Hill Inlet Lookout
A viewpoint at the northern end of Whitehaven Beach overlooking the blue-and-white swirls where the tide and white sand meet. It is the most iconic scene in the Whitsundays.
Hill Inlet is a tidal inlet in the northeast of Whitsunday Island, at the northern end of Whitehaven Beach. As the tide rises and falls, seawater and white silica sand keep shifting across the shallows, forming swirling patterns of blue, green and white. From above, the scene looks like an abstract painting, and it is one of the most frequently pictured views of the Whitsundays and the Great Barrier Reef. Most day-trip boats stop at Tongue Bay. From there, visitors walk up a rainforest trail for about 10–15 minutes (around 600–700 metres uphill) to reach the Hill Inlet Lookout (Tongue Point), which has several platforms. Afterwards, you can walk down to the northern end of Whitehaven Beach and wade across the sandbanks. The best time to view the patterns is around low tide, when the sandbank designs are clearest, so good tours schedule the landing according to the tides. You can also take a sightseeing flight to see the entire inlet from the air. Note that the trail has steps and slopes, so wear sports sandals or trainers. The lookout has no shade, so bring water. In the shallows of Hill Inlet, there are stingrays and small sharks. When entering the water, shuffle your feet along the bottom (the “stingray shuffle”) to avoid stepping on a stingray.
Opening hours
Open all day (access by ship)
Nearby sights
- Whitehaven Beach
- Chalkies Beach
- Cid Harbour
- Whitsunday Cairn
- Hamilton Island
- Hook Island (Manta Ray Bay & Butterfly Bay)
- Daydream Island
- Langford Island