FEATURE
Wide blue yonder Need a break? Get back to nature on Queensland’s islands, where lush forests and azure waters harbour a breathtaking array of creatures
Daydream Island There’s something about a welcome shell necklace that really says, “Hey, you’re on holidays”. The wharf at Daydream Island, with its green palms, salty-air humidity and impossibly-clear seawater, is idyllic too, but it’s this personal gesture that transports me firmly to the Whitsundays. And what a place to land. It’s only 1km long, this jewel of an island in the Great Barrier Reef, with coral and sand beaches, a tropical rainforest and its own “living reef”. Following the devastation of Cyclone Debbie two years ago, Daydream Island Resort underwent a $140 million renovation and reopened in June. Dusk is falling and my deluxe ocean view room beckons, but after a breezy check-in at the Atrium, I’m eager to explore. First stop: the Living Reef. Holding 1.5 million litres of water bursting with fish, baby stingrays, coral and starfish, this man-made lagoon wraps around the resort’s central building. There are shallow spots to trail a finger and an observatory room for floor-to-ceiling underwater viewing. For those inclined, the resort also offers an immersive guided
08 BRISBANE NEWS August 14-20, 2019
A timber boardwalk descends down, down, until your shoes make music on a tiny white coral beach ANIMAL MAGIC … Chat to a wallaroo on the beach or view sea life at the Living Reef observatory on Daydream Island.
snorkel experience and a stingray splash. Nice touch. Beyond three palm-fringed pools (one with a swim-up bar), there’s a beach and … sudden movement. Wallaroos, eight of them, chew grass against the setting sun, nonplussed by the human. Instagram, eat your heart out. There’s more wildlife on my waterfront balcony too, with a sociable cockatoo duo. Two become 10 rather quickly (there must be a secret signal for friendly resort guests). Back inside, the rainfall showerhead offers a welcome retreat with its Aussiemade, eco-friendly Biology toiletries.
Then it’s a Chinese cuisine buffet by the reef at Graze – one of three stellar restaurants on the island, followed by a deep sleep in the king bed. Bliss. The next morning finds me bright-eyed, bushy-tailed and ready to explore. The Whitsundays is a group of 74 islands, and it makes sense, if you’re up here, to visit more than one. Cruise Whitsundays offers tours to Whitehaven Beach, a 7km stretch of brilliant silica sand on Whitsunday Island, which also boasts emerald-green rainforest and an azure coastline. It’s worth the trip. The boat docks right up on the beach, and nothing can prepare you for the splendour of this pristine spot that has won oodles of awards. Opt for stand-up paddleboarding and water trampolining, or sunbathe, swim, repeat. Back on Daydream, I’m just in time for G&T o’clock. Did I mention the island has a specialty gin bar? Spanning indoors from the Atrium out towards the Living Reef, Tonic Bar’s signature inkflower gin cocktail is a magical mix of Ink Gin, elderflower liqueur, cucumber, lime and soda. Nothing beats sipping one of these while overlooking a reef, pools, and the Pacific. While there, I flick through the menu at Inkstone Kitchen and Bar – which specialises in modern Australian steak and seafood – and decide on the sublime-sounding seafood indulgence for dinner later on. But to earn it, some exercise is in order and there are two island lookouts I want to see. First, I follow the signs to Lover’s Cove where a timber boardwalk descends down, down, until your shoes make music on a tiny white coral beach. The clinking, tinkling underfoot sounds like chimes on a beach shack balcony. Then – look up. Water so clear you can see the odd fish darting, ancient boulders, rainforest, and an expanse of yachts and Whitsunday islands. Two wallaroos watch me take it all in. The second spot requires a slight uptake in your heart rate (it’s worth it, I promise). It’s a 20-minute wander through rainforest to reach the top of the island with its panoramic views. And it’s so quiet. If it’s tranquillity you’re seeking, you’ll find it here, at the top of this small, lush island, in the heart of a world wonder. CASSANDRA HOUGHTON Standard room rates from $392 a night. daydreamisland.com
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