Top 13 Things For Families To Do On Hamilton Island

There’s more to Hamilton Island than resort pools and swanky restaurants. For the ultimate family holiday, check out these top activities for young and old.

All yours – sailing the Whitsundays around Hamilton Island (photo: Elise Hassey).

Go sailing

The Whitsundays are renowned Australia-wide for being the perfect place to learn to sail, and plenty of people do, thanks to numerous bare-boating charter options .

Catamaran Catseye Beach, Hamilton Island — One of the great activities on Hamilton Island is catamaran sailing in the protected waters around Catseye Beach

However, if you’re looking for a sailing experience while keeping your feet planted on solid ground (that is, Hamilton) at night, then consider hiring a mini catamaran. Kids and adults can try their hand at sailing these two-hulled catamarans around the safe waters of Catseye Bay.

If that sounds too daunting, sign up for a private or group lesson. Check in with Hamilton Island Beach Sports on Catseye Beach to find out when the wind and tides are suitable, and ask your hotel staff if it includes complimentary hire.

Hire a dinghy

If hiring a catamaran isn’t for you, don’t worry. You don’t have to hoist a sail and learn the ropes to enjoy a day on the water in the Whitsundays. Charter a dinghy from Hamilton Island Tour Desk and take the family on a half- or full-day sightseeing, swimming or fishing excursion.

Pack a picnic and go ashore at a hidden cove for a lunch to remember, or jump overboard for family snorkelling fun.

If you want to go fishing, you can pick up the basics at Hamilton Island Marina. Parents take note: no boating experience is required.

Learn how to fish

If you’re keen to go fishing but don’t know your squid jigs from your spinnerbaits, sign up for a tour. Renegade Fishing Charters runs half- and full-day excursions from Hamilton Island around the Whitsundays, with all gear included.

You can join a shared charter or, if you’re travelling with extended family or friends, book a private charter (children must be aged 6–14 years). Expect to reel in coral trout, snapper and cod, among other species. Once you return to the marina you can organise to have a Hamilton Island chef cook your catch for dinner. Not bad for a hard day at sea.

Day-trip to Whitehaven Beach

It’s the star attraction of the Whitsundays and the subject of thousands of Instagram snaps, but what we love about Whitehaven Beach is how kid-friendly it is. The aqua water meanders away from the white-sand shore, creating a shallow and safe play area for babies and small children.

To get there from Hamilton, you can join a Cruise Whitsundays’ tour , which calls into the island after departing Airlie Beach, the main town servicing the region.

Or, you can join Explore’s Sail & Snorkel Whitehaven and Chalkies Beach full-day excursion (minimum age is five). Running daily (from April) between 8.30am and 4pm, you’ll get to cruise around the Whitsundays, swim at Whitehaven, enjoy an on-board buffet lunch and snorkel at Chalkies (keep your eyes peeled for turtles). Snorkelling gear, stinger suits and life vests are provided.

Snorkelling Great Barrier Reef, Hamilton Island — A trip to Hamilton Island is not complete without a trip to snorkel or dive the Great Barrier Reef

Reef snorkelling and diving

If snorkelling at Chalkies whets your appetite for more underwater adventure, Explore also offers a half-day Snorkel & Dive Whitsunday Islands tour . Departing from Hamilton Island, you’ll be taken to the best snorkel sites to spend two hours swimming around the region’s coral reefs.

The tours operate frequently, however certified diving is only available on Mondays and Fridays. The minimum age for snorkelling is five, while divers need to be 14 years or older.

Make time for ice-cream

Put the paleo bars away for an afternoon and shout the kids, and yourself, a treat from the Ice Cream Parlour down at Marina Village. Go all out and order a sundae or double chocolate-coated waffle cone.

If you prefer gelato, there are 12 flavours to pick from at Pizzeria and Gelato Bar across the way. While you’re there, why not grab a slab of pepperoni pizza for dinner, too?

Pool, Reef View Hotel, Hamilton Island — The 35m pool at the Reef View Hotel, Hamilton Island, has plenty of space for families

Swim in the pools or at the beach

There are plenty of pools to enjoy on Hamilton Island, including the popular 35-metre pool at Reef View Hotel .

However, if you’re craving a little sand and salt, you’ll want to head to Catseye Beach.

