Hamilton island is well known for many things. It’s known for luxury, weddings, honeymoons, and romance. It’s known for it’s beauty, it’s access to the Great Barrier Reef, and it’s position among the Whitsunday Islands. But there were a...
Hamilton island is well known for many things. It’s known for luxury, weddings, honeymoons, and romance. It’s known for it’s beauty, it’s access to the Great Barrier Reef, and it’s position among the Whitsunday Islands. But there were a few things I didn’t known about Hamilton Island. I didn’t know that it is an epic destination for families. I also didn’t know that it has some amazing short day hikes available. Needless to say, I was very happy with these surprises. If you plan on visiting more islands in the near future, then consider checking out the best caribbean island for babymoon for a romantic trip for you and that special someone.
We visited Hamilton island during the January school holidays for just under one week. During this time it was an absolute kid heaven. Full disclaimer, I haven’t been to the island when school is in session, but I would assume the proportion of families would drop considerably and the proportion of honeymooners and wedding parties would rise sharply, so keep that in mind when planning your holiday.
Getting to and from Hamilton Island
Hamilton Island is the only island in the Whitsundays with it’s own commercial airport. Flights operate daily from most every major airport around Australia. Multiple airlines service the Whitsundays, including some of the more budget options. You can also reach Hamilton Island by ferry from Airlie Beach. There are regular flight sales to Hamilton Island, so you should be able to find a great deal if you keep a watch on prices.
The airport at Hamilton Island is rather small. Upon exiting the airport, you will find the baggage carousel, and information desks run by the various hotels. There are not many hotel options on the island considering, so you should be able to locate yours fairly easily. Most of the hotels offer a free shuttle service and they all have remodeled their rooms.
Where to stay on Hamilton Island
There are several great options on Hamilton Island. The main resort on the island is the Reef View Resort, which is where we stayed. We opted for the resort as we were only staying for 4 nights and I got a discounted rate through my day job. The rooms at the resort were very spacious, they provided free baby equipment (a baby jogger pram, high chair, and cot, among other things), we had free breakfast at four different restaurants (including one with koalas!), and they recently had hired some great heating installation services, which ensured the hotel and our room stayed comfortable.
If you are traveling with a larger group, or staying for a longer time, you might want to consider some of the holiday apartments on the island. That way you will have a bit more space, and access to a kitchen. There is an IGA on the island, so you can self cater if you want.
What to do on Hamilton Island
The first thing that struck me about the Hamilton Island experience is that it reminded me of being on a cruise ship. Although, a cruise ship which doesn’t move. The reason for this? The entire island is pretty much set up to maximize the experience and enjoyment of the visitors. The little town is lined with cute boutiques and restaurants – one restaurant for each food type. There is a tapas place, a seafood place, a Mexican place, a pizza place, and ice cream place, etc,etc. The island has a weekly activity guide and app which constant daily activities (both free and with a small cost) that you can join if you want. Do you want to join a painting class? A kids cupcake decorating class? Basketball? Pub quiz? The activity guide has something for everyone. But the thing that most made the Island feel like a cruise ship was that no matter where you go, whether it be in the resort or in the town, you can charge all your purchases to your room.
Daily Activities from the Activity Guide
As I mentioned above, like on a cruise, each day on Hamilton Island can be filled with a variety of different activities. Since we were there over the school holidays, we had lots of free options available for Jacob. There were art classes, basketball games, cupcake and pizza making (small cost), and face painting. As much as my kids could happily play in the pools all day, every day, these activities gave us a bit of variety, and also gave me the opportunity to give them a break from being out in the hot tropical sun all day.
There are also quite a few adult specific activities, like pub quizzes, so even big kids will be happy.
Beach time
You’re on an island, so of course the beach is going to make the list. The main beach across from the resort, Catseyebeach, is a lazy and long stretch of sand with lots of shallow areas for kids. There is an activity shack where you can rent paddle boards, catamarans and snorkel equipment as well. While we did see lots of people in the water, we decided to stay out, since we were visiting in January, and that is the season where there is a higher change of encountering Irukandji jellyfish. The stings of this jellyfish can be lethal, and also the jellyfish is tiny and almost impossible to see in the water. Our resort recommended that children and those with health conditions stick to the pools, and I decided to follow their advice. We did however enjoy daily evening walks on the beach after dinner.
Relax by the pool
As I mentioned above, we decided to play it safe, and stick to pools instead of the ocean. Our resort had four main pools (which are open to all island guests), one of which was a kid oasis, read this article you will find more about swimming pools. We were only there for four days, and didn’t even get a change to try out all the pools! The main pool even has a swim up Happy hour bar! We spend most of our time at the kids pool, which was nice and shallow, and had plenty of shade. If you are looking for adult pool then according to me,the Intex Ultra Frame Pool is perhaps the best above ground swimming pool in the market right now. This rectangular pool is designed to blend into any household backyard effortlessly offering excellent services in the most efficient way possible. The pool is made of high-quality equipment that delivers great services while also keeping the pool durable. The sidewalls of the swimming pool feature a super-tough TM laminated PVC. This solid material prevents the pool from leaking, ripping or tearing. The material also gives all swimmers the freedom to swim and play around the pool without worrying about causing any damages. Hope you enjoy the vacation and have fun with these pools .
Go for a hike
Did you know that Hamilton Island has some pretty amazing hikes? This was one of the things that surprised me, but luckily I did bring my hiking shoes. There are several trail options which go to various lookouts and secluded beaches. All the hikes leave from just down the road from the resort, and there is a water bottle filling station at the entry to the hikes.
The closest and easiest hike is to Hideaway Bay beach, which is only a very short walk from the resort. This walk is great if you want to escape the business of Catseye beach, but don’t want to go for a long walk. However, if you do want to walk for a longer period (and really be the only person on the beach) then you should opt for either Escape beach or Coral Cove beach. These beaches are not excessively far, but they are far enough that you will want decent walking shoes and some water.
If you are looking for an amazing viewpoint, then you absolutely can not miss Passage Peak. The top of the lookout is only an hour and a half walk from the trail entrance, but the rather steep gradient will leave you more than a bit sweaty. Although it is definitely not impossible. We hiked up with a 5 year old (on foot), and a 1.5 year old (in a baby carrier), so its definitely doable. You will want a good supply of water, especially if you are doing in while its hot. The views are absolutely worth it though.
Our favourite of all the bush walks however was the one around South East Head. This walk links up to Passage Peak, so if you are not tired out from our ascent, you can do what we did and loop around South East head and Escape Beach, before heading back to the resort. All up it is about 10 km, but it is incredible. We did not see a single other person on the South East head walk, and yet we thought it was the most beautiful out of all the walks we did.
Visit the Great