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In these uncertain times there is something strangely relaxing about staying close to home. Not to mention the advantage of avoiding a day or more on a plane. The Whitsundays is but a few short hours away and now serviced by Qantas’ new Jetstar service. There are basically two options by air, you can fly into Proserpine or Hamilton Island. Proserpine puts you at the door of the Laguna Whitsundays Resort. With 8000 acres of native bushland and sub-tropical rainforest meeting at the edge of the coral sea and overlooking the famous Whitsunday Islands, plus two new 18-hole golf courses, Laguna Whitsundays Resort is a nice place to start your holiday and if you’re into golf you’ll really love the place! Transport from the airport to Airlie Beach is about forty minutes. Once known as a backpacker’s haven the area now boasts some quality restaurants and accommodation. Flying direct to Hamilton Island is very easy, off the plane and you’re right in the middle of paradise. Another mode of transport is the Hayman Island cruiser, just one of Hayman Island’s luxury transfer vessels. A relaxing, champagne fuelled 50-minute cruise has you disembarking on beautiful Hayman Island. All the nasty boring things like checking in and what not are done on the launch so on arrival you are escorted straight to your room. Now Hayman is not for everyone, you won’t find a dozen kids or teenagers playing pool volleyball, or late night parties in bars, far from it in fact. It is sophisticated and oh so stylish. Hayman is consistently voted Best Luxury Accommodation in Australia and staying there it is very easy to see why. A little over fifteen months ago Hayman completed a $AUD30 million enhancement program and introduced a refreshing new décor and resort living in the Pool, Lagoon, Beach and Palm Wings, culminating in the opening in November 2002 of the spectacular Beach Villa and beautiful new Lagoon Penthouses. The Beach Villa, perched on the shores of the Hayman Beach, invites guests to live in absolute luxury with their own personalised concierge service, and to entertain or relax in the enclosed courtyard, outdoor private deck and plunge infinity pool. Hayman has much to offer and if you can push the budget that little bit further I guarantee that this would be a holiday to remember. After two days of sheer luxury it was time to board the beautiful Hayman Cruiser for the run back to Hamilton. From Hamilton Island we changed gear a little. We jumped aboard the Fantasea for the short transfer to Daydream Island. What I thought was going to be a ten minute trip turned out to be a little longer as we first went to Shute Harbour then Daydream so in total it was about forty minutes. Not that I was complaining, far from it! Fantasea operate a large fleet of very modern and fast catamarans that service just about everything in the Whitsundays. They have the Great Barrier Reef Cruise to Reefworld where groups can go out and enjoy a day of adventure exploring the reef along their snorkelling trails or scuba diving. Maybe you’d prefer the large underwater observatory and semi-submersible coral viewing. The Whiteheaven Beach Cruise is where you have the afternoon to enjoy the natural beauty of this 6km stretch of pure white silica sand. Have a swim in the crystal clear waters and then enjoy a delicious BBQ buffet lunch before heading home. Fantasea Cruises have a host of different options and a visit to the Whitsundays would not be complete without taking in at least one of them. We spent our time on the top deck taking in the sun and the truly beautiful Whitsunday islands sailing past us.
How many of you have been to Daydream Island or should I say how many of you have been to Daydream recently? Because let me tell you, from what it once was to what it is now is light years apart. In actual fact a recent media release says that Daydream Island has had a 30 percent revenue increase in six months and has capped off a stunning turnaround for the resort. Daydream Island Resort and Spa is marketed as the Whitsundays' most affordable luxury island resort. We stayed in one of the Daydreamer Suites and if you can extend yourself it is well worth it. The rooms are very large and extremely well appointed. Everything you could ask for and more is provided but even the luxury pales in comparison to the views from your balcony. All the accommodation is of a very high standard, which I know for a fact as we took the time to poke our noses into all the different styles of rooms! The Rejuvenation Spa is not just another hotel health club or a resort massage centre, this spa has the very latest technology offering the best diagnosis available. The Rejuvenation Spa offers their clients a complete and comprehensive analysis of the entire body systems, from full blood analysis to monitoring and measuring fat and muscle mass. Spa facilities include 16 individual treatment rooms, Vichy showers, thermal tables, hydrotherapy tubs, steam effusion showers, solarium dual treatment rooms, computerised iridology, Bio Impedance Analysis, live blood analysis -- all this with panoramic island and ocean views. I believe Daydream offers better value and a more personal experience than many of the other islands in the Whitsundays. Touches such as the giant movie screen over the ocean offer a unique and very Queensland style of venue. We really enjoyed Daydream Island Resort and Spa and I think you will too however don’t take my word for it, get up there and experience it firsthand. Four days is by no means enough time to cover all the wonders that the Whitsundays have to offer but it gave us a taste and a definite desire to go back. Take the time and go see for yourself!
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Daydream Island |