Okay, Australia... I'm on to you!! Here I am trying to innocently visit another one of your amazing islands, and you just have to pull out all the stops. Never mind that your country is already one of the most incredible destinations in the world, full of life, nature and down to earth folks. No, it's not enough that you find yourself often bathing in the joy of actually being exactly what you claim to be... a country that really reaches out and shakes your hand. Nope, instead, you coincidentally happen to have a few of these laying around.
While we will certainly come back to the subject of Koala's and Australia's shameless, if not barely legal cuteness levels inflicted upon unsuspecting tourist, I feel it is now necessary to go on with my Hamilton Island experience. After all, Hamilton Island is a wonderful place to visit.
Hamilton Island, Australia
It's important to note that Hamilton Island is part of the Whitsunday Island chain (74 Islands) at the Great Barrier Reef and a part of Queensland. I also feel that it's important to note that one of my all time favorite movies, "Muriel's Wedding" was partially filmed here as well. If you've never seen the movie, it's fantastic. You might be familiar with the stars Toni Collette and Rachel Griffiths, but enough about that.
Whitsunday Islands, Australia
Sailing through the island chain was quite beautiful. What surprised me was that it almost felt as though I was sailing through the Vancouver, B.C. area islands. I only mean that the trees and various islands had that familiar northern look to them. The weather was quite different though, being tropical and humid.
Whitsunday Islands, Australia
The morning I arrived, the sea was perfect. The Tender took us through the small islands as it headed towards the dock. Various buildings and houses doted the island, and I couldn't help but to feel jealous of those who were lucky enough to wake up every morning to such as view.
Hamilton Island, Australia
The many yachts at the small marina made it obvious that this was certainly a playground for the wealthy, or at least those who saved up a nice vacation nest egg. Once I stepped onto the pier, I could see the immaculately clean town that lined the waterfront.
Hamilton Island Marina
Golf carts darted up and down the small roads. It was explained that this was the preferred method of getting around the island, and they could be rented by the day or week. Although the island isn't huge, it's large enough that the many hills and trees make it seem to go on forever. The trees, coves and terrain make it feel like you've landed on Fantasy Island, instead of a typical tropical beach.
Hamilton Island, Australia
Even though there were people walking about, it wasn't crowded at all. This was a nice treat. We were told that a free shuttle bus was offered to take people to various stops around the island. It took a short while to wait on the bus, and after riding it up and over the hill...we realized that it would have been just as easy to walk.
Hamilton Island, Australia
Granted, the shuttle was comfortable and air conditioned. There are different routes for the shuttle, but the one that my travel partner and I got on, dropped us off at what looked like a hotel. There was a large, open air lobby that was quite beautiful. The trees surrounded the building and a nice ocean breeze blew through as we walked towards the swimming pool.
Hamilton Island Resort
Although I didn't take pictures of the whole property, it spread out quite a bit. Once we passed the pool, we saw the entrance to the beach. Wow...really beautiful! On this side of the island, the beach was in a large and spectacular cove. Again, not over crowded.
Hamilton Island Resort
It only took us a few seconds to find some white plastic beach chair to lounge in. We kept wondering when someone was going to run over and try to charge us for the luxury of laying there while gazing at the beach, but no one came.
Hamilton Island Beach
There was a small shack to the right of us, which house many types of water equipment for rent. Various surf boards and wind sails were laid out in the sand for those who so chose to participate.
Hamilton Island Beach
I couldn't believe how beautiful and relaxing this beach area was. I truly felt as though I had made it to the far side of paradise. As usual, it's nearly impossible to accurately capture the immersion of one's senses in a photograph.
Hamilton Island Beach
None of my pictures could do this place justice. Between the breeze, the smell and the sounds, it was perfect.
Mother and Daughter on Hamilton Island
There were two mothers and two daughters who sat next to us. They were very kind and friendly and seemed to be in the same intoxicated, blissful state of awe as we were. I took some photos of them to share.
Mother and Daughter on Hamilton Island
It was fun watching people play around with the water sports equipment. The boards with the sails on them proved particularly difficult for most everyone. We watched as a young lady tried numerous times to stand up on hers, while nearly braining (with the sail) anyone who happened to be within 10 yards. Finally, she made it up for a few moments.
After enjoying the wonderful beach for a number of hours, we decided to go see more of the island. We had only taken a day trip there and wanted to find out more of what Hamilton Island offered. After walking back up towards the information desk, we noticed that there was another large and elaborate pool. I have to say, this place was luxurious.
