Flights from Melbourne to Whitsundays

The best time to visit the Whitsundays

The Whitsundays experience tropical seasons and climate. The summer (December to February) brings hot and humid conditions and regular rainfall. Winters, from June to August, herald pleasant temperatures - about 23 to 25°C during the day - and less rainfall but the water temperature is markedly cooler. September is one of the best months to visit the Whitsundays. During this time, weather is sunny and warm, humidity hasn’t set in yet, rainfall is its lowest for the year, and stinger season hasn’t started.

Stinger season lasts from October to May every year, but don’t let that put a dampener on your plans to visit the Whitsundays. You can still dive, swim and snorkel at this time; just make sure to wear a protective diving suit. As stinger season corresponds with several holidays, it is actually the most popular time to visit the Whitsundays, particularly between December and March. Expect hotel and accommodation prices go up during this time.

With generally pleasant temperatures all year, there is no true low season in the Whitsundays. But if you avoid visiting during the summer, school holidays, the Outrigger Cup Race in June, and the Hamilton Island Race Week in August, you can find some great deals on both flights and hotels for your trip to the Whitsundays.

Departing From Melbourne

Melbourne Airport (also called Melbourne Tullamarine) is north of the CBD and is the departure point for most international flights leaving Melbourne. Avalon Airport is Melbourne’s second airport. It’s a small airport with flights mainly travelling within Australia, but some international flights depart from Avalon if they are connecting through Sydney.

With close to 300 cheap flights from Melbourne to the Whitsundays each week, you can escape from the city to the tropics in just a matter of hours. Jetstar, Virgin Australia and Qantas all offer cheap airfares from Melbourne to the Whitsundays. Jetstar has direct flights that will get you into the Whitsunday Airport (WSY) in less than 3 hours, but this direct flight is only available a few times each week. But even with a stopover, you can travel from Melbourne Airport to Whitsunday Coast Airport, also known as Proserpine Airport (PPP), in just 4 hours 20 minutes.

Getting to Melbourne Airport (MEL)

For a stress-free ride to Melbourne Airport, catch the city’s SkyBus. It operates five different routes with the most popular departing from Southern Cross Station. Other SkyBus routes pick up passengers from the Southbank, Docklands, St Kilda, Western suburbs, and the Mornington Peninsula. Base ticket prices start at $18 AUD and vary depending on the route taken. Each bus has WiFi and runs seven days a week, and the bus from Southern Cross Station operates 24 hours a day.

For a quick ride to the airport, you can catch a taxi or an Uber from anywhere in Melbourne. Leaving from the CBD, a taxi will get you to Melbourne Airport in less than a half hour. This taxi fare to the airport costs about $55 to $75 AUD.

If you’ll be driving to Melbourne Airport, the Long Term car park is the most budget-friendly option. You can park for less than $10 AUD a day, and the sooner you reserve your spot online, the lower your rate will be. A free shuttle bus gets you from the car park to the airport terminals in less than 5 minutes.

Getting to Avalon Airport (AVV)

Avalon Airport is located just outside of Geelong, about 50 kilometres (31 miles) southwest of Melbourne’s CBD. The SkyBus offers an Avalon City Express route, which picks up passengers from Southern Cross Station and on Synnot Street in Werribee. Tickets from the CBD cost $22 AUD, and tickets from Werribee are $19 AUD. The Skybus will get you to Avalon Airport in 50 minutes from the CBD and 30 minutes from Werribee.

Avalon Airport has one car park for all of its passengers. The longer you park, the lower your daily rate will be. Parking for 4 days costs $77, while a weeklong stay costs $79 AUD and two weeks costs $132 AUD. The car park is under 24-hour surveillance and is located just outside the airport, so you can walk from your car to the terminal in just a few minutes.

Arriving in the Whitsundays

Proserpine Whitsunday Coast Airport (PPP) is the main airport servicing the Whitsundays. It is located on the Queensland mainland, 37 kilometres (23 miles) south of Airlie Beach, which is where the majority of Whitsunday tours and ships depart from. Jetstar, Virgin Australia, and Qantas offer return flights from Melbourne to the Whitsundays flying into Proserpine Whitsunday Coast Airport (PPP). The other airport is the Great Barrier Reef Airport, which is located on Hamilton Island.

How to Get from Proserpine Whitsunday Coast Airport (PPP) to Your Whitsundays Hotel or Accommodation

Once you have touched down at Proserpine Whitsunday Coast Airport (PPP) and collected your bag, you can catch a quick and affordable ride into Airlie Beach with Whitsunday Transit. The bus will get you into the centre of Airlie Beach in about 40 minutes. Whitsunday Transit makes stops at many of the hotels and guest houses around Airlie Beach, as well as the Maritime Terminal where you can catch boats to the various islands of the Whitsundays. Tickets from Proserpine Whitsunday Coast Airport (PPP) to Airlie Beach cost $22 AUD one-way for adults.

A taxi from Proserpine Whitsunday Coast Airport (PPP) will get you to Airlie Beach in about a half hour, and fare averages between $85 and $95 AUD. Once you’ve arrived in Airlie Beach, you can check into your hotel or catch a boat from the port to one of the many Whitsunday islands.

Things to do in the Whitsundays

Whitehaven Beach

The Whitsundays are home to some incredible beaches spread across 74 islands. The most famous is Whitehaven Beach, which is located on Whitsunday Island, the largest island in the Whitsundays. The beach stretches for 7 kilometres (4.3 miles) and is fringed by vivid blue and turquoise ocean water. The sand is 98% pure white silica, giving it a bright white colour that perfectly contrasts with the water. As Whitehaven Beach is a protected site, only guided tours are available for visitors wanting to discover this pristine shoreline.

The Great Barrier Reef

Throughout the Whitsundays, you can get some amazing views of the Great Barrier Reef. There’s lots of beautiful coral and colourful fish for visitors to see. Go snorkelling or diving over the reef for an underwater experience you’ll never forget. Some of the best spots for snorkelling and diving are Hook Island, Bait Reef, and Fairey Reef. There are plenty of guided Great Barrier Reef excursions operating throughout the area.

Hamilton Island

This is one of the most popular islands to visit in the Whitsundays. Hamilton Island is home to some world-class resorts, restaurants, and spas, making it a great spot to base yourself during your holiday. The island is car-free and golf-buggies are the main method of getting around. There are also ample walking trails and water activities, such as kayaking and paddle boarding.

Go Sailing

As one of the best sailing spots in the Southern Hemisphere, sailing is a must-do when visiting the Whitsundays with return flights from Melbourne. You can charter a sailboat with a crew, join a sailing tour, or experienced sailors can rent a sailboat and cruise around themselves. A popular option for visitors to the Whitsundays is to sail between the islands for several days and spend your nights on the boat. You can hire a sailboat to do this yourself or join onto a multi-day sailing tour of the Whitsundays.

Visit the Rainforest

While the Whitsundays are known as an island paradise, there’s lots you can do back on the mainland as well. Just outside Airlie Beach are some incredible rainforests to explore. For a great rainforest experience, head to Conway National Park. It’s full of hiking trails, waterfalls and scenic lookout points with vistas across lush forest and the coastline.