“Everyone strapped in?” barked our pilot, Paddy. “Here we go.” It might sound like faint praise to say that the best thing about Hayman Island in north Queensland, one of Australia’s most famous resorts, is leaving, but then taking your own private seaplane to the Great Barrier Reef hardly rates as an everyday experience — even in Australia.
Nothing quite beats that first take-off from the sea, or seeing the entire Whitsunday archipelago (there are 74 islands in the group, of which Hayman is the most northerly) slumbering in the Queensland sun — only from the air can you fully appreciate the exquisite beauty of this place.
“The islands were named by Captain Cook,” explained Paddy. “He sailed through here in 1770, supposedly on Whit Sunday, but it could have been the day before or after. There’s some dispute about that.”
While the Air Whitsunday Reef Adventure is not cheap — a three-hour round trip to Hardy Reef costs £148 — it is hard to match the romance of travelling by seaplane.
Less than 40 minutes after taking off from Hayman we donned our flippers and snorkels to explore the corals that make up Hardy Reef. Apart from the legions of brightly coloured coral fish, there are giant clams, reef sharks (they sound dangerous, but are quite harmless), giant squid, coral cod and sea turtles to be seen. The water temperature rarely dips below 21C, so there’s no need to wear a wetsuit. And with a maximum of eight passengers per seaplane things never become too crowded.
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The trip to Hardy Reef is one of many adventures on offer at Hayman Island. Whale-watching (in season), helicopter flights, boat cruises, scuba diving, water-skiing and kayaking are also available. One morning we hired a powered dinghy (known locally as a tinnie) and explored the nearby islets. Or you can arrange for one of the resort’s speedboats to drop you at a deserted beach — gourmet picnic lunches can be ordered beforehand.
Improved air services mean the island is now even more accessible from the southern capitals of Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide, while an ongoing programme of refurbishment has brought the resort’s rooms, suites and penthouses up to the highest international standards.
The most recent addition is the newly opened Spa Chakra, which offers a range of health and spa treatments and includes steam rooms, a hair salon and a meditation suite.
While it is possible to spend your entire holiday at Hayman around the famous pool sipping suitably outrageous cocktails, most people finally succumb to the lure of the reef. Consider booking a three-, four- or seven-night itinerary with Coral Princess Cruises, which operates out of Cairns and Townsville and has two purpose-built vessels for exploring the reef, plus a third, larger, ship, the Oceanic Princess. This is the only company to visit the fringing reefs around Lizard Island and Pelorus Island.
Whatever adventure you choose, rest assured that a cocktail will still be waiting for you by the Hayman pool. Not to mention a warm welcome from the 500 resort staff who keep this corner of paradise ticking over.
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Getting there