Hamilton Island, Australia
We really felt as though we were illegally crashing a resort. I decided to ask the young lady at the front desk about the cost of their hotel rooms. She gave me a puzzled look and said that they didn't have any rooms, since it wasn't a hotel. Hmmm...okay. So, after a few more questions and strange looks, it appears that we were simply enjoying what amounted to a all-inclusive resort. Apparently, if you pay to go to the island, then the resort is there for your use. Of course, this doesn't include the cost of food and certain equipment rentals.
Hamilton Island, Australia
Since the walk back to town was so simple, we decided to skip the shuttle and enjoy the short trek. Walking from the beach to the other side takes you on a nice, shaded road. There is a bit of a hill...and it's hot and humid, so it depends on whether you're up for that or not. As we began walking, we saw some really interesting and nice bungalows that lined both sides of the street.
Hamilton Island, Australia Bungalos
It didn't take long before we saw a small entrance to what seemed like a zoo. There was a small shop with the usual zoo items, but after looking around and asking, we found out that it was an animal park. The star attractions were....yep...cute and cuddly Koala. We gladly paid the entrance fee and walked up the short steps to the park. This would be my first time seeing Koalas in real life. Even on my previous trips to Australia, I had never taken the opportunity to see one up close.
Koala on Hamilton Island
The area where the Koalas were, was right at the entrance. I instantly saw a number of lounging around on the small trees with not a single eye open. It was nice being so close that you could almost...but not touch them.
Koala on Hamilton Island
Okay, I have to warn you, even the hardest of hearts would be foolish to try and resist the overwhelming cuteness of the Koala. This is Australia's trump card (well, one of them anyway). What you see here is simply a bundle of fur, eyes, paws and the occasional Koala yawn. Resistance is futile.
Koala on Hamilton Island
Now, it's time for some Koala education. This is going to be similar to revealing that there's no Santa Clause, because there's more to this little critter than meets the eye. First, Koala's are small, and some are tiny. When you see a photo of one, you generally imagine that they are a bit bigger than they really are. I'm sure that some do get bigger, but all of the ones that I saw there, were bite size...and you can imagine that this clearly has NO effect whatsoever on their adorable appeal.
Koala on Hamilton Island
Second, most photos of the Koalas that you see with wide-eyed stares are the result of someone sneaking up on them and giving them a good fright. Okay, that's probably not true, but let me explain. Most people know that Koalas eat Eucalyptus leaves...and that's pretty much all they eat, aside from the occasional snack of other tree leaves. Koalas rarely drink water, because they receive most of their moisture through the leaves that they consume.
Koala on Hamilton Island
Of course none of that sounds too bad, right? However, here's the clincher that would even temp Nancy Reagan to restart her "Just Say No" campaign. Koalas are constantly asleep, except for a couple of hours a day. Now, most people who do research on these animals will tell you that Koalas sleep because the Eucalyptus leaf has toxins in it that the Koala has to digest and process slowly and it takes a lot of energy to do so, therefore they have to sleep it off.
Koala on Hamilton Island
However, there's been a rumor going around for years that the Eucalyptus leaf causes a reaction in their stomach that is similar to a narcotic, therefore, they spend most of their time in a drugged out, addicted state. I should have told you to cover your children's eyes for that part.
Koala on Hamilton Island
I don't know what's really true, but I do know that I've seen stoned, and I've seen not-stoned and, well...I'll leave that conclusion to you. LOL
Koala on Hamilton Island. "Just Say No"
However, in all seriousness, these little guys are amazing. There have been issues over the years with development of highways and so forth causing many of them to die out. I am told that in order to get from one tree to the next, they have to crawl down one tree and up the next. They don't seem to move too fast and this makes them susceptible to predators. Development makes it difficult for them to get to the next tree and therefore an issue. I was told though that Australia is working hard to fix this issue by creating safe pathways for the Koalas to reach protected areas. I don't know much about it, but I know Australia takes pride in it's nature and animals and of course is doing all they can.
Koala on Hamilton Island
I have to tell you that the nature park where I took these photos, is quite small. In addition to the Koalas, it houses a few other small animals....including a very stuck up Kangaroo who apparently is really fed up with all the attention that they Koalas are getting.
