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Draft data. Times, fares and step counts are desk estimates awaiting field checks. Unknown times stay unknown. How we verify

Major city · Australia

Airlie Beach

Stay 3 nights: one full day on a Whitsundays boat, one for the lagoon and a walk, one spare for weather. Fewer and you risk losing the reef day to wind.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
AUD
Best months
Jun–Oct (dry, cooler, steady trade winds)
avoid Jan–Mar (wet season, stingers, cyclone risk)
Airports
PPP · HTI
Nights
3
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 7
  • Oceania ↗Oceania's island states guard their farms and reefs at the border: tick 'yes' on the arrival card for any food, plant, animal product, soil or used outdoor gear, and let the officer decide.
  • Oceania ↗Across the tropical South Pacific, cyclones are possible from November to April: choose insurance that covers weather delays and keep one spare night before a long-haul departure.
  • Australia and New Zealand ↗Both countries drive on the left, with long distances between fuel stops in the outback and on New Zealand's back roads; fatigue causes more visitor crashes than speed.
  • Australia ↗Almost every visitor needs a visa or an electronic authorisation (ETA or eVisitor, depending on passport) before boarding: apply only through the official Department of Home Affairs site or the official AustralianETA app, and check the rules for your passport.
  • Australia ↗Declare all food, plant material, seeds, wood and animal products on your arrival declaration; undeclared items can bring on-the-spot fines or visa cancellation. When unsure, declare it.
  • Australia ↗Drive on the left. An overseas licence in English (or with an official translation or International Driving Permit) is accepted for visitors; check the state rules and your rental contract.
  • Australia ↗Swim between the red and yellow flags on patrolled beaches; rip currents cause most beach drownings.

Airlie Beach is a small mainland town that exists as the gateway to the Whitsunday Islands and the outer Great Barrier Reef. The town itself is a strip of Shute Harbour Road plus a free man-made lagoon; the reason you come is the water. Book the boat before the bed, because trips sell out and weather cancels them.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Airlie Beach, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • CoffeeA$5–7 (≈ US$4–5)
  • Beerschooner at a pub / six-pack at a bottle shopA$8–12 (≈ US$6–8)A$20–25 (≈ US$14–17)
  • Metro or bus rideLocal bus rideA$3–5 (≈ US$2–4)
  • Budget bedHostel dorm bed, a night, per personA$30 (≈ US$20)
  • Mid-range bedMotel or hotel double room, a night, per roomA$190 (≈ US$130)
  • High-end bedMotel or hotel double room, a night, per roomA$340 (≈ US$250)

A day, not counting the bed: Budget A$90 (≈ US$60) · Mid A$190 (≈ US$130) · High A$380 (≈ US$250)

Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Whitsunday Islands sailing and day cruisesWhitehaven Beach and Hill InletOuter Great Barrier Reef dive and snorkel sitesAirlie Beach Lagoon
Airports
PPP Whitsunday Coast Airport (Proserpine) (About 40 min by road to Airlie Beach; prebook a shuttle or take a taxi.) · HTI Hamilton Island Airport (Ferry or transfer off the island is costly; check the total before booking.)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Airlie Beach: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

31°C

24°C

14 rd

Feb

31°C

24°C

15 rd

Mar

30°C

23°C

14 rd

Apr

28°C

21°C

11 rd

May

26°C

18°C

9 rd

Jun

24°C

15°C

7 rd

Jul

23°C

14°C

6 rd

Aug

24°C

15°C

5 rd

Sep

26°C

17°C

5 rd

Oct

28°C

20°C

7 rd

Nov

30°C

22°C

9 rd

Dec

31°C

23°C

12 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

The town strip is walkable end to end in about 20 minutes. Local buses run between Cannonvale, the town and the airport, but most services must be prebooked. A car only pays off if you plan Cedar Creek Falls or the northern beaches.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time
Whitsunday Islands and Whitehaven Beachgo

Door to door: Full day, 8–10 h

Day cruise or sailing trip from Port of Airlie or Shute Harbour

The reason to come. Book ahead; pick a boat that lands at Whitehaven rather than only viewing it.

Outer Great Barrier Reef pontoon or reef site

go

Door to door: Full day, 10–12 h

Day boat from Port of Airlie, 2–3 h each way

Longest day of the trip; seasickness tablets before boarding.

