Within sight of the crowds that visit the main body of the Whitsunday Islands lay a few smaller islands to the south that are rarely visited. Beyond the usual range of the charter boat fleet lies Thomas Island, offering scenic anchorages from most prevailing winds.

We visited Thomas Island a couple of times this year, using the change of winds to move north and south through the Whitsundays, heading to Airlie for food, and back to Thomas when the winds go to the north.

One of our favourite places is the little bay on the south side, where we can anchor on sand in a channel between two edges of fringing coral when the winds move around to the north, but care must be taken to ensure you clear out of here before the SE trade winds blow in again.