I half expected a bell to be rung and a midget with a French accent to scream chaotically 'ze plane! ze plane' as we arrived at Hamilton Island airport. I think it was down to my over active imagination when I was doing my research, which made me realise there were more than a few uncanny similarities to the early eighties TV Show Fantasy Island, including its very own sea planes. Thankfully the midget called Tattoo was nowhere to be seen because frankly he freaked me out. Firstly Hamilton Island is paradise, as pretty a tropical Island as you'll find and put plain and simply, gorgeous. Secondly, it's privately owned, just as Fantasy Island was. The island may well be the largest inhabited island in the Whitsundays, but its also quite small at just twenty five square kilometres. That's three boxes ticked already. Then there's the whole customer-service-cum-hospitality-cum-smiliness-cum-perfection thing it has going on. As you've probably figured out, I can't quite put my finger on it - but I will try to explain if you bear with me....The whole island is basically one huge resort, and that includes everything: the town centre, the bars and restaurants, the hotels, the different swimming pools, even the bus service, and because of that, well they all sort of merge into one. There are no high street or hotel chains here, there are no neon signs on any of the hotels, and you can charge most food and drinks back to your hotel even if you're at the other end of town (although we never did quite figure that one out.) It took us until our final day to work out that the Resort Centre wasn't actually a hotel but a central hub for the island's leisure activities including a huge pool, catamarans and windsurfing boards for hire (free use for some hotel guests), and activities for kids. No neon sign, no information boards, yet open and free to everyone on the island, even if nobody actually tells you so.
All the island's staff are perfectly presented, polite and permanently smiling. The bus driver even gave an impromptu guided tour of the island and was enjoying himself so much, he forgot to pick up passengers waiting at bus stops and missed his route. He laughed it off, and kept smiling. And why wouldn't he or the rest of the staff be happy, they get to live here after all in their own custom built staff quarters. Hamilton Island even once advertised its caretaker job as the 'best job in the world.' So that's the fourth box ticked of being a real life Fantasy Island, namely that it really is like living in a different world, your very own fantasy world.
The final Fantasy Island link is the local form of transport. The midget had his electric go kart, the locals and tourists here have electric Golf Buggies, which are everywhere. Which is slightly weird, because there really isn't anywhere to go, that isn't within walking distance. That still doesn't seem to stop most people hiring them at the extortionate rate of $85 a day. Do your wallet or purse a favour - give them a miss and just use the excellent free bus service. Or better still, explore this beautiful island on foot.
In fact, the only part of Fantasy Island where Hamilton Island falls short is in offering guests their own special fantasies and super natural experiences. Ah well, you can't have it all.
So just what is there to do? Of course you could simple chill out and enjoy the weather, the beach and the cocktails. Plenty of folk do and they look incredibly happy. If you'd like to explore a little, you can have practically the whole of the southern and eastern parts of the island to yourself. There are several well marked trails to follow and great bush walks to be had (www.hamiltonisland.com.au/bushwalking) . The easiest place to pick up the trails is behind the Whitsunday Apartments. The most challenging of them heads up to Passage Peak, the highest point on the island with spectacular views. Escape Beach Trail on the other hand offers the most variety, as you pass through sea views, tall bushland and even mangroves on the way to Escape Beach. We did both on separate days and really enjoyed them, and only bumped into a handful of people over five or six hours of walking. It really is the best way to see the beauty of the island.
There are plenty of water based activities to keep you busy, including fishing, jet skis, sailing, and cruises. This is also an excellent base from which to explore the Great Barrier Reef, either by boat to go diving or snorkelling, or by air on 'ze sea plane' simply to take in the views. That said, there are far cheaper ways to get to the Great Barrier Reef from other parts of Queensland, and since you're paying for the privilege of staying in this small Island paradise, I highly recommend you stick around and enjoy it. We certainly did.
The main beach is glorious and just a few steps away from the main hotels. There is also a good sized swimming pool at the back of the beach, which is really handy since the tide moves some distance in Hamilton Island and when the reef is exposed, it's quicker to jump into the pool for a swim. I suggest you figure out high tide times quite early on in your stay. There is snorkeling over the reef right off the beach, although the water wasn't very clear when we were there. As mentioned earlier, you can use any of the pools at the hotels, the biggest of which is at the Resort Centre - this one has a swim up bar, so you can guess what type of clientele it attracts. It might be your thing, but it wasn't for us.
When it comes to eating, there is a reasonable amount of choice, but it's by no means extensive. Each hotel has its own restaurant, and there are two or three in the town centre, plus a couple of pubs offering bar food. Marina Cafe is the best choice for casual breakfast or lunch. Manta Ray Cafe on the marina front offers decent pizza and pasta both for dine in or take away, and is the best value for money for dinner. There's a fancier Italian called Romano's just next door. Coco Chu is a recent addition to the eating scene, serving some excellent modern Thai food on the beachfront at the Resort Centre (definitely worth booking a table as it's very popular.) You also have a bakery and a fish and chip shop on the marina front - watch out for the Cockatoos trying to grab your food, as they'll help themselves to any vantage point available including perching on your shoulder. Very cute until they dig they claws in, believe me, I'm speaking from personal experience.
For those like us staying in an apartment with a kitchen, there is a general store in the town centre, which of course is a little more expensive than the mainland. Coles offers a delivery service to your apartment front door from Airlie Beach, via the daily supplies ship which arrives in the Marina each weekday morning around 8am. This is great if you're staying for a week, but they don't deliver at weekends so it isn't ideal for short stay. It looks quite easy to arrange, with online ordering, and judging by the amount of food they dropped off at Whitsunday Apartments, it's hugely popular.
We stayed for three nights at the Whitsunday Apartments (www.wahi.com.au). We chose to book a package deal with Virgin Holidays which included direct flights from Melbourne, and three nights accommodation for around $1500. Paradise certainly does not come cheap. The Apartment complex dates back to the early eighties, but has recently undergone a huge renovation programme and our Deluxe Coral Sea View room was excellent. The views towards Whitsunday Island were to die for, as you can see from the photo at the top taken from our balcony. Our apartment had a large fully fitted kitchen and lounge area, with a separate bedroom and bathroom.
My wife wasn't too happy about me paying extra for the sea view room, but I think I won the battle when she saw the views. This is part of the challenge with Hamilton Island, you have to accept it's not for the budget traveller - but for a 9 to 5 explorer where time is precious, it's nice to push the boat out just once in a while.
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