HAMILTON ISLAND
Area: Queensland
Country: Australia


Location:
Just off Queensland coast, in Coral Sea. 11 mls SE of Shute Harbour. At least 25 mls W of Great Barrier Reef. 680 mls NW of Brisbane. 310 mls SE of Cairns and its international airport. 19 mls E of Proserpine national airport.

Telephone code from UK:
61 7

Website:
http://www.hamiltonislandresort.com

Position:
One of the smaller of the 74 Whitsunday islands. Just S of the largest, Whitsunday Island itself, and E of neighbouring Dent Island.

Description:
Measuring around 2­ mls at its widest point, Hamilton is a continental island (the tip of a sunken mountain) originally cleared of most of its natural vegetation for grazing animals. It is hilly, reaching 755 ft, and comprises several narrow promontories. Most of the E part, away from the resort and airstrip, is inaccessible except on foot. The resort is situated on a narrow neck of land on the NW of the island. On the W side are the marina, shops, most of the restaurants and entertainments. Accommodation is mainly on the E side ("Resortside"), about 500 yds over a hill on sloping ground overlooking the beach at Catseye Bay. Here are 6 pools, excursion and activities booking centres, several restaurants, children's club, water-sports centre etc, all within reasonable walking distance of each other. The "resort" is the perfect example of the confusion over the use of the word: American and Australian usage usually means a purpose-built self-contained holiday hotel with its own beach and choice of eating places; English usage tends to mean the independent town or village around whose beach some holiday hotels have sprouted. Hamilton Island is where the two meet. The resort is so big it looks like and has the feel of a town; but in fact it is completely purpose built and all run by one company, so big it is quoted on the Australian stock exchange. Despite all this, it is very well done and has the feel of a Mediterranean marina development except that the palm trees are more abundant. Extra interest is added by the presence of lots of sulphur-crested cockatoos, colourful lorikeets, kookaburras, wallabies and the odd large lizard.

Suitability:
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.

Accommodation:
One resort-style complex featuring various choices of accommodation, each with a different category and price.

Shopping:
More than on any other of the Queensland islands. 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 harbour but also "Resortside".

Beach:
Effectively only one, right in front of accommodation area "Resortside". This is long and partly artificial with fine, light golden sand. Area is tidal, so weed and pebbles are left at water's edge at low ebb.

Entertainments:
Daytime: lots! Six pools, mostly of large freeform lagoon type with boulders, waterfalls and occasional Jacuzzi; vast main pool has suspension bridge and swim-up bar; another is also sizeable, being a former dolphinarium. Also tennis, squash, gymnasium, minigolf, golf driving range, go-karting, pool tables, bush walks, target shooting, wire-flyer (hang gliding down cable), paintball war games, fauna park and cockatoo shows. On water, snorkelling, scuba lessons, sailing, water-skiing, jet-skiing, parasailing, motor dinghy hire and barramundi fishing. Nightlife: disco at the marina; pub.

Eating:
Ten options, from Chinese takeaway to fine dining, fast food to seafood. All can be charged to your room account.

Public-transport:
Minibus shuttle service around resort needs all-day or 1-week ticket. Golf buggies for hire. Water taxis to neighbouring islands or Shute Harbour on mainland. Own jet airport for scheduled flights to main Australian cities, as well as private charter to anywhere you like.

Local-excursions:
Cruises to Great Barrier Reef or Whitehaven Beach. Game fishing. Safari tours. Scenic pleasure flights.