Airlie Beach Boardwalk

The Airlie Beach Boardwalk runs 7.4 km of flat, sealed path along the Whitsunday coast, linking Airlie Beach to Cannonvale Beach by way of the Coral Sea Marina. It is on lead the entire way, and the sanded beach at the eastern end is the only place your dog comes off it.

The walk. 7.4 km, rated easy, paved from end to end. Allow an hour and a half to two hours at a strolling pace. The path traces the waterline, so the views do the work and the grade asks nothing of an older dog. The sections built out over the water are the good part, and rays and turtles turn up below them often enough to be worth watching for.

The rules. Whitsunday Regional Council manages the walkway. Dogs stay on lead on the Bicentennial Walkway at all times, with no exceptions along its length. The one off-lead window is on the eastern sanded beach area, early morning and again in the evening. Dogs are banned outright from the playground and the BBQ areas. Off-lead times differ between the beaches on this stretch of coast and the council adjusts them, so read the current table on the council off-leash areas page before you unclip.

Water and heat. Public bubblers sit along the walkway, which is more than most coastal paths give you. Shade is the shortfall. The path is open for most of its length and the surface holds heat, so walk it early or late in the warmer months and put your hand on the paving before you commit a dog to it.

Hazards. Marine stingers are present in the warmer months, roughly October to May. That matters if you are heading down onto the sand at the off-lead end, less so on the boardwalk itself.

Getting there. Paid parking at the Airlie Beach lagoon end, free parking near Cannonvale Beach. A Whitsunday Transit bus runs between the two, so you can walk one way and ride back.

Nearby with the dogs. Fat Frog Beach Cafe sits at the Cannonvale end and Rufus and Co. is down at the Port of Airlie. Cannonvale Dog Exercise Area is the local run, and NRMA Airlie Beach Holiday Park takes dogs if you are staying over.

When to go. Before eight in the morning. Heat is the limiting factor here far more than crowds, and the early window doubles as the off-lead slot on the sand. Good for seniors, and for dogs who want a long flat outing without a climb in it.

Sources

• Animal off-leash areas - Whitsunday Regional Council · www.whitsundayrc.qld.gov.au
• Airlie Beach Boardwalk - AllTrails · www.alltrails.com

Compiled from public sources and verified listings. Always confirm current rules with the venue or council before you travel.