Sure, it’s technically only the first day of spring, but in Australia’s most dreamy tropical paradise – the Whitsundays – summer is already in full swing. Just a quick flight from Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney, this beautiful cluster of islands off Queensland’s coast is one of the most sought-after destinations in Australia. And now, thanks to Jetstar, South Australians can get a head start on their summer holidays with new direct flights from Adelaide to the Whitsundays.
Today (September 1) marks the first time Jetstar has serviced this direct flight route, which will create seats for more than 58,000 passengers per year. The budget airline will operate three weekly flights – on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday – meaning you could be snorkelling in the unbelievably blue Coral Sea or sipping fine wines in the Barossa in less than three hours.
There’s no wrong way to explore the Whitsundays’ 74 islands, including Hamilton, Hayman and Daydream. You can sunbake on the silica-white sands of Whitehaven Beach (ranked fifth best in the world), fly over the Instagram-worthy Heart Reef, wander through the picturesque national parks (fun fact: the Whitsundays is 70 per cent national park), or camp at Australia’s best secret beach.
The Whitsundays also serve as a gateway to the World Heritage-listed Great Barrier Reef, where you can glide over gorgeous coral gardens in a glass-bottom boat ride and snorkel with thousands of brightly coloured fish.
To mark the launch, Jetstar is offering up $119 one-way tickets, available in their Life’s a Beach Sale. You'll need to act fast though as the sale ends at 11.59pm on Monday, September 2.
Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Australia newsletter for more news, travel inspo and activity ideas, straight to your inbox.