The Whitsundays are a group of 74 islands that only include 8 inhabited islands. These islands are only accessible by leaving Airlie Beach in the Queensland Territory. This town offers hostels, restaurants, and bars for backpackers. This is a very popular desintation for backpackers traveling the east coast of Australia. Airlie Beach has tourist offices that offer 2, 3, and 4 day/night boat trips. The boats usually hold about 10-15 people so if you are traveling by yourself it is a great way to meet new people!
The Whitsundays features one of the top 10 beaches around the world. The beach is called Whitehaven Beach and it is unbelievable. The beach is made of silica sand and is so soft and white. All the water surrounding this beach is crystal clear! This beach is kind of hard to get to. You have to drop anchor on your boat , and then take a row boat to shore. There is a great look out place on the island. Once a shore, you have to trek about 10 minutes on a path that over looks everything. After the lookout point, you trek about another 5 minutes to get to famous beach!
During the day on the boat trips you will stop at 2 or 3 different sites to go snorkeling or scuba diving. A lot of people will go on this trip to get their qualification for scuba diving. Som boats offer night dives with flashlights. It is supposed to be amazing.
All the food is taken care of by the hired crew who will prepare 3 meals a day for you while you are 
aboard. During the down time on the boat you can just hang out and dring "goons" with your new mates.
For more information on the Whitsundays you can look through this site Whitsundays, but I would suggest not booking anything until you get to Australia. Onc you get into Cairns or Sydney you can go to a tourist agency to book a tour for you before you get to Airlie Beach!
