Two nights and a full day sailing the Whitsunday Islands aboard Summer Jo — a recently refitted 33-berth yacht where every cabin is air-conditioned and has its own ensuite. Whitehaven Beach, the Hill Inlet Lookout, and snorkelling and diving on the island fringing reefs, with a chef cooking every meal on board.
The day boats leave Airlie Beach in the morning and are back by late afternoon, which means a long run out, a couple of hours in the good spots, and a long run home. Half the trip is transit.
Staying out changes the arithmetic. You wake up already at anchor, so the day starts where the day trips are still steaming toward. You get Whitehaven and Hill Inlet either side of the crowds rather than in the middle of them. And you get the parts of the Whitsundays that only exist after hours — the anchorage going quiet at dusk, dinner on deck as the sun drops behind the islands, the stars once the mainland glow is gone, and the reef after dark on a night dive.
The Whitsundays are 74 islands sitting inside the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. The outer reef takes the ocean swell, so the water between the islands stays sheltered and the sailing is comfortable even when it's blowing outside. That protection is also what lets coral grow right up against the island shorelines — the fringing reefs at places like Border Island, Luncheon Bay and Blue Pearl Bay, where you can be over healthy hard and soft coral within a few fin kicks of the beach.
It's easy diving and easy snorkelling: shallow, sheltered and full of life. Green turtles, giant Maori wrasse, batfish, parrotfish, reef sharks on the sand, and clouds of small reef fish through the coral. Through the winter months humpback whales move through the passages between the islands on their way north, and it's not unusual to have them surface within sight of the yacht.
Whitehaven Beach is the one everyone has seen a photo of, and it holds up. The sand is 98% silica, so it stays cool underfoot in full sun and squeaks when you walk on it. The walk up to the Hill Inlet Lookout at the northern end is the shot that sells the Whitsundays — the tide dragging white sand through turquoise water in patterns that redraw themselves every few hours.
One thing to be clear about: this trip doesn't go to the outer Great Barrier Reef. Two days isn't enough time to get out there and back with anything left over. What you get instead is the islands and the fringing reef, which is a genuinely different experience rather than a lesser one. If the outer reef is specifically what you're after, look at the 3 day 3 night itinerary.
Most overnight sailing in the Whitsundays is done on backpacker boats: bunks in a shared cabin, a couple of heads for everyone on board, and a cold shower on the swim platform. That's fine if that's what you're after, and it's cheap.
Summer Jo is a different proposition. It has come through a full refit, and every cabin — including the shared ones — is air-conditioned with its own ensuite: shower, toilet and basin. The yacht makes its own fresh water, so nobody is rationing showers on day two. There's a chef on board cooking every meal properly rather than reheating, and five crew for a maximum of 33 guests.
It's also the only 2 day 2 night vessel in the Whitsundays running the Advanced Dive Course, with a dive instructor and divemaster on board for the whole trip. If you're Open Water certified, you can walk off this boat with your Advanced ticket.
Divers. Certified divers can build up a decent run of dives over the two days, including night dives, and knock over the Advanced course while they're at it. Dive packages are bought on board, so you can decide once you've seen the conditions.
Non-divers. There's no pressure to get in a tank. Snorkelling gear is included and the fringing reefs are shallow enough that you see most of what the divers see. Between swims there are paddleboards, island bushwalks, beach games and hammocks on the top deck.
Couples and groups. Cabin options run from a five-berth shared cabin through twins, triples and quads to private doubles and a superior queen, so a solo traveller and a couple wanting their own space can be on the same trip without either compromising.
Solo travellers. The shared cabin rate is the most affordable way onto this boat, and with 33 people over two nights and a shared dinner table, you won't be on your own for long.
Board mid-afternoon on day one and be under way by 4:00 pm, sailing out to a sheltered anchorage for dinner and the first night. Day two is the full day: Hill Inlet and Whitehaven in the morning, then across to the reef for the afternoon, sunset platters on deck, and a night dive for anyone certified. Day three is a sunrise, a last swim, and back alongside at Airlie by 2:00 pm.
No two trips run the same. The skipper sets the route around the weather and the tides, which is why the diving and the anchorages are consistently good rather than consistently identical.
Two nights aboard a recently refitted 33-berth yacht, with a chef in the galley, air conditioning in every cabin and an ensuite you don't have to share with the whole boat.