Cedar Creek Falls

caution

Door to door: About 1 h each way

Car, about 25 min south-west

Needs your own car; the road is unsealed near the end.

Dingo Beach and Hideaway Bay

caution

Door to door: About 1 h each way

Car, about 30–40 min north

Quiet pubs and a break from the backpacker strip; no bus.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Airlie Beach proper (Shute Harbour Road)

Hostels, pubs, restaurants and the lagoon on foot; noisiest at night.

The Esplanade and Port of Airlie

Quieter, closer to the marina and boardwalk; 10–15 min walk to the main strip.

Cannonvale

About 6 km west; supermarkets and cheaper rooms, needs a bus or car.

Jubilee Pocket and Shute Harbour

Further out, some ferries leave from Shute Harbour; only with a car.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
A$90–150 (≈ US$60–100) excl. bed
Mid
A$180–300 (≈ US$120–200) excl. bed
High
A$350 (≈ US$250)+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Motel or hotel double room1 × 3 nights × A$190A$570
Food, local transport, entries2 × 3 days × A$190A$1,140
Airport shuttle from PPP, one way2 × A$25A$50
Whitsundays day cruise2 × A$250A$500
Outer reef day trip2 × A$350A$700
eSIM, about a week of data2 × A$30A$60
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeA$302
Trip total≈ A$554 per person per day, bed includedA$3,322≈ US$2,500

2026 estimate in Australian dollars; flights and reef trips excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

CoffeeA$5–7 (≈ US$4–5)
Pub meal (burger, parma, fish and chips)A$25–35 (≈ US$17–25)
Beer: schooner at a pub / six-pack at a bottle shopA$8–12 (≈ US$6–8) / A$20–25 (≈ US$14–17)
Supermarket picnic lunchA$12–20 (≈ US$8–14)
Local bus rideA$3–5 (≈ US$2–4)
Hostel dorm bed, peak seasonA$30–60 (≈ US$20–40)
Whitsundays day cruiseA$180–300 (≈ US$120–200)

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Safe for tourists; the real risks are marine stingers Oct–May, sun and heat, and alcohol on the strip. Swim in the lagoon or in a stinger suit, and never swim at the beaches in stinger season.
  • Do not swim off the beaches Oct–May: marine stingers. Use the lagoon or a stinger suit.
  • Cyclone season runs roughly Nov–Apr; check forecasts and insurance cover before booking a boat.
  • Boat trips cancel for wind and swell: keep a spare day and read the cancellation terms.
  • Book reef and Whitehaven trips ahead in Jun–Oct; the good ones fill days out.

Emergency numbers

Police, fire, ambulance
000
From a mobile
112

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

Airlie BeachAirlie Beach

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

To this address, pleaseTo this address, please

Emergency

  • Police, fire, ambulance000
  • From a mobile112

Embassy

No embassies in Airlie Beach; the US consulate-general is in Sydney and most others are in Canberra or Sydney. Check your own country's list.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • PPP airport → Airlie Beach, shuttle: about A$25 (≈ US$17), about 40 min
  • PPP airport → Airlie Beach, taxi: about A$90–110 (≈ US$60–75)
  • Local bus, single ride: A$3–5 (≈ US$2–4)

Say or show

  • How much is it? — How much is it?
  • Where is the bus stop? — Where is the bus stop?
  • Is it safe to swim here? — Is it safe to swim here?
  • Do I need a stinger suit? — Do I need a stinger suit?
  • Can I pay by card? — Can I pay by card?
  • What time do we check in for the boat? — What time do we check in for the boat?

Australia: 000 for police, fire or ambulance; 112 works from mobiles.

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Airlie Beach. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: Jun–Oct (dry, cooler, steady trade winds) · avoid Jan–Mar (wet season, stingers, cyclone risk) · month by month →
  2. 2 airports and 4 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 4 day-trips, door to door
  6. 4 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for PPP: prebooked shuttle versus taxi, last arrival times, overnight rung.
  2. Three walking clusters with rescue anchors: Shute Harbour Road, the lagoon and Port of Airlie, Cannonvale.
  3. Boat pages with verified departure points, check-in times and cancellation rules.
  4. Wet-season and cyclone fixtures so gates A–D can go green.

Meanwhile

Back to Australia

Sources