Whitsunday Islands are a group of more than 90 tropical islands off the northern coast of Queensland, Australia, between Bowen and Mackay. All of the islands and their surrounding waters are part of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Site. Many of the islands have also been declared national parks by the Queensland government. The islands are famous for their white sand beaches and clear blue waters. Tourists stay on Long, South Molle, and Hayman islands.
The Whitsunday Islands are the traditional home of the Ngaro Aboriginal people. The Ngaro people have inhabited the area for thousands of years. Archaeological evidence for Ngaro occupation includes stone tools, fish traps, and cave paintings found at Nara Inlet on Hook Island. James Cook discovered Whitsunday Passage on what he thought was Whitsunday (the seventh Sunday after Easter), 1770.
