Cheap flights to Airlie Beach will land at Whitsunday Coast Airport, just 25 minutes from the town. Once you're in Airlie Beach, thoughts will turn to the fun you can have before you head off to the Whitsunday Islands.
Airlie Beach is small, just one main street packed full of bars, clubs, restaurants and tour offices. Its accommodation options run from backpacker up to five star.
The stingers can be a problem between October and April and ocean swimming is restricted, but the Airlie Beach Lagoon makes up for it. It's stinger-free year-round, holds 4.5 million litres of salt water, patrolled every day from 7am to 9pm, and is surrounded by landscaped gardens, barbecue facilities and picnic tables.
Six kilometres east of Airlie Beach is Conway National Park, a beautiful coastal park looking across the Whitsunday Passage, home to Proserpine rock-wallabies, the Australian brush-turkey and orange-footed scrubfowl. From the lookout at Mount Rooper, there are views of Hamilton, Dent, Long and Henning islands.
The islands are the main attraction of course and visitors will have the happy problem of deciding which type of boat to charter to the Whitsundays - a bare charter, crewed adventure, diving or fishing? Shute Harbour, 10km east of Airlie Beach, is the departure point for many of the vessels.