DAYDREAM ISLAND
Area: Queensland
Country: Australia


Location:
Just off coast of Queensland in Coral Sea. 3 mls NE of Shute Harbour, nearest mainland access port. 11 mls NW of Hamilton Island and its airport. 710 mls NW of Brisbane, 410 mls SE of Cairns, both with international airports.

Telephone code from UK:
61 7

Website:
http://www.daydreamisland-australia.com

Position:
Part of Whitsunday group of islands. Also one of smaller group called Molle Islands.

Description:
Formerly called West Molle Island, it was renamed Daydream Island in 1933 when the original hotel (long since gone) was built on it. One of the smallest islands in the Whitsundays, it measures only º ml by around 200 yds at its widest. It is continental (the top of a submerged mountain) but only reaches a maximum height of 167 ft. About half is covered by tropical forest where wallabies, lorikeets, kuloo birds and sizeable lizards live. The hotel accommodation occupies the NE corner and it is only a short distance along a coastal boardwalk to the shops, second pool and resort areas, which occupy the whole of the S tip and where day-trippers can use the facilities.

Suitability:
Families especially well catered for.

Accommodation:
Only 1 hotel, which owns whole island.

Shopping:
A few outlets at S end of resort offer souvenirs, general holiday requisites, child-care items, photographic supplies/developing, swimwear, hair and beauty services etc.

Beach:
Three, composed mainly of broken fragments of smoothed coral, giving effect of pebble beach; some small patches of fine light coral sand. Northern water-sports beach and smaller western Sunlovers Beach are both flanked by black volcanic rocks. Snorkelling and scuba diving over coral reef off beach.

Entertainments:
Daytime: tennis, volleyball, crazy golf, gymnasium, windsurfing, sailing, snorkelling, fish feeding, table tennis, boules, paddle boats and organised entertainments are all included. Motorised water sports incurring a charge are jet-skis, parasailing, water-skiing, (inner) tube rides behind speedboat, glass-bottomed boat and scuba diving. Nightlife: full entertainments programme with live shows, bands etc. Australia's only outdoor cinema with a liquor licence shows recent releases.

Eating:
Six options from bakery gourmet sandwiches to fine dining a la carte. In resort and hotel areas.

Public-transport:
Free courtesy bus around island. Water taxis to Shute Harbour, Hamilton Island and South Molle Island.

Local-excursions:
Whitehaven Beach. Airlie Beach. Cruises to Great Barrier Reef for scuba diving or snorkelling. Cruise of Whitsunday Islands. Game and deep-sea fishing. Scenic helicopter flights.