 |  |  |
 |
 |
| SPOTLIGHT | | Sydney
offers something for everyone | | |  |
 |  |  |
| | | | | |
| Whitehaven beach is a pristine stretch of
pure white sand, situated on the eastern side of the uninhabited Whitsunday Island.
Fringed by crystal clear water and lush tropical rainforests, the 99% pure silica
(quartz) beach extends for over 7 kms. It is heralded as one of the most beautiful
beaches in the world, on an island that is a totally undeveloped national park.
One of the earliest recorded Aboriginal groups in Australia, The Ngaro
people, were seen by Cook while exploring the Whitsunday Passage. They lived for
hundreds of years on the nearby mainland and in the Whitsunday island group.
Whitsunday Island was a source of timber from the 1860's to 1902, when it was
declared a timber reserve, and in 1944, given national park status. A sawmill
to process this timber once operated on Sawmill Beach in Cid Harbour. In the 1960's
the ultra fine sand of Whitehaven Beach was mined and exported to make high quality
glass, such as lenses in Japan.
Now protected as part of the Great Barrier
Reef Marine Park, Whitehaven beach is no longer mined, nor will it be in the future.
Visitors to Whitehaven beach are asked to respect the fragile local environment
by observing, but not interfering.
Don't forget your camera for this
trip, this visually spectacular beach will reward you with some of the most dramatic
tropical views on the planet.
| |
 |
Whitehaven Beach |  |
| |
 Getting
There | | Day and overnight
charters from Shute Harbour, Airlie Beach:
Modern fast ferry service
Cruise
Yacht
Seaplanes
Helicopter
| |
|
| Brief
Description: | | Whitehaven Beach is
located in the Whitsunday Islands and Airlie Beach Region. Whitehaven Beach is
almost 6km long and consists of a very fine dazzling white sand that is 98% pure
Silica! | | |
|
Detailed Description: | Most
overnight vessels in the Whitsundays include Whitehaven Beach if possible during
their voyages around the islands. Try polishing your jewelry in the sand while
you laze on the beach ! The name Whitehaven Bay was given in 1879 by Staff Commander
E.P. Bedwell, RN, in SS Llewellyn, being one of the many names from the then English
county of Cumberland he brought to the area following on from Cook's 1770 naming
of the group 'The Cumberland Isles'. Whitehaven is a town on the shore of Solway
Firth. The name is particularly apt because the bay and its environs carry a large
deposit of pure white silica sand giving the area a dazzling white clean appearance
and this may have influenced Bedwell in his naming.
The sand is minute
powder-size grains of quartz and has been assayed at 99.89% pure, well above the
minimum requirement for glass-making and suitable for the finest glass for optical
lenses for binoculars etc. Its origin is not known definitely but geologists say
it does not have a local origin as rocks of the Whitsunday area are quartz-poor.
They think the most likely explanation is that it is the result of a longshore
drift system which brings sand from the south along the Queensland coast, very
evident in the Gold Coast/Fraser Island area. The Whitehaven sand is so pure it
indicates that during the drift all heavy mineral sands and other impurities have
been winnowed out leaving the quartz sand. Probably there is an eddy effect in
Whitehaven Bay which causes the sand to drop out and accumuulate there.
Whitehaven Beach is located on Whitsunday Island which is totally national park
and undeveloped. The Whitsunday group of continental islands were formed when
changing sea levels drowned a mountain range.
The Ngaro people, one of
the earliest recorded Aboriginal groups in Australia, were seen by Cook while
exploring the Whitsunday Passage. The "Island People" lived throughout the island
chain known as the Whitsundays and the nearby mainland for hundreds of years.
During the 1860's, Whitsunday Island was a source of building timber
for Bowen and a sawmill was operating from what is today known as Sawmill Beach
in Cid Harbour. In 1902 Whitsunday Island was declared a timber reserve and then
further protection was offered in 1944 when it was given national park status.
In the 1960s sand was mined from Whitehaven Beach and shipped to Japan
for glass making purposes due to its ultra fine texture - it is 99.89% pure quartz.
The Beach is now protected under the Whitsunday Plan of Management and
is located in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.
Because it is a protected
area, please ensure you take nothing with you except photos and memories, and
leave nothing behind but footprints. Please observe and enjoy the natural surroundings,
but don't interfere with the wildlife. The natural eco-system is fragile and as
an eco tourism operator, we are responsible for ensuring that it remains as it
is today, for future visitors to come and enjoy beautiful Whitehaven Beach. |
| |
|
|
Australia Beach Guide |
|
|
|
| Lady Elliot Island |
|
Lady Elliot Island is the most southerly island within the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. Bird watchers also flock here to observe 57 species of birds. A fully equipped dive centre on the island caters for all interests and abilities - offering resort dives for the beginner through to advanced dives for the qualified. Dive courses are also offered. |
|
|
| Holloways Beach |
Holloways Beach is growing in stature with the establishment of a resort on the waterfront. A very nice restaurant and café make Holloways a pleasant beach in all circumstances.
To access Holloways Beach, follow the Captain Cook Highway north until you reach the roundabout with the sign HOLLOWAYS BEACH. |
|
|
| Tamarama Beach |
|
Take extreme caution when swimming at Tamarama Beach. While only 80m long, Tamarama has a great wave climate. Tamarama is considered the most dangerous patrolled beach in New South Wales, with more rescues per thousand bathers than any other of Sydney's beaches. |
|
|
| Whitehaven beach |
|
Whitehaven beach is a pristine stretch of pure white sand, situated on the eastern side of the uninhabited Whitsunday Island. Fringed by crystal clear water and lush tropical rainforests, the 99% pure silica (quartz) beach extends for over 7 kms. A sawmill to process this timber once operated on Sawmill Beach in Cid Harbour. |
|
|
| Chinaman's Beach |
|
Chinaman's Beach, in Sydney Harbour's Lower North Shore region, is a gorgeous, peaceful beach, close to busy Balmoral. Popular with families and children of all ages, Sydney's Chinaman's Beach has excellent facilities for water sports. |
|
|
| Dunk Island |
|
Mission Beach Dunk Island Connections is an owner operated coach transfer service for the North Queensland region. Taking scenic routes between Port Douglas, Cairns, Mission Beach, Dunk Island and Bedarra Island, our air conditioned coaches operate 7 days per week, 364 days per year. |
|
|
| Bronte Beach |
|
Bronte Beach: This Beach is just walk away distance from the Famous Bondi Beach. Bronte Beach has Considerable Less Traffic than its native beach. Bronte Beach is Bit Smaller in size considering other Beaches here. The Sydney shoreline encompasses over 200 miles of white sandy beaches, exhibiting a variety of atmospheres from cosmopolitan Bondi Beach to majestic Cronulla. |
|
|
| Coogee Beach |
|
Coogee Beach is one of the smaller, more intimate beaches in Sydney, yet in the summer it can get as crowded as any. Maybe not as famous as Bondi Beach, but a large number of eastern suburbs beach lovers prefer it to the more popular, high-profile Bondi. |
|
|
| | |
