Whitsunday Islands

The Whitsunday Islands ( German Whitsunday Islands ) are an archipelago off the east coast of the Australian state of Queensland.

Geography

The Whitsunday Islands consist of 74 islands of which 17 are inhabited. Most islands have National Park status and are part of the Whitsunday Islands National Park, in between lies a 35,000 km ² Marine Park, which stretches from Sarine in the south to Cape Upstart in the north. The Whitsunday Islands are part of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area. The Great Barrier Reef is located 35 nautical miles east, but also the islands are surrounded by smaller reefs.

The largest island is Whitsunday Iceland.

Geology and origin

The islands were originally a volcanic -formed mountains and were part of the mainland. The end of the last ice age, 30,000 to 50,000 years ago, led to the melting of the poles and raised the sea level. Thus, the mountains were separated from the mainland. Today The highest mountain peaks form the Whitsunday Islands.

Climate and Nature

It has a subtropical climate with mild winters ago:

The average temperature is 27.2 ° C. The water temperature is 20-24 ° C all year round The average rainfall is 1792.4 mm per year, 60 % of which falls during the rainy season between January and March.

From May to September, the surrounding waters of humpback whales are used for calving. On several islands of the group, such as on the uninhabited island Bird Iceland, there are large breeding colonies of many species of seabirds.

In the archipelago Convey National Park, Whitsunday Islands National Park and Lindemans Islands National Park lie.

History

The islands and the parallel land inhabited by Ngaro, a Aboriginestamm Australia. On one of the island of this group, the Hook Iceland, the oldest archaeological sites are located on the east coast of Australia with an age of 9000 years. This seafaring Aboriginal people left on the islands hundreds of tracks. They were sold in the period of British colonization in 1861 and died out.

On June 4, 1770, James Cook sailed through the islands and named the traveled by him passage to the Whitsunday Whitsunday Passage.

Middle of the 19th century were interested in the first settlers of the Whitsunday Group. During the 1880s the first leases for the islands were issued. From 1920 first huts for guests were built on the islands. With the completion of the road from Airlie Beach to Shute Harbour in 1962, the islands were more accessible.

Tourism

On the islands Hamilton Iceland, Iceland Daydream, Hayman Iceland, Hook Iceland, Iceland Lindeman, Long and South Molle Iceland Iceland there are resorts. Each of these islands has its own character ( luxurious, family-friendly, sophisticated, etc.) and is in the possession of a hotel group.

There are 30 scale bush - tent places where camping is allowed. For this purpose, in advance, an authorization be obtained, which also requires a reservation. They can be contacted by phone and online requests on the website of the Department of National Parks, Recreation, Sport and Racing. Furthermore, the permission in the Whitsunday Iceland Camping Connection Store in Airlie Beach and the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service ( QPWS ) in Mandalay is available. The campgrounds are only reached by boat. Open fires and generators are prohibited everywhere and plenty of drinking water must be carried on its own. Picnic tables and restrooms are available at all camps available. In case of bad weather conditions and during regeneration measures campsites may be closed. In the regional tourist information as well as in the institutions just mentioned one can obtain information about which camps are open. Tent sites exist on Whitsunday Iceland at Dugong Beach, Nari 's Beach, Whitehaven Beach, Joe 's Beach, Chance Bay and Peter Bay. On Hook Iceland Camping at Maureen's Cove, on Steens Beach, Curlew Beach and Crayfish Beach is possible. The Bush Camp in Henning Iceland named Northern Spirit.

Due to its sheltered position behind the Great Barrier Reef, the Whitsundays are considered one of the best sailing areas in the world.

Various ships depart daily from the coastal towns of Shute Harbour or Airlie Beach to the islands. There are also local airports on the islands of Hayman, Daydream, South Molle and Lindemann. Hamilton Iceland even has a line airport, which has daily flights from Sydney, Brisbane and Cairns.

Islands of the Whitsunday Islands Group

The islands of the Whitsunday Islands are grouped into four island groups, which today is also called Whitsunday Islands Group. The Whitsunday Islands are part of the Group, however, still officially called Cumberland Islands. James Cook named the islands in 1770 with Cumberland Islands, during his expedition to the so- named by the Whitsunday Passage. The name Cumberland Islands goes back to the Duke of Cumberland, the Cooks supported then voyage. The name Whitsunday Iceland is the name of the island he discovered the June 3, 1770 on Pentecost Sunday.

Whitsunday Islands

The Whitsunday Islands are the islands; Bird Iceland, Black Iceland, Border Iceland, Brempton Iceland, Cid Iceland, Cowrie Iceland, Deloraine Iceland, Dent Iceland, Dumbell Iceland, Dungarra Iceland, Esk Iceland, Fitzalan Iceland, Hamilton Iceland, Harold Iceland, Haslewood Iceland, Hayman Iceland, Henning Iceland, Hook Iceland, Iceland Ireby, Langford Iceland, long Iceland, Iceland Lupton, Nicolson Iceland, Iceland Perseverance, Plum Pudding Iceland, Iceland Teague, titanium Iceland, Whitsunday Iceland, Iceland Wirrainbela and Workington Iceland.

Lindeman Islands Group

To Lindeman Iceland Group include the Baynham Iceland, Iceland Cornston, Gaibirra Iceland, Iceland Triangle, Keyser Iceland, Iceland Lindeman, Lindeman Little Iceland, Iceland Maher, Mansell Iceland, Iceland Pentecost, Seaforth Iceland, Iceland Shaw, Thomas Iceland and the Iceland Volskow.

Molle Islands Group

To Molle Island group includes the Daydream Iceland (formerly West Molle Iceland ), Iceland Denman, Goat Iceland, Iceland Mid Molle, North Molle Iceland, Long Iceland, Iceland Planton, and the South Molle Iceland.

Northern Islands Group

For Northern Iceland Group are counted Armit Iceland, Double Cone Iceland, Iceland Eshelby, Gloucester Iceland, Iceland Grassy, Gumbrell Iceland, Iceland Olden, Rattray Iceland and the Saddleback Iceland.