Bowen

Bowen is a jewel in the Whitsunday crown with untouched beaches, beautiful bays and a perfect tropical climate. Bowen is one of the undiscovered treats of Queensland and an ideal destination for those seeking a laidback beach holiday. Bowen is situated in the northern region of the Whitsundays on the shores of Edgecumbe Bay, just 40 minutes drive north from Airlie Beach. It's a picturesque seaside town that offers a beachcomber's paradise with eight award-winning, palm-fringed beaches to explore plus great reef, beach and estuary fishing. With a daily average of eight hours of sunshine all through the year it can also lay claim to having Australia's best climate. The azure waters of the Whitsundays lap the shores of Bowen's tropical beaches, recognized as some of Queensland's most pristine. The most popular are Horseshoe Bay and Queens Beach but visitors are well provided for at most of the beaches in the Bowen area with facilities including barbecues, picnic tables, children's playgrounds and neatly maintained parkland areas and the ideal location for a family day out by the beach. With some of the best fringing reefs of the Queensland coast lying just a few metres offshore from it's not surprising that the area attracts snorkellers and divers keen to explore the coral gardens. Granite outcrops shelter the waters that are the habitat for a host of tropical fish that inhabit this corner of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. There are reefs waiting to be discovered just off the beaches of Horseshoe Bay, Grays Bay, Murray Bay and Rose Bay. Bowen is now home to the famous 'Big Mango'. This is situated next to the Bowen Visitor Information Centre on the Bruce Highway. The Centre stocks a range of Mango souvenirs and preserves as well as the famous locally produced 'Mango Ice Cream'.