After flying from Adelaide in South Australia to Hamilton Island in Queensland, the largest inhabited island of the beautiful Whitsundays, staff members from Hayman Island picked us up via luxury yacht for the 50 minute transfer. With the amount of champagne bottles that were being popped onboard, the ride could’ve lasted 2 hours and 50 minutes for all I cared. I hadn’t even stepped foot on the island yet, but it seemed as if island life had already found me. Our holiday in the sun had begun!

The Location

The Whitsundays have long been internationally recognized as one of the most beautiful stretches of tropical coastline in the world (and I would agree with these international recognitions!). The 74 islands dot the Coral Sea, and Hayman Island is the northernmost of all offering a front-row seat to the Great Barrier reef.

The Suite

Palm trees. Blue ocean. Sand bars. Coconut cocktails. Private beach villas. Need I say more? Don’t worry, I’m going to, but the above ingredients are all one needs for a happy holiday at One&Only Hayman Island.

I often travel solo, but I was lucky to be spending time in Australia with two good friends of mine. We booked a modern suite with two spacious rooms and personal butler named Willow who went above and beyond her call of duty. The master bedroom, oversized tub and balcony were beyond lovely, but if my life came with a Willow every day, I’d be set!

The Activities

Whitsunday Dream Tour

My travels have led me on some amazing encounters and adventures, but nothing quite compares to the ultimate journey we had while visiting One&Only Hayman Island. I’m a firm believer in that the view is always better from the top, so we decided to discover the Great Barrier Reef and Whitsunday Islands via helicopter. This view of the reef below left me speechless, so now it’s my turn to leave you the same way:

From reef world, our pilot flew us over a landmark I’ve been so excited to capture, the bright and glowing Heart Reef. This stunning composition of coral has naturally formed into the shape of a heart, attracting visitors from near and far since 1975 when it was discovered. Let the romantic vacay planning commence! Come on…you know you want to.

Our 45 minute flight took us from Haymand Island to Reef World to Heart Reef to Hill Inlet and Whitehaven Beach. It’s common knowledge that Whitehaven sand is so fine, many women will even bring their jewelry to get cleaned here. I wouldn’t want to start dipping my diamonds just anywhere, but if it’ll make them shiny…sure! Named the South Pacific’s Best Beach by the 2015 TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice Awards among other awards, Whitehaven beach should have a top spot on everyone’s bucket list.

After enjoying refreshments (read: more champagne) on the beach and relaxing in the warm waters of the Coral Sea, we got to relive the unbeatable views again as we flew back “home” to Hayman Island.

Sunset Escapade

A sunset picnic on a private island? Not going to turn that one down. I think the only thing missing on this romantic getaway was my boyfriend, but I had two girlfriends to drink champagne with, so all was well in the world. We’d been dropped off via speedboat to indulge in a fiery orange sunset and picnic basket treats, so you can imagine that those couple of hours didn’t suck.

Coral Sea Massage

While the Ocean Dreaming Massage may have lead me to the resort in the first place (think floating on the sea while being surrounded by tropical fish), I ultimately decided on the Coral Sea Wave Massage which imitates how the warm waters flow over rocks in the ocean…or that’s what the masseuse was going for I think, and she definitely knew what she was doing. For the first time ever in a massage, I fell asleep to the sound of the waves in my little private cabana!

Seabob

Dear Santa, all I want for Christmas this year is a seabob. Officially the hottest toy for resorts around the world, the seabob is only in three places in Australia. We were lucky to be in one of them! My first time trying this baby out was in the Maldives, and let me tell you – twice will never be enough times on this thing. Say hello to my nemo!

If you’re up for going under, take the plunge on the Seabob water sled: a personal submarine–meets–waterproof scooter that allows you to move as gracefully as a dolphin beneath the surface. Wearing a mask to protect my eyes and nose from salt water, I pressed the throttle, tilted the Seabob downward and headed below the surface, moving easily for as long as I could hold my breath. Watch the full video here and subscribe for more fun to come soon!

The Experience

The invitation to experience private island life where One&Only Hayman Islands sits was a huge privilege. The astonishing beauty far exceeded my expectations alongside the array of experiences available on property. A helicopter, private yacht, and submarine adventure just about covered everything from under, on and above the largest living thing on earth, the Great Barrier Reef.

The Road Les Traveled wad invited to experience One&Only Hayman Island as a guest, however our opinions are as always, our own.