Hamilton Island Queensland Australia

Set in the heart of the Whitsunday Islands and close to the world renown Great Barrier Reef is Hamilton Island, a place to experience everything or enjoy doing absolutely nothing. One of 74 tropical islands that lie between the Queensland Coast and the Great Barrier Reef , it is the largest inhabited island in the Whitsundays and the only island with an airport catering for direct commercial and charter flights. There are hotel and apartment rooms to suit all tastes and budgets, plenty to do and all of it is surrounded by beautiful coral-fringed beaches. There are also plenty of kid activities and children 0 to 14 years stay for free when staying with parents at the Hamilton Island Resort (some conditions apply).

Over 80 per cent of Hamilton Island is still carefully preserved in its natural state so that visitors can continue to enjoy the pristine beauty of the island’s unspoilt nature trails, secluded hideaways and fabulous beaches. This area is suitable for the middle to upmarket. Families with children of all ages are particularly well catered for, with supervised miniclubs for different age groups and lots of activities for older children. Under 15s stay, play and eat free when sharing adults’ accommodation. The accommodation is one resort-style complex featuring various choices of accommodation, each with a different category and price.

Locality: Hamilton Island is Just off the Queensland coast, in the Coral Sea. (it is 11 mls SE of Shute Harbour. At least 25 mls W of the Great Barrier Reef. 680 mls NW of Brisbane. 310 mls SE of Cairns and its international airport. 19 mls E of Proserpine national airport). It is one of the smaller of the 74 Whitsunday islands. Just south of the largest, Whitsunday Island itself, and east of neighbouring Dent Island.

There is effectively only one beach, which is right in front of the accommodation area “Resortside”. This is long and partly artificial with fine, light golden sand. Area is tidal, so weed and pebbles are left at the water’s edge at low ebb.

There is more shopping facilities than on any other of the Queensland islands. There is also a post office, supermarket, general store, newsagents and book shop, various clothes boutiques, art gallery, florist, chemist, delicatessen, butcher, bakery, photographic shop, video hire, hairdresser, beauty parlour. Mainly round the harbour but also “Resortside”. During the daytime there is lots to do. There are six pools, mostly of large freeform lagoon type with boulders, waterfalls and occasional Jacuzzi; there is a vast main pool has suspension bridge and swim-up bar, another is also sizeable, being a former dolphinarium. There is also tennis, squash, gymnasium, minigolf, golf driving range, go-karting, pool tables, bush walks, target shooting, wire-flyer, paintball war games, fauna park and cockatoo shows. On water, there is snorkelling, scuba lessons, sailing, water-skiing, jet-skiing, parasailing, motor dinghy hire and barramundi fishing.

The nightlife here offers a disco at the marina and a pub. There are around ten options for eating out, from Chinese takeaway to fine dining, fast food to seafood. All can be charged to your room account.