Everything below is optional and settled on board. There's an EFTPOS machine on the yacht, so you don't need to carry cash.
| First dive | $109 |
| Second dive | $99 |
| Third dive | $89 |
| Each dive after that | $75 |
| 4 dive package | $349 |
| 6 dive package | $449 |
| 8 dive package | $549 |
| First dive, including a 40-minute skills session | $160 |
| Each dive after that | $120 |
| 4 dive package | $499 |
| 6 dive package | $699 |
Summer Jo is the only 2 day 2 night vessel in the Whitsundays running the Advanced Dive Course on board. Certified Open Water divers can complete it over the trip. Contact us for a quote and to confirm availability before you sail.
| Dive torch | $25 per dive / $40 for the trip |
| Underwater camera, SD card yours to keep | $99 |
| Water and soft drinks | $4 |
| Dietary requirements surcharge | $15 per person, per night |
All prices in Australian dollars and current at time of publication. Dives are subject to age, conditions and the dive instructor's discretion.
Two nights and a full day among the Whitsunday Islands, with Whitehaven Beach, Hill Inlet and the fringing reefs at Border Island on the card. No two trips run the same — the skipper works the itinerary around the weather and the tides.
4:00 pm, Monday and Wednesday
Meet at 3:30 pm, Port of Airlie
2:00 pm, Wednesday and Friday
Port of Airlie
33 guests, 5 crew
Steel hull, 2.7 m draught
Be at Port of Airlie by 3:30 pm for check-in. Bring one soft overnight bag — hard cases don't fit in the cabins. Anything else can go into secure storage on Shute Harbour Road in Airlie Beach for the length of the trip.
Coming from Whitsunday Coast Airport, the shuttle to Airlie Beach takes around 40 minutes. From Hamilton Island, allow 35 to 50 minutes on the ferry to the mainland. Book transfers well ahead if you're arriving on the day.
Board mid-afternoon and be under way by 4:00 pm. The first evening is about settling in: the yacht sails out to a sheltered anchorage among the islands while the crew run through safety and the layout, and the chef gets dinner going. Eat on deck, watch the sun drop behind the islands, then it's cards in the saloon or the hammocks up top. Certified divers can talk to the instructor tonight about diving and the Advanced course over the next two days.
The full day, and the one people book the trip for.
Sunrise, coffee and a cooked breakfast. There's usually one last snorkel or dive and a final swim before the yacht turns for the mainland. Back alongside at Port of Airlie at 2:00 pm.
Summer Jo carries 33 guests with five crew, and has been through a full refit — new surfaces, new amenities throughout. Every cabin is air-conditioned with its own ensuite: shower, toilet and basin. Cabin options run from a five-berth shared cabin through twins, triples and quads to private doubles and a superior queen, so it works for solo travellers, couples and groups without anyone having to compromise. Above deck there's a saloon, wide lounging areas and hammocks. An onboard desalinator means fresh water and hot showers aren't rationed.
All meals are cooked on board by the yacht's chef and served family style. Expect cooked breakfasts, fresh salads and platters, and a proper dinner both nights. Tell us about dietary requirements when you book — there's a $15 per person, per night surcharge to cover the extra provisioning.
This is a sample itinerary. Sites, order and timings change with weather and tides, and the skipper's call is final.
Minimum age is 12 years, both to travel on Summer Jo and to scuba dive. Under-18s travel with a parent or guardian.
No certification needed. If you've never dived, your first dive includes a 40-minute skills session with an instructor before you go in. Intro dives run at a maximum of four divers per instructor.
Certified divers should bring their certification card and log book. Groups run up to eight divers per divemaster. A refresher isn't required no matter how long it's been, though you're welcome to do one if you'd rather ease back in.
Advanced Dive Course. Open Water certified divers can complete the Advanced course over the two days. Contact us before you book to confirm availability and pricing.
Note that this trip dives the fringing reefs around the Whitsunday Islands, not the outer Great Barrier Reef. If the outer reef is what you're after, look at the 3 day 3 night itinerary instead.
You will need a Diver Medical Certificate from a doctor before you can dive if you are over 45, or if you answer yes to any of the following:
Get the certificate from your own doctor before you travel if you can. If you need one in Airlie Beach, Whitsunday Doctors Service is at 257 Shute Harbour Road, opposite xBase — phone 07 4946 6241. Without it you won't be able to dive, and the fare isn't refundable on that basis, so sort it early.
Snorkelling has no medical requirement and is open to everyone on board.
Bring your own. No glass and no red wine — both are a problem on a moving boat with light-coloured interiors. Anyone who has been drinking is out of the water until the following day.
Tell us when you book, not when you board. Provisioning happens before the yacht leaves the marina. A $15 per person, per night surcharge applies.
One soft overnight bag per person. Hard suitcases won't fit in the cabins and can be left in secure storage in Airlie Beach for the trip.