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How you can see Australia’s iconic Heart Reef up close and personal

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It doesn’t get much better than the beautiful and mesmerising Heart Reef – and now, for the first time ever, people are able to experience it up close and personal.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Until recent months, the only way travellers were able to experience the Heart Reef was way above in the sky for a stunning scenic flight. </span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BysEZFRFSiR/" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BysEZFRFSiR/" target="_blank">A post shared by SALTY WiNGS (@saltywings)</a> on Jun 14, 2019 at 4:30am PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Now, after a decade of development and $2 million spent to make an impossible mission possible, visitors will now get the rare opportunity to see it up close with the launch of Whitsundays Heart Island. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">What makes it a sight to behold isn’t just the fact that it’s in the most iconic destination filled with privacy and solitude, but travellers can also take pride in the fact that they are one of the first people to have exclusive access to the luxury experience. </span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bz7MTAfnBDG/" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bz7MTAfnBDG/" target="_blank">A post shared by Hamilton Island (@hamiltonisland)</a> on Jul 14, 2019 at 9:59pm PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Heart Island provides our guests with an unsurpassable way to explore the wonders of the Great Barrier Reef," Bourke said in a statement.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Since being purchased by the Oatley family in 2003, Hamilton Island has worked to become a world-class destination, epitomised by our six-star luxury resort qualia. We are proud to offer this preeminent experience for our guests in partnership with Hamilton Island Air."</span></p>

Cruising

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This airline is offering $33 flights to the Whitsundays

<p>Tigerair Australia has good news for any seniors looking for an opportunity to escape the Autumn chill, introducing rock-bottom airfares to the Whitsundays.</p> <p>The sale, which ends midday, May 9 or until sold old, is in support of Whitsunday Tourism recovery efforts post-Cyclone Debbie, which left the holiday region devastated.  </p> <p>Airfares start at an incredible $33 each way from Brisbane, and $66 each way from Sydney, which seems almost too good to be true.</p> <p>Tourism operators are banding together to support the beleaguered region, with more than 150 recently rolling out beach towels to spread the Welcome Back message.  </p> <p><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWhitsundayEscape%2Fvideos%2Fvb.237440622942992%2F1410417558978620%2F%3Ftype%3D3&amp;show_text=0&amp;width=560" width="560" height="315" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p> <p>Tourism Whitsundays chief executive Craig Turner, It's important the world knows that most hotels have opened their doors, tours are back on the water and the sun is again shining on the Whitsundays.”</p> <p>If you’ve ever had an urge to visit the Whitsunday’s, now’s the time to do so. For more information or to access the sale, <a href="https://tigerair.com.au/destinations/flights-whitsunday" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>click here</strong></span></a>. </p>

International Travel

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10 jaw-dropping photographs of the Whitsundays

<p>Lying on the northeast coast of Queensland, the Whitsunday Islands are a gateway to the Great Barrier Reef and one of the real highlights of Australia.</p> <p>The 74 islands that make up the Whitsundays are characterised by dense rainforest, winding hiking trails and white, sandy beaches, giving the region an iconic beauty.</p> <p>Australian travel photographer Lisa Michele Burns captures this beauty in her photography, showcased in the gallery above, which features the best the Whitsunday Islands have to offer from deserted islands to gorgeous, sprawling stretches of coral.</p> <p>To see all the photographs, scroll through the gallery above. If you’re as impressed as we are, you can also discover more of Lisa’s travel photography <a href="http://www.lisamicheleburns.com/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">here</span></strong></a>.</p> <p>Have you ever explored the Whitsundays? If so, what was the highlight?</p> <p>Let us know in the comments.</p> <p><em>Image credit: Instagram / the_wanderinglens</em></p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="http://oversixty.co.nz/travel/international/2016/04/6-places-to-whale-watch-in-australia/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>6 places to go whale watching in Australia</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="http://oversixty.co.nz/travel/international/2016/07/7-best-beaches-on-australias-east-coast/"><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">7 best beaches on Australia’s east coast</span></em></strong></a></p> <p><a href="http://oversixty.com.au/news/news/2016/07/whale-puts-on-stunning-show-for-jet-skiers/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Whale puts on stunning show for jet skiers in Queensland</strong></em></span></a></p>

International Travel