A Scenic and Cultural Journey, for Just 15 People a Day, on Whitsunday Island’s New Multi-Day Walk

Whitehaven Beach, in Tropical North Queensland, is regularly voted one of the world’s best beaches for its perfect stretch of silica-white sand. At its northern end, there’s the picturesque Hill Inlet, where shifting sands and gin-clear waters create a colour-wheel of turquoises, teals and blues that changes with the tide and light. 

These two iconic destinations on Whitsunday Island are soon to be connected by a new multi-day walking trail, due to open in May 2026. The 32-kilometre Ngaro Track, developed by Queensland Parks & Wildlife Service (QPWS) in collaboration with the Ngaro Traditional Owners, starts at Whitehaven Beach and ends at Hill Inlet, leading walkers past ancient rainforests, vibrant mangroves, boulder-strewn creeks and craggy peaks in between.  

It’s a cultural journey as much as a scenic one. Interpretive signage has been installed along the track, plus 12 art installations created by Ngaro family groups who are the Ttraditional Ccustodians of the island, to share Ngaro stories, language and songlines. 

Because it’s a completely new track, not an upgrade of an existing one, there’s purpose-built infrastructure such as boardwalks, fixed ladders at the top of Whitsunday Craig, the highest point on the walk, and two architect-designed campsites with communal cooking and dining areas, hardwood tent platforms and composting toilets with island views. 

One track, three ways

You can do the Ngaro Track independently, carrying all your own food, water and camping gear. Bookings are compulsory through the Ngaro Track website run by QPWS, which has all the information you need, including a training schedule, mandatory packing list and how to book your ferry transfer to the island. This is the cheapest way to access the track, costing $150 per person.

Or, go with adventure travel company World Expeditions, which QPWS selected to run guided walks on the track.

World Expeditions’ key Ngaro Track experience is the all-inclusive Walk in Comfort. All you have to carry is a small pack containing your clothes, personal items such as sunscreen and toiletries, water and a sleeping bag. When you reach camp each afternoon your spacious tent, big enough to stand up in and containing two comfortable beds with real pillows, will already be set up, so you can relax while the guides cook a three-course dinner, with wine. They’ll prepare breakfast too, and picnic lunches are provided on the trail each day. 

“It’s a fantastic introduction to multi-day hiking,” says Michael Buggy, director of World Expeditions’ Australasian operations. “You don’t have to carry a heavy pack, you have experienced guides with you and although you’re walking eight8 to 12 kilometres each day, it’s only three days, which is doable for most people with a bit of training.”

To cater to as many demographics as possible, World Expeditions also offers a Full Pack Guided Hike on the Ngaro Track. You supply and carry all your own food and camping gear, but boat transfers to Whitsunday Island are included in the cost as well as a guide to ensure you get safely from A to B and provide interpretation along the way. 

“This trip is designed for someone who’s happy to carry a full pack weighing 12 to 18 kilograms but might not be comfortable in a remote environment,” says Buggy. “It might be their first multi-day hike or they’d just like the safety net of walking with professional guides.” 

“You could easily walk the whole track and not see anyone else”

What’s unusual about this walk is that only 15 people can be on the track each day, a limit imposed by QPWS and the Traditional Owners, and fully supported by World Expeditions, to create an immersive experience. Other Australian hiking trails, such as Tasmania’s Three Capes and Overland tracks, also have walker limits, but they’re not as restricted.

“Whitehaven Beach and Hill Inlet in particular are absolutely stunning, but they also attract thousands of day-trippers,” says Buggy. “So being able to experience those places, and other spots that day-visitors can’t get to, in such a small group is a really special experience. You could easily walk the whole track and not see anyone else.”

How challenging is it? 

World Expeditions calls this an “introductory-moderate” hike, and the QPWS has designated the Ngaro Track as grade 4 and 5. In other words, you’ll walk for five to eight hours a day over rugged terrain with a bit of boulder-hopping and a few steep ascents and descents, culminating in the climb to Whitsunday Craig, 353 metres above sea level, on day two.

“Whitsunday Craig is the perfect challenge for this kind of walk,” says Buggy, who has done the Ngaro Track twice and visited parts of it several times during its construction. “With a bit of training, almost anyone can get up there, but it’s tough enough that when you reach the top you feel like you’ve really achieved something.” 

The challenging bits are also counterbalanced by opportunities to take off your hiking boots and walk barefoot on the beach, and to swim each day in those clear, turquoise waters. 

One of Buggy’s favourite spots is the campsite on the second night. “It’s nestled in the trees right on the beach so you can swim before dinner, after dinner, before breakfast. … And there’s no one around because although it’s a public beach, the tides make it difficult to access. That’s what this walk is all about.” 

The Ngaro Track opens for hiking from May to October 2026. World Expeditions’ inaugural Ngaro Track Walk in Comfort trip departs on May 4, 2026; these trips start at $2,195 per person. The Ngaro Track Full Pack Guided Hike starts at $1,695 per person. Walking the Ngaro Track independently costs $150 per person; for bookings and more information see Ngaro Track.

This story is part of Broadsheet’s special Travel Issue, presented by Commonwealth Bank and Travel Booking via the CommBank app.