Hamilton Island
My husband and I had planned a trip to Australia in the year before lockdown to visit friends in both Sydney and Melbourne. We wanted to tag on a few days relaxing at one of the resorts in the Whitsundays. We chose Hamilton Island as it is a place of sun, sand, the bluest sea as well as incredible nature and wildlife.
We settled on a resort called Qualia and were not disappointed. It is a luxury resort offering stunning accommodation, amazing food and glorious views. The island is car free and we transported ourselves around in a golf buggy which I became increasingly confident at driving.
Whilst our main goal was to relax and chill, we did take ourselves hiking on the first day and were rewarded with some particularly stunning views.
Water sports at the resort were complimentary and it surprised us that not many guests took advantage of this. As a result we enjoyed an hour every day of private tuition on a catamaran as well as paddle boarding lessons.
There was just so much to enjoy. It sounds a bit touristy but there was a small animal sanctuary where you could ‘cuddle a koala’. Touristy or not, I loved it. There was also a sunset kayaking trip where we gathered at a vantage point on the water to watch the sun going down. Our trip leader then raced around to give us glasses and topped them up with champagne. Our life vests even had a little pouch to hold the champagne glass. That probably wasn’t its intended purpose but I found it very useful!
Our last day was very special as we were whisked off to a totally unspoilt, uninhabited island where two loungers and a picnic box were awaiting us on an otherwise deserted sandy beach. Life doesn’t get much better than this.
At the end of our stay, we left the island feeling relaxed but also with a sense of achievement at the things we had done. And with some lovely photos to remind us of our trip.