Kangaroo on Hamilton Island
Don't get me wrong, the small size of the park is not a problem. I felt the experience was well worth it, and the staff were great. They don't give you a time limit on how long you can watch the animals, and the way the walkway is built, it's easy to see them from every angle. There are certain times of the day where you can pay extra to hold a Koala and have your photo taken with it. As I said though, Keep in mind that these little one are generally asleep and rarely move around unless they want to get more comfortable. I was only able to capture a few moments of movement here and there.
Hamilton Island, Australia
After spending a while in the park, we decided to continue heading back to the main town area. The main town is very clean and nice and consists of a few blocks worth of businesses. There is a small store to buy food items and drinks, along with a number of cafes and upscale places to eat.
Hamilton Island, Australia
We decided to try out a fish and chips place that was supposed to be all the rage. Had I know that I was going to be more comprehensive with this blog at the time, I would have taken more photos of these places. However, we found the shop and placed our order. The lines were pretty long and the prices were slightly higher than I'd have liked, but the results were great. I thought that getting one piece of fish and some chips wasn't going to be enough, but I honestly couldn't hold it all.
Hamilton Island, Australia
There's not much seating there, so we walked over to a grassy area a few yards away where the Palm trees gave some shade. I was amazed that there were a number of wild Cockatoo walking all over the grounds. I tried to get a quick snapshot while balancing everything else in my hands. Cockatoos apparently are not ashamed to ask for food...although I didn't share since I wasn't sure if it would be safe for them or not. However, they are friendly enough that you can sit on the ground and they will come right up to you.
Wild Cockatoo on Hamilton Island
Overall, Hamilton Island is amazing and beautiful. I could have stayed there for weeks. I wasn't able to see the whole island and I didn't even do a fraction of the hundreds of things to do there. This is a resort island that consists of hotel accommodations and condos. I would be lying if I said that Hamilton Island was for the budget conscious, because it's a bit pricey.
Hamilton Island, Australia
However, it's well worth that price. It's possible to get accommodations as low as $300 Australian per night, but the average prices is a bit higher than that, depending on the season. There are plenty of "Packages" offered to go there and some of them include breakfast, but generally you have to eat in the cafes, or buy your own groceries if you rent a place with a kitchen.
Hamilton Island Condos
The condos on the island are very, very expensive to buy, so you're not likely to get a good deal if you're in the market. There is an airport on the island, so you can fly directly in from other Australian cities (which is what many people do, unless you're on a cruise). There are also boats that you can take from the mainland, such as Shute Harbor (which is not really close to the major cities). There are plenty of excursions to the Great Barrier Reef from the island, if you want to snorkel or dive.
Hamilton Island, Australia
As with all Australian tourism, the people who work on this island take good care of their visitors. I found it wonderful that I could just use the resort facilities, pools, etc... just by being on the island. I didn't get the feeling that the island was full of rowdy college kids either, although I'm sure that changes during school breaks.
Hamilton Island, Australia
I would highly recommend Hamilton Island. In fact, I plan to go back there are stay a while at some point. There were many more things I wanted to do and I felt completely at home and safe. As usual, you have to take lots of sunblock, but at least you can generally find shade. There is a link to the main website HERE, which will help you find accommodations and information. My little report on my day there certainly doesn't do this place justice. There are also a few more photos that you can access on my Flickr site HERE.
Hamilton Island, Australia
It's important to note that Hamilton Island is part of the Whitsunday Island chain (74 Islands) at the Great Barrier Reef and a part of Queensland. I also feel that it's important to note that one of my all time favorite movies, "Muriel's Wedding" was partially filmed here as well. If you've never seen the movie, it's fantastic. You might be familiar with the stars Toni Collette and Rachel Griffiths, but enough about that.
Sailing through the island chain was quite beautiful. What surprised me was that it almost felt as though I was sailing through the Vancouver, B.C. area islands. I only mean that the trees and various islands had that familiar northern look to them. The weather was quite different though, being tropical and humid.
The morning I arrived, the sea was perfect. The Tender took us through the small islands as it headed towards the dock. Various buildings and houses doted the island, and I couldn't help but to feel jealous of those who were lucky enough to wake up every morning to such as view.
The many yachts at the small marina made it obvious that this was certainly a playground for the wealthy, or at least those who saved up a nice vacation nest egg. Once I stepped onto the pier, I could see the immaculately clean town that lined the waterfront.
Golf carts darted up and down the small roads. It was explained that this was the preferred method of getting around the island, and they could be rented by the day or week. Although the island isn't huge, it's large enough that the many hills and trees make it seem to go on forever. The trees, coves and terrain make it feel like you've landed on Fantasy Island, instead of a typical tropical beach.
