9 Reasons to #GoBareboating in 2019

If you’ve been keeping an eye on your Instagram feed over the festive break you might have seen a few ‘Top 9’s’ or collections of photographs taking you out of 2018 and into the New Year.

Here at #GoBareboating we’ve been inspired to create our own Top 9.

We hope you enjoy this list of reasons to go bareboating in 2019, illustrated by some of our favourite photographers, bloggers, marine biologists and more.

#1 Time to daydream…

Everyone needs some time to daydream and here in the Whitsundays we can offer you exactly that.

Our very own Daydream Island is about to re-open to the public after an extensive renovation.

A much-loved attraction that has featured prominently in many a past bareboat charter, the new-look Daydream Island is guaranteed to impress.

New features include a revitalised pool landscape, expanded food and beverage offering and bigger and better ‘Living Reef’ coral lagoon.

Ask how you can visit this Whitsunday gem when booking your charter with any of our 5 #GoBareboating members.

(Photo @daydreamislandresort)

#2 Stay and play…

Our 74 Whitsunday islands have never been more accessible than they are now.

Over the past couple of years we’ve seen moorings installed in bays that were previously challenging anchorages, opening these areas up like never before.

There are new moorings at Sandy Bay on South Molle Island, offering another option for that first or last night.

Peter Bay and Cairn Beach at the top of Whitsunday Island are now on the mooring map, and visiting must-see places like Chalkie’s Beach and Saba Bay has never been easier than it is in 2019.

(Photo @julesingall)

#3 More to explore…

There is now more to explore in the Whitsundays thanks to the introduction of new walking tracks and look-out platforms, many of which are coming online in 2019.

Already complete are the walking tracks and lookouts at Langford and Border islands and an additional platform overlooking world-famous Hill Inlet and Whitehaven Beach.

Soon to be completed are the walking tracks and lookouts for Chalkie’s Beach and the southern end of Whitehaven Beach.

Here a 750-metre headland track will provide uninterrupted views of this 7km shoreline as well as the enthralling Solway Passage and Whitsunday islands to the south.

(Photo @markfitz)

#4 See sculptures below the sea…

Throughout 2019 the Whitsundays will become home to a series of underwater sculptures in conjunction with groundbreaking reef restoration projects.

Blue Pearl Bay, Manta Ray Bay and Langford Island are among the locations where sculptures including a giant coral polyp, dreamtime story about the reef, creation and maritime life, series of schooling manta rays, distinctive maori wrasse and interactive hawksbill turtle will be introduced.

While underwater art exists in other parts of the world, this is a first for our 74 Whitsunday islands and Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.

(Photo @reefecologic)

#5 Meet the locals…

A bareboating holiday is one of the best ways to get up close and personal with nature at its best.

Turtles abound in many of the popular island anchorages and if you’re lucky you might also see dolphins or dugong.

Humpback whales choose the warm, shallow waters of the Whitsundays as a place to breed and raise their calves during their annual migration between Antarctica and the tropics.

Cast off the lines anytime between mid-June and late-September for a once-in-a-lifetime experience with these gentle giants of the deep.

(Photo @shazatsea)

#6 Make memories with family and friends…

As each year ends and another begins, we often find ourselves reflecting on the importance of family and friends.

Our advice is to not let 2019 pass without doing something truly meaningful with the ones you love.

Going bareboating together is a way to make memories you’ll never forget.

(Photo @thesailingyogi)

#7 Tick a top destination off your bucket-list…

Is Whitehaven Beach on your list of places to see in 2019?

According to some of the world’s top travel publications and websites it should be and here at #GoBareboating we have to agree!

This amazing destination doesn’t make the number one spot on global ‘best beach’ surveys for nothing.

Go bareboating to see for yourself how stunning it really is.

Spending the night on your very own boat at this bucket-list destination and enjoying the scenery long after the day trippers have gone home is an experience that will live with you forever.

(Photo @bestplacesqld)

#8 Experience the Great Barrier Reef…

It’s one of the seven natural wonders of the world and the Great Barrier Reef is right on our doorstep.

There is no better way to experience the magic beneath the surface of the sea than from your own bareboat.

The Whitsunday islands are surrounded by fringing coral reefs, offering stunning snorkelling that’s easily accessible.

Be sure to ask our member companies for their recommended hotspots before you leave the dock.

(Photo @johnnygaskell)

#9 Get off the beaten track…

For every one of its must-see locations, the Whitsundays boasts a dozen hidden jewels.

If it’s solitude you seek there is nearly always a corner of this archipelago you can have entirely to yourself.

Brush up on the options by reading the boating bible ‘100 Magic Miles’ before you arrive, and confer with any of our member companies’ knowledgeable staff.

Let’s face it bareboating in the Whitsundays is not your average holiday.

You’re the master and commander of your very own vessel and there’s no licence required.

But that’s why we’ll ensure you’ve learned the ropes before slipping the lines and heading into our magical marine land.

So why not try something new.

Seek interesting and #GoBareboating in 2019.

You won’t be disappointed.

For more information or to book your next bareboating holiday visit www.gobareboating.com.

(Photo @whitsundaysphotography)