Long Island

Long Island is a 9-kilometre-long island in the Molle Group of the Whitsunday Islands, off the central Queensland coast near Airlie Beach and Shute Harbour. Located within Whitsunday Islands National Park and the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area, it is known for its dense tropical rainforest, fringing coral reefs, secluded sandy beaches and extensive walking tracks. The island hosts eco-resorts and is accessed only by boat, offering a quieter alternative to larger Whitsunday islands.

Visitors can expect a largely natural, forested island with 13 km of walking tracks through tropical rainforest and along headlands, small sandy beaches with fringing coral reefs for snorkelling and swimming, and sheltered bays with moorings for boats. The island has two low-key eco-resorts (Palm Bay Resort and Elysian Retreat) and otherwise undeveloped national park land with picnic areas and lookouts. Access is by private boat or resort ferry from Shute Harbour, with no roads or cars on the island.

Long Island is part of the traditional sea country of the Ngaro people, who inhabited the Whitsunday Islands for thousands of years. The Whitsunday Passage was named by Captain James Cook in 1770. The island was later used for pastoral and tourism purposes and was gazetted as part of Whitsunday Islands National Park to protect its natural and cultural values within the Great Barrier Reef region.

The island holds cultural significance as part of Ngaro sea country, with documented cultural sites including shell middens and rock art in the broader Whitsunday Islands. The island's rainforest, reefs and beaches remain culturally important and are managed jointly for conservation and visitor appreciation.