A Slice of Paradise

I woke up to all possible shades of blue that morning. Clear blue skies, a gentle breeze, the soothing sound of the waves gently touching the sand and the reflection of the swaying green trees in the bluest of waters made me wonder if I was really awake or was I still dreaming with my eyes wide open. Even before I set out on the journey I was sure that the Great Barrier Reef would be an amazing place but staying on the Reef itself was indeed like a dream come true. Hamilton Island is perfectly located just off the Queensland coast of Australia and at the edge of the Great Barrier Reef. Of the 74 Whitsunday Islands it is the largest inhabited island and was going to be my home for the next 4 days.

The Reef View hotel was a very comfortable stay and had the best view that I had ever woken up to.  For a touch of 5 star luxury Hamilton Island offers The Beach club right next to the Catseye Beach, overlooking the Coral Sea, an adults-only oasis. With its spectacular beachfront location, private restaurant and lounge, child-free ambience and personalised service, the Beach Club Hamilton Island is the ultimate couples’ getaway. For families there are self-contained Palm Bungalows offering villa style of stays but my personal favourite was Qualia, the ultimate luxury resort. Located at the northern tip of Hamilton Island, Qualia was a piece of heaven tucked away in the lush tropical gardens. I could picturise myself sitting here watching the sunset on the deck near the private infinity-edged pools of the Windward villas overlooking the spectacular coral sea.

The best part of Hamilton was getting around the island. It’s very easy to rent Golf buggies to travel around the island and our excitement matched that of a five year old as we took to the wheel and set off across the island to discover its treasures.  A special breakfast awaited us on the first day as we had breakfast with the koalas. We learned here that the cuddly animals sleep for a whopping twenty two hours a day. We surely couldn’t afford to do that and headed out towards the marina to visit a slice of paradise at Whitehaven beach. With its warm, turquoise-hued water and soft, impeccably white sand, Whitehaven Beach is simply heaven on earth. One of the most beautiful beaches in the world, Whitehaven stretches for a spectacular 7 km! Hamilton Island has a daily cruise to Whitehaven which takes only 30mins to get there. Wander along the beach to your own secluded stretch, laze on the beach or cool off in the azure waters. For a special night out you can even stay overnight on the Reef World pontoon in the Great Barrier Reef in comfortable rooms or open air in a swag on the deck for the adventurous souls. You can gaze at stars all night or enjoy the best of  snorkeling in the reef waters when the tourist boats return and now this is definitely on my to do list for the next visit to Hamilton island. But the most romantic thing to do in Hamilton island is to fly over the heart shaped reef in your helicopter with your loved one.  Snorkeling in Great Barrier Reef is an experience that is just not be missed and it was simply difficult to drag ourselves out of the water and back to reality. Hamilton island was a treasure trove of small and big adventure activities ranging from jet skis, off road adventures, go karts, sea kayaks, scuba dives, quad bikes and we were completely spoilt for choice. As the sun went down we headed to the bars and the restaurants on the island and discovered that a serene island by day was a perfect party locale by night! One things for sure, if you are looking for a totally fun place for your next Australian Holiday, Hamilton island is the place to be!