Aerial view of the Reef Hotel and the island complex

Hamilton Island
Most commercially developed of all the Whitsunday Islands
Geologically the Whitsunday Islands are all drowned mountains. Prior to the last Ice Age they were connected to the mainland and would have all been prominent mountains in the area. The melting of the polar caps drowned the valleys between the mountains creating a network of 74 islands of which only 7 have resort facilities. Beyond the resorts the whole area is part of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and the uninhabited islands are all controlled by National Parks and Wildlife.

The first European to explore the area was Captain James Cook who travelled through the area on his journey up the eastern coast of Australia in 1770. He passed through Whitsunday passage, a narrow channel which lies between the mainland coast, South Molle and Daydream Islands to the west and Dent, Whitsunday, Hook and Hayman Islands to the east, on Sunday 4 June which happened to be Whit Sunday (the seventh Sunday after easter) - hence the name of the area.

Recognised as one of the most luxurious resort destinations on the Great Barrier Reef, Hamilton Island is a very good example of how the Great Barrier Reef can commercially match any tropical paradise in the world. There are hotel suites, luxury apartments, private villas, self-contained suites and bures with eating available at everything from an a la carte restaurant to a coffee shop, seafood restaurant, pizza parlour, snack bar and cocktail bar.

The Hamilton Island marina

The activities range from snorkelling to reef fishing, sailboard riding, tennis, squash and 20km of walking trails. There is also a church (people can get married on the island) and still over 70 per cent of the island remains in its natural state apart from walking trails to such delightfully out of the way destinations as Coral Cove, Passage Peak and Escape Beach.

It is a comment on the current status of Hamilton Island (and the level of development which has occurred) that while it is not the largest island in the group it is the only island to have an airport capable of handling wide bodied jet aircraft. It also has a permanent population of 1000 which means it also has a kindergarten and primary school for the children of residents.

Things to see:  

Vital Information About the Island
1. The Island Itself
Location
Within the Whitsunday group half way between Mackay and Townsville. 1,528km north of Sydney (2 hours 10 min by jet) and 45 minutes by water taxi from Shute Harbour

Description of the island
A substantial island which is 4.5. km long and 3 km wide. It covers 750 hectares much of which is still untouched.

How do visitors access it?
Qantas Link, Jetstar and Virgin Blue all fly direct to Hamilton Island daily with services from Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Cairns. Fantasea Blue Ferries also have twelve daily departures from Shute Harbour. The ferry trip takes approximately 30 minutes.

Activities on the island
There are over 40 different activities to enjoy on Hamilton Island including bushwalking, go karts, mini golf and snorkelling.

2. Resorts on the Island
History
Hamilton Island Resort was the brainchild of Queensland developer Keith Williams who created a multi-use island with everything from private dwellings (George Harrison owned one of them) through to a diverse range of hotels. In 2003 it was purchased by the Oatley family. The island centrepiece is the main Reef View Hotel which is 19 storeys high and boasts the highest external lift in Australia.

How big is it?
Beach Club Resort, 55 beachfront rooms; Reef View Hotel, 386 rooms and suites; Whitsunday Holiday Apartments, 166 one bedroom apartments, 20 two bedroom apartments; Palm Bungalows, 50 free standing bungalows, Palm Terrace, 60 rooms; Self Catering Villas, 29 ranging from 2-4 bedrooms.

Who does it appeal to?
The resort is essentially a family resort with enough activities to keep every age occupied all day long. However it is not exclusively for family and has enough facilities to cater for couples as well as people wanting to relax. The new Beach Club Resort appeals to the upper end of the holiday market (it is adults only - no children allowed); the Reef View Hotel and Whitsunday Apartments appeal to families while the Palm Bungalows and Terrace attract couples who want privacy.

Free activities
All non motorised water activities, bushwalking and swimming

Other activities
Hamilton Island boasts the largest selection of activities of all the islands including a shooting range, mini golf, wire flyer, driving range, go carts, tennis, all the water sports cruises, joy flights.

Eating at the resort
There are ten restaurants on the Island. The Beach House which is the signature restaurant is open for lunch and dinner; Koala Gallery for a buffet breakfast; Toucan Tango Cafe & Bar - the main restaurant opened for breakfast, lunch and dinner; Marina Deli in the Marina Village; Red Emperor specialises in Eastern cuisine; Steakhouse for quality steaks; Mariners; Romano's Italian Restaurant; Manta Ray Cafe open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

	Motels
	Whitsunday Holidays P.O. Box 41 Hamilton Island QLD 4803 Telephone: 1300 653 997 (International) +61 434 004 029 Facsimile: (07) 3011 1059 Email: kristie@whitsundayholidays.com.au Web site: http://www.whitsundayholidays.com.au
	Resorts
	Hamilton Island Resort Hamilton Island Hamilton Island QLD 4803 Telephone: (02) 8353 8444, 1800 075 110 Facsimile: (02) 8353 8499 Rating: ****
	Apartments
	Whitsunday Holidays P.O. Box 41 Hamilton Island QLD 4803 Telephone: (07) 4946 8058 Facsimile: (07) 4946 8058 Email: kristie@whitsundayholidays.com.au Web site: http://www.whitsundayholidays.com.au
	Hamilton Holiday Private Rental Apartments P.O. Box 2062 Claremont North Hamilton Island QLD 4803 Telephone: (08) 9383 2289, 0419 718 559 Facsimile: (08) 9384 8140
	Skiathos Luxury Villas Acacia Ave Hamilton Island QLD 4803 Telephone: (07) 4948 9696 Facsimile: (07) 4948 9696 Rating: ****