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Whitsunday Islands Sea Kayak Expedition

Sea kayak between the inner Whitsunday Islands — paddling through the passage with the trade winds, camping on deserted beaches, and snorkelling on fringing reefs with no other people in sight.

  1. 1

    Shute Harbour Launch

    Shute Harbour is the local ferry terminal east of Airlie Beach — sea kayak expeditions launch from here into the Whitsunday Passage, where the trade winds create challenging but manageable paddling conditions.

  2. 2

    South Molle Island

    South Molle is one of the largest uninhabited islands in the Whitsundays — national park camping grounds on the island allow paddlers to camp overnight with walking tracks across the island to eastern beaches.

  3. 3

    Passage Peak Walk

    The Passage Peak walk on South Molle climbs to the island's highest point — the 360-degree view of surrounding islands, the passage, and the distant mainland gives context to the extraordinary geography of the Whitsundays.

  4. 4

    Fringing Reef Snorkel

    The fringing coral reef around the inner islands is accessible directly from the kayak — pulling the kayak up on the reef flat at low tide and snorkelling into the coral gardens is the kayak explorer's reward.

  5. 5

    Deserted Beach Camp

    National park camping grounds on deserted Whitsunday beaches allow paddlers to experience the islands without another person in sight — waking on a white sand beach surrounded by coral is the kayak expedition's high point.

  6. 6

    Mandalay Beach Return

    The return crossing of the Whitsunday Passage often coincides with afternoon trade winds strengthening — paddling with the wind on the final leg provides an exhilarating end to a multi-day island expedition.

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