Hydeaway Bay

Description

If you like to seek out hidden gems on your travels, Hydeaway Bay should be on your list when visiting the Whitsundays. This tiny coastal hamlet is set on a long, white, sandy beach on a no-through road about 50 kilometres from Airlie Beach (take the Gregory-Cannon Valley Road to Dingo Beach Road and then don't miss the turn to Hydeaway Bay Drive).

Originally settled with summer shacks for local farmers, there are now a few hundred houses scattered along the beach and the nearby hills. The beach has five public access points and you can comb for shells on a low tide, swim the fringing coral reef or try your luck fishing from the beach or in a "tinnie" (Aussie lingo for small tin boat). The nearest boat hire and ramp is just down the road at Dingo Beach.

Locals actually say the best thing to catch in Hydeaway Bay is peace and quiet. It's guaranteed you will hardly see a soul but you could be lucky enough to spot a dugong, dolphin, whale or turtle on your travels.