Australia - Hamilton Island
On arrival in Hamilton Island we were met by our representative who took us to check-in to the Reef View Hotel before a wonderful lunch at the ‘Sails’ restaurant.
The Reef View Hotel is in an excellent location overlooking the Whitsunday Islands at the Great Barrier Reef and has great facilities including a 35-metre swimming pool, lounge bar, and in-house pool terrace restaurant serving buffet breakfast, light lunches and à la carte dinner menu plus Reef View Hotel guests have complimentary use of non-motorised water sports and the hotel has a tours and activities desk, lobby shop and fully serviced business centre. All rooms have a balcony, internet access and bathroom with separate bath and shower. Garden view rooms have leafy views and part ocean, while each Coral Sea View room has beautiful views over Catseye Bay Whitsunday Island.
‘Sails’ Steak and Seafood Grill overlooks the dolphin pool and out to Catseye Beach - so breakfast, lunch and dinner come with a beautiful view. A buffet breakfast is available in the morning, with lunch and dinner serving a variety of fresh seafood along with Australian premium beef.
In the evening we enjoyed a wonderful trip aboard ‘On The Edge’ sailing boat, watching the sunset over the Whitsunday Islands and enjoying complimentary wine and nibbles.
We were invited to see the other beautiful hotels and accommodation on Hamilton Island starting with ‘Palm Bungalows’ which are ideal for both couples and families large or small. They are built as Island-Style freestanding bungalows and are excellent if you are travelling on a budget. They are set amongst tropical landscaped gardens offering a ‘back to nature’ experience. The bungalows offer seclusion in a great location, with the island’s main swimming pool, shops and restaurants of Marina Village just a short walk away.
After visiting the Palm Bungalows we headed over to ‘The Beach Club’ boutique hotel which sits right on the beach front with beautiful views of the Whitsunday Islands. The Beach Club is surrounded by landscaped gardens on Catseye Beach and is a boutique retreat exclusively for adults. All rooms have a stylish and relaxed beach house feel and have a private courtyard or balcony looking onto Catseye Beach and the Coral Sea.
From ‘The Beach Club’ we went over to the Hamilton Island ‘Yacht Club Villas’ which are a short walk from Hamilton Island Yacht Club. The Villas have a wonderful waterfront position with ocean views, each with plenty of space – ideal for larger groups or families but with plenty of privacy and space as each villa has three to four levels according to its position. The four bedroom villas have an open plan living/dining room, an ultra-modern kitchen with Miele appliances, four bedrooms, four bathrooms, a separate laundry room, full air conditioning and a private golf buggy for guest use, plus the Villas are located alongside Hamilton Island Marina where there is plenty of dining and shopping outlets. All Yacht Club Villas are also within easy reach of the 18-hole championship Hamilton Island Golf Club.
After leaving the Yacht Club Villas our final stop was the stunning boutique adult only hotel ‘qualia’ which won the award for Best Resort in the World, 2012 by Condé Nast Traveler Readers' Choice Awards. qualia is tucked away on Hamilton Island’s northern-most tip, with 60 private pavilions each one facing the water, surrounded by tropical bushland with stunning uninterrupted views over the sea from every room.
There are various dining options in qualia including In - Pavilion with platters of chef-prepared nibbles to share, available 24 hours a day. The most exclusive of the Hamilton Island restaurants for lunchtime dining, Pebble Beach has an island setting where you can enjoy chilled cocktails served by the infinity-edge pool…and to add to this, Hamilton Island has around 14 restaurants so you will never be stuck for choice.
Transport on the island is primarily golf buggies, no cars are allowed on the island unless for delivery or residents of which there are around only 1500. A truly beautiful and lush tropical Island.
After enjoying the beautiful ‘qualia’ we continued our day with a fabulous boat trip to ‘Whitehaven Beach’ with ‘Cruise Whitsundays’. The journey took around 90 minutes however less time on the return journey as they take an alternative route. Refreshments and nibbles were enjoyed along with the beautiful weather and stunning views from the water of the Whitsunday Islands.
In the evening we had the pleasure of attending the Travel Counsellors annual Australian conference which was held at the Yacht Club where we enjoyed wonderful food and entertainment before retiring for the evening back to The Reef View Hotel.
After a freshly cooked breakfast in the Hamilton Island wildlife Park Café we had photos holding a Kuala… such a beautiful animal and one which sleeps between 18 and 20 hours per day – quite an experience whilst you’re having breakfast looking at a sleeping Kuala in a tree in the cafe! Wonderful!