Catseye Beach Hamilton island — The view of Catseye Beach from the Reef View Hotel, Hamilton Island

Go for a swim or hire a stand-up paddleboard, catamaran, windsurfer or kayak from Hamilton Island Beach Sports. You can also pick up snorkelling gear here, or join a guided snorkelling tour.

Race around the island on a quad bike or go kart

Who knew quad biking or go karting was a thing on Hamilton Island?

For a tropical adventure that’s bound to get your little ones’ hearts racing, make time for a session or two of Quads for Kids. Children aged between six and 14 can zoom around a quad-bike circuit for 15 minutes.

They’ll get a safety briefing beforehand and be guided by experienced instructors, so there’s no need to worry. The tour times change depending on the season, so ask your hotel information desk when checking in. Riders will need long pants and closed shoes, so don’t forget to pack them.

If they’re smiling from ear to ear after that experience, take the kids along to the go-kart track and ride with them.

The quad biking and go-karting are located at Palm Valley Activities and there are age and height restrictions, so call ahead.

Hit the water on a jet ski

Keep the adrenaline pumping on a jet-ski tour around the Whitsundays.

This is a great family activity, as Mum or Dad can be the main rider, with a child above the age of 12 as a passenger. An instructor will show you the ropes before taking you to some of Hamilton Island’s secret spots and to outer channels.

Aside from the fun factor, the tour is a great way to learn about the aquatic environment and you may be lucky enough to spot turtles and whales. The hour-long tours run daily (weather dependent) and depart from the marina.

Go for a spin in a jet boat

Teenagers will love thrashing around the waters off Hamilton on a jet-boat.

The HI Watersports Jetryder Tour is 30 minutes of high-speed action during which you’re bound to get soaked.

Mini wild ones will have to wait until they’re older for this tour, with children needing to be at least 1.2 metres tall. There is also a maximum age restriction of 65 years.

The tours run regularly from Marina Village and life jackets are provided.

Strike out at bowling

If you’re visiting during the tropical summer (January to March) and get caught in a downpour, or you’re craving time out of the sun, head along to Island Bowling . Open from 1.30pm until 9pm daily, you can test out your skills at nine-pin bowling (yes nine, not 10) at Hamilton Island Resort Centre, next to Beach Club hotel.

Turn up the fun factor by playing at night when the lanes, pins and balls glow in the dark. Ask for the bumpers and ramps if you have young children.

Putt putt with glowing balls

For outdoor fun that doesn’t involve swimmers and sand, enjoy a round of mini golf near the Sports Club.

If you loved night-time bowling then you’ll want to try glow-in-the-dark putt putt, too. It’s on between 6pm–8pm, while daytime hours tee off at 6am.

Meet a koala

Create long-lasting moments for your kids by signing them up for a cuddly koala photo op at WILD LIFE Hamilton Island .

Situated not far from the major resorts, this island animal park is open daily and also includes a breakfast with koalas. If you prefer your animal meet-and-greets not so cute and fluffy, put your hand up for a dingo, snake or bird photo encounter instead.

The park is also home to kangaroos and a crocodile, and you can learn about them on guided tours.

Under wide-open outback skies, discover a fossicking gem that’s managed to slip under the radar.

While the name Clermont may feel new to even the most intrepid traveller, its gilded history stretches back centuries. You’ll find it just off the highway, humming quietly under the hazy veil of Queensland’s outback sun. It’s here, hemmed in by mountains and perched atop soil heavy with the earth’s treasures, that one of Australia’s most accessible outback adventures awaits.

Thanks to deposits of gold, copper and gemstones – souvenirs left by exploding supernovas and the heave of tectonic plates – Clermont became a centre point of Queensland’s Gold Rush. And now? Australia’s fossicking capital is yours to discover.

Getting there

car driving along Capricorn Way in queensland — Take a drive through Queensland’s Mackay Isaac region. (Image: Sean Scott/ TEQ)

You’ll find Clermont in Queensland’s Mackay Isaac region. To get here, it’s an easy three-hour drive over sealed roads from Mackay. Or, if you’re heading from the Sapphire Fields of Emerald, the drive will carve out just over an hour from your day.

Whether you’re road-tripping through outback Queensland or just tracing your way through all that Australia has to offer, Clermont is remote but easily accessible.

