Experience More...
Whitehaven Beach is renokowned for its pure white sand and its beautiful scenery.
The sand consists of 98% pure silica which gives it a bright white color. Local rocks do not contain silica, geologists suggest the sands were brought to the beach via prevailing ocean currents over millions of years.
The Whitsundays lay in a geologically active zone, where volcanic activity continued for 37 million years. Explosive eruptions threw rock and ash into the air to rain down on the surrounding land. Layers of volcanic debris built up and gradually formed a solid bedrock. Today, this bedrock, composed of ash and rock fragments 'welded' together, can still be seen on Whitsunday and Hook islands. This hardened rock appears as a smooth greenish grey to brown, and is worn away by saltwater wave action. |
Tip ...Bring a lightweight esky bag to the beach with you so you have somewhere cool to keep your drinks.
Whitehaven has very little shade protection so slap on a hat, slip on a shirt and slop on the sunscreen!
Beware of seagulls steeling food! Please do not feed the gulls. |
