Hamilton Island is the largest inhabited island of the Whitsunday Islands. It is the only island in the Great Barrier Reef with its own commercial airport, with short direct flights from Sydney, Melbourne Brisbane and Cairns. Every August they host the annual Hamilton Island Race Week yachting festival, which more than 150 yachts from around Australia and New Zealand gather for a week of racing around the islands. Visitors can catch a glimpse of migrating whales as they make their way through warmer waters from July to September each year.