Best accommodation in Clermont

Theresa CreekDam in clermont — Camp by Theresa Creek Dam. (Image: Riptide Creative/ TEQ)

All accommodation comes with a generous helping of country hospitality here. The choice is yours between modern hotels, parking up the camper or pitching a tent.

Theresa Creek Dam lies just outside town. Begin each day with crisp country air and bright outback sunrises. Spend the night under the sparkling country stars and your days out on the dam fishing or kayaking. Even if you aren’t camping, be sure to save space in your itinerary for an afternoon on the red dirt shore.

To stay closer to town, opt for a central hotel to base yourself between exploring and fossicking, like Smart Stayzzz Inn and Clermont Country Motor Inn .

Things to do in Clermont

three people on a tour with Golden Prospecting — Join a tour with Golden Prospecting.

One does not visit Clermont without trying their hand at fossicking. There are strict rules when it comes to fossicking, so stick to areas dedicated for general permission and make sure you obtain your license beforehand. Try your luck at McMasters , Four Mile , Town Desert, McDonald Flat and Flat Diggings . To increase your odds, sign on for a tour with the expert team at Golden Prospecting . They’ll give you access to exclusive plots and expert advice along the way.

Once you’ve tried your luck on the gold fields, head to the Clermont Township and Historical Museum . Each exhibit works like an archaeologist’s brush to dust away the layers of Clermont’s history. Like the steam engine that painstakingly relocated the entire town inch by inch to higher ground after it was decimated by flooding in 1916. See the tools that helped build the Blair Athol mine, historic fire engines, shearing sheds and all sorts of relics that make up Clermont’s story.

The historic Copperfield Chimney offers a change of pace. Legend has it that fossickers found a solid wall of copper here, over three metres high, kick-starting Queensland’s first-ever copper mine.

Bush Heli Services flying over clermont queensland — See Clermont from above with Bush Heli Services. (Image: Riptide Creative/ TEQ)

For hiking, nearby Dysart is the best place to access Peak Range National Park. Here, mountainous horizons stretch across the outback as if plucked from another world. Set off for a scenic drive along the Peak Downs Highway for access to countless geological wonders. Like the slanting rockface of Wolfang Peak. Summit it, and you’ll find yourself looking out across a scene surely conjured up by Banjo Paterson. Dry scrub dancing in the warm breeze, grazing cattle, eucalypts and the gentle creak of windmills. Don’t miss visiting Gemini Peaks, either, for one of the park’s best vistas, and a blanket of wild flowers after rain.

Then, take to the skies with a scenic helicopter tour with Bush Heli-Services . Shift your perspective and cruise above all the sights from your trip. Spots like Lords Table Mountain and Campbell’s Peak are best viewed from the skies.

Before you head home, be sure to explore the neighbouring townships. Spend a lazy afternoon in the shade of Nebo Hotel’s wrap-around verandahs . The hotel’s 1900s dance hall has since been replaced with one of the area’s biggest rodeo arenas, so consider timing your trip to line up with a boot scootin’ rodeo. Or, stop by a ghost town. Mount Britton was once a thriving town during the 1880s Gold Rush. It’s been totally abandoned and now lies untouched, a perfect relic of the Gold Rush.

Best restaurants and cafes in Clermont

meal at Commercial Hotel — Stop into the Commercial Hotel Clermont.

Days spent fossicking, bushwalking and cramming on history call for excellent coffee and hearty country meals. Luckily, Clermont delivers in spades.

Lotta Lattes Cafe is beloved by locals for a reason. Start your days here for the best caffeine fix in town and an impeccable brunch menu.

For a real country meal, an icy cold beer and that famed country hospitality, head straight to the town’s iconic hotel: the Commercial Hotel (known endearingly to locals as ‘The Commie’). It’s been a staple in Clermont since 1877. The hotel even survived the flood of 1916 when it was sawn in two and moved to higher ground.

Naturally, time spent in the outback must include calling into the local bakery. For delicious pies and a tantalising array of sweet treats, make Bluemac Bakehouse your go-to while in town.

Discover more of The Mackay Isaac region, and start planning your trip at mackayisaac.com.

The 13 best things to do for families on Hamilton Island