The Whitsunday Coast has long been a popular destination for tourists heading up the east coast of Australia; a few hours south of Cairns it offers a picturesque destination for budgets ranging from back packer to billionaire.

With Ivana Trump's new resort development under way and a number of other prospective resorts planned for the mainland and the islands, the Whitsunday area is set to receive a well needed facelift. The mainland town of Airlie Beach resembles any beachside tourist town, poxy clubs, oversized bikini warehouses and memorabilia shops where you can get t-shirts that range from kitsch to obscene.

Aside from the bars and heavily overpriced restaurants, and sub-standard massage parlours, Airlie Beach offers the usual array of coastal activities like jet skiing, parasailing and swimming. The majority of swimming takes place in the impressively designed lagoon, which is a council pool provided to avoid the risk of box jellyfish injuries. Despite the fact that you're not actually swimming in the ocean, the lagoon is clean, spacious and a much better option than wearing a stinger suit.

Airlie Beach is also the main port of call for cruises and boat hire, where you can explore the beautiful islands that lie off the coast. For around $300 you can have an all expenses paid day trip out to the Great Barrier Reef for snorkelling and scuba diving on some of the greatest reefs in the world.

Those with sea legs and an adventurous edge can even hire a yacht or join a 3 day, 2 night cruise. Another worthwhile day trip is a visit to Whitehaven Beach. Often cited as being one of the most spectacular and unspoilt beaches in the world it's easy to understand why. Sitting on sand so fine it feels like flour and so white it looks like snow, the crystal blue water runs to the horizon and due to the limited access, there won't be people shaking their towel out next to you, as there are usually no more than thirty people on the beach at any given time.

Those with a larger budget can splash out and stay on one of the many islands in the Whitsundays. Accommodation is a touch pricey (some resorts start at $500 a night) but you have the benefit of a less crowded holiday. Once again the islands offer your usual array of water sports, but box jellyfish are still a problem.

Budget airlines can get you to inland Proserpine and back for around $400 or you can pay to fly straight into the islands - that being a 3 hour trip from Sydney and possibly longer from elsewhere. The Whitsundays are a feasibly affordable winter escape for everyone - with temperatures reaching as low as the mid 20s, there's no reason to be rugged up on a winter weekend in Sydney anymore.