FRONTIER

built around reclaimed boats and jetty poles from the old Shute Harbour down the coast.

Both Hemingways, at Abell Point Marina and the Fat Frog Beach Cafe, Cannonvale Beach, are also well worth checking out.

Bowen, 45 minutes north of Airlie Beach, is an old-style coastal town, with typical regional unpretentiousness, that’s so unspoilt and peaceful even the local tourism body is reluctant to tell the world about its hidden slice of tropical heaven.

Until recently the main attraction has been its impossibly Big Mango. But just to the north of the town lies one of the most remarkably tranquil peninsulas in the entire country.

The three perfectly empty white sandy beaches of Grays, Horseshoe and Coral Bay are framed on the Peninsula by lush bushland and towering granite boulders more reminiscent of the beaches you would find in South East Asia.

Consistently ranked in Australia’s top 20 beaches, Horseshoe Bay is a hidden 150m cove where the water temperature rises to 28C in summer and drop to the low 20s in winter and because it’s northeast facing, on-duty lifeguards will tell you that even the stingers usually stay away.

A trip to Bowen is not complete without a visit to its 1950s art deco cinema, a perfect activity for the kids on those oppressively hot tropical days. Once the Whitsundays’ playground to the rich and famous, Paradise Cove was a relative secret until recently.

Just north of Airlie Beach — still on the mainland but accessible only by dirt road or boat — sits a secluded 1600ha of lush rainforest and beautiful manicured lawns that jarringly meet the sapphire blue of the Whitsundays Passage.

Dotted around the grounds are stylish and luxurious thatched roof lodgings that force your gaze out onto the horizon. While Paradise has played host to foreign dignitaries and celebrities as an exclusive hideaway, it’s now in the hands of private operators who offer an adultsonly hideaway experience to even those on a budget.

It’s certainly not where you would normally expect to find shared dorm accommodation (two nights all inclusive is from $589 a person), but Paradise has a little something for everyone including two other upscale residences with outdoor baths.

Red Cat Adventures have introduced a Ride to Paradise tour which is a two-day, two-night resort stay package based at Paradise. The allinclusive combo departs from Airlie Beach and gives guests exclusive use of the resort.

Jetski Adventures Airlie’s newest half-day guided tour also skirts the coast up to Paradise Cove, stopping for morning tea.

Little known Long Island sits just off the Whitsunday coast like a postcard and spending only a few days here makes you feel like you’ve been shipwrecked.

In fact, we hear from one local there’s a hidden wreck somewhere just off the fringing reef rumoured to be filled with pirated treasure.

You’ll arrive here at the idyllic Palm Bay — one of just two resorts nestled among palm trees — by the only available Island Transfer service from Shute Harbour.

There’s no jetty here, but a customised water taxi designed specifically for the job will allow you to step right off onto the island’s idyllic sandy shoreline.

There aren’t many places in Australia where you can snap up a tropical beachside bungalow for under $250 which is what makes this spot so special.

The view from your hammock across a glassy tropical bay almost seems unrealistic until you start sharing it with the local cockatoos who are well known for their friendliness.

The resort is self-catered meaning you will need to pop into the supermarket before you arrive or arrange an Esky of food via Peach & Pear catering in Airlie Beach.

While the resort also offers a wood fired pizza service, there’s something special about cooking for yourself here. Not only is their communal kitchen like a picnic barbecue area on steroids, you can eat what you want, when you want and the resort staff will also clean up after you.

Sharing the entire island with just 60 other guests, be sure to treat yourself to free access to kayaks, snorkelling equipment and stinger suits as well as a short 6km return trip hike to the other side of the island.

Cyclone season starts in December and ends just before Easter. This is not generally the best time to visit but it’s also a great time to nab a bargain. A visit during the winter months from April to September is peak season for Mel- bourne and Sydney tourists. The tropical heat is also far less oppressive.

The Airlie Beach Festival of Music, now in its sixth year, runs during the first weekend of November. Do yourself a favour and try to time your visit during the festival when the town really comes to life. The author travelled as a guest of Tourism Whitsundays