Even though there were people walking about, it wasn't crowded at all. This was a nice treat. We were told that a free shuttle bus was offered to take people to various stops around the island. It took a short while to wait on the bus, and after riding it up and over the hill...we realized that it would have been just as easy to walk.
Granted, the shuttle was comfortable and air conditioned. There are different routes for the shuttle, but the one that my travel partner and I got on, dropped us off at what looked like a hotel. There was a large, open air lobby that was quite beautiful. The trees surrounded the building and a nice ocean breeze blew through as we walked towards the swimming pool.
Although I didn't take pictures of the whole property, it spread out quite a bit. Once we passed the pool, we saw the entrance to the beach. Wow...really beautiful! On this side of the island, the beach was in a large and spectacular cove. Again, not over crowded.
It only took us a few seconds to find some white plastic beach chair to lounge in. We kept wondering when someone was going to run over and try to charge us for the luxury of laying there while gazing at the beach, but no one came.
There was a small shack to the right of us, which house many types of water equipment for rent. Various surf boards and wind sails were laid out in the sand for those who so chose to participate.
I couldn't believe how beautiful and relaxing this beach area was. I truly felt as though I had made it to the far side of paradise. As usual, it's nearly impossible to accurately capture the immersion of one's senses in a photograph.
Hamilton Island Beach
None of my pictures could do this place justice. Between the breeze, the smell and the sounds, it was perfect.
There were two mothers and two daughters who sat next to us. They were very kind and friendly and seemed to be in the same intoxicated, blissful state of awe as we were. I took some photos of them to share.
It was fun watching people play around with the water sports equipment. The boards with the sails on them proved particularly difficult for most everyone. We watched as a young lady tried numerous times to stand up on hers, while nearly braining (with the sail) anyone who happened to be within 10 yards. Finally, she made it up for a few moments.
After enjoying the wonderful beach for a number of hours, we decided to go see more of the island. We had only taken a day trip there and wanted to find out more of what Hamilton Island offered. After walking back up towards the information desk, we noticed that there was another large and elaborate pool. I have to say, this place was luxurious.
We really felt as though we were illegally crashing a resort. I decided to ask the young lady at the front desk about the cost of their hotel rooms. She gave me a puzzled look and said that they didn't have any rooms, since it wasn't a hotel. Hmmm...okay. So, after a few more questions and strange looks, it appears that we were simply enjoying what amounted to a all-inclusive resort. Apparently, if you pay to go to the island, then the resort is there for your use. Of course, this doesn't include the cost of food and certain equipment rentals.
Since the walk back to town was so simple, we decided to skip the shuttle and enjoy the short trek. Walking from the beach to the other side takes you on a nice, shaded road. There is a bit of a hill...and it's hot and humid, so it depends on whether you're up for that or not. As we began walking, we saw some really interesting and nice bungalows that lined both sides of the street.
It didn't take long before we saw a small entrance to what seemed like a zoo. There was a small shop with the usual zoo items, but after looking around and asking, we found out that it was an animal park. The star attractions were....yep...cute and cuddly Koala. We gladly paid the entrance fee and walked up the short steps to the park. This would be my first time seeing Koalas in real life. Even on my previous trips to Australia, I had never taken the opportunity to see one up close.
The area where the Koalas were, was right at the entrance. I instantly saw a number of lounging around on the small trees with not a single eye open. It was nice being so close that you could almost...but not touch them.
Okay, I have to warn you, even the hardest of hearts would be foolish to try and resist the overwhelming cuteness of the Koala. This is Australia's trump card (well, one of them anyway). What you see here is simply a bundle of fur, eyes, paws and the occasional Koala yawn. Resistance is futile.
Now, it's time for some Koala education. This is going to be similar to revealing that there's no Santa Clause, because there's more to this little critter than meets the eye. First, Koala's are small, and some are tiny. When you see a photo of one, you generally imagine that they are a bit bigger than they really are. I'm sure that some do get bigger, but all of the ones that I saw there, were bite size...and you can imagine that this clearly has NO effect whatsoever on their adorable appeal.
Second, most photos of the Koalas that you see with wide-eyed stares are the result of someone sneaking up on them and giving them a good fright. Okay, that's probably not true, but let me explain. Most people know that Koalas eat Eucalyptus leaves...and that's pretty much all they eat, aside from the occasional snack of other tree leaves. Koalas rarely drink water, because they receive most of their moisture through the leaves that they consume.
Of course none of that sounds too bad, right? However, here's the clincher that would even temp Nancy Reagan to restart her "Just Say No" campaign. Koalas are constantly asleep, except for a couple of hours a day. Now, most people who do research on these animals will tell you that Koalas sleep because the Eucalyptus leaf has toxins in it that the Koala has to digest and process slowly and it takes a lot of energy to do so, therefore they have to sleep it off.
However, there's been a rumor going around for years that the Eucalyptus leaf causes a reaction in their stomach that is similar to a narcotic, therefore, they spend most of their time in a drugged out, addicted state. I should have told you to cover your children's eyes for that part.
I don't know what's really true, but I do know that I've seen stoned, and I've seen not-stoned and, well...I'll leave that conclusion to you. LOL
However, in all seriousness, these little guys are amazing. There have been issues over the years with development of highways and so forth causing many of them to die out. I am told that in order to get from one tree to the next, they have to crawl down one tree and up the next. They don't seem to move too fast and this makes them susceptible to predators. Development makes it difficult for them to get to the next tree and therefore an issue. I was told though that Australia is working hard to fix this issue by creating safe pathways for the Koalas to reach protected areas. I don't know much about it, but I know Australia takes pride in it's nature and animals and of course is doing all they can.
I have to tell you that the nature park where I took these photos, is quite small. In addition to the Koalas, it houses a few other small animals....including a very stuck up Kangaroo who apparently is really fed up with all the attention that they Koalas are getting.
Don't get me wrong, the small size of the park is not a problem. I felt the experience was well worth it, and the staff were great. They don't give you a time limit on how long you can watch the animals, and the way the walkway is built, it's easy to see them from every angle. There are certain times of the day where you can pay extra to hold a Koala and have your photo taken with it. As I said though, Keep in mind that these little one are generally asleep and rarely move around unless they want to get more comfortable. I was only able to capture a few moments of movement here and there.
After spending a while in the park, we decided to continue heading back to the main town area. The main town is very clean and nice and consists of a few blocks worth of businesses. There is a small store to buy food items and drinks, along with a number of cafes and upscale places to eat.
We decided to try out a fish and chips place that was supposed to be all the rage. Had I know that I was going to be more comprehensive with this blog at the time, I would have taken more photos of these places. However, we found the shop and placed our order. The lines were pretty long and the prices were slightly higher than I'd have liked, but the results were great. I thought that getting one piece of fish and some chips wasn't going to be enough, but I honestly couldn't hold it all.
There's not much seating there, so we walked over to a grassy area a few yards away where the Palm trees gave some shade. I was amazed that there were a number of wild Cockatoo walking all over the grounds. I tried to get a quick snapshot while balancing everything else in my hands. Cockatoos apparently are not ashamed to ask for food...although I didn't share since I wasn't sure if it would be safe for them or not. However, they are friendly enough that you can sit on the ground and they will come right up to you.
Overall, Hamilton Island is amazing and beautiful. I could have stayed there for weeks. I wasn't able to see the whole island and I didn't even do a fraction of the hundreds of things to do there. This is a resort island that consists of hotel accommodations and condos. I would be lying if I said that Hamilton Island was for the budget conscious, because it's a bit pricey.
However, it's well worth that price. It's possible to get accommodations as low as $300 Australian per night, but the average prices is a bit higher than that, depending on the season. There are plenty of "Packages" offered to go there and some of them include breakfast, but generally you have to eat in the cafes, or buy your own groceries if you rent a place with a kitchen.
The condos on the island are very, very expensive to buy, so you're not likely to get a good deal if you're in the market. There is an airport on the island, so you can fly directly in from other Australian cities (which is what many people do, unless you're on a cruise). There are also boats that you can take from the mainland, such as Shute Harbor (which is not really close to the major cities). There are plenty of excursions to the Great Barrier Reef from the island, if you want to snorkel or dive.
As with all Australian tourism, the people who work on this island take good care of their visitors. I found it wonderful that I could just use the resort facilities, pools, etc... just by being on the island. I didn't get the feeling that the island was full of rowdy college kids either, although I'm sure that changes during school breaks.
I would highly recommend Hamilton Island. In fact, I plan to go back there are stay a while at some point. There were many more things I wanted to do and I felt completely at home and safe. As usual, you have to take lots of sunblock, but at least you can generally find shade. There is a link to the main website HERE, which will help you find accommodations and information. My little report on my day there certainly doesn't do this place justice. There are also a few more photos that you can access on my Flickr site HERE.
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