially on Whitsunday Island (where the only reception is about 1 bar at the lookout), so be prepared to be offline for a few days.
No access to power outlets, so you will need a power bank.
Campfires are not allowed, so cooking must be done on gas or camp stoves.
Everything you bring in must be taken out, so all your rubbish must be returned to Shute Harbour and disposed of thoughtfully.
Stinger season: jellyfish and stingers are around during the warmer months, from November to March. It is recommended to wear a stinger suit during this period!
Do not swim in Cid Harbour! Sharks are known to frequent here, and there have been shark attacks.
You cannot take alive or dead coral from the islands.

Our experience camping on the Whitsundays:

When we started planning our Whitsunday trip, we knew we wanted to camp out there to get the best out of our experience. We had just returned to Yeppoon from camping on Great Keppel Island and knew we wanted a similar experience here. Yentl had previously done a day trip tour, and while he enjoyed it, he felt he had missed out on some of the islands’ beauty. So, not even a day after leaving Keppel Island, we were on the hunt to find out how to camp on the infamous Whitehaven Beach, one of the most famous beaches in the world.

Through some impressive Google searching, we eventually found Scamper. They were extremely helpful when booking, recommending which islands to visit and how long to stay on each. After some debating, we decided on two nights on South Molle Island, then three nights on Whitsunday Island at the Whitehaven Beach campsite. We loved our two nights on South Molle Island, being almost the only people on the island the whole time. It was just us and a family that spent most of the time on their sailboat! South Molle has stunning hiking tracks with lookouts over the other Whitsunday Islands. Whitehaven Beach was an incredible experience. Once all the day trip tours leave, it is just you and maybe ten other campers with the beach all to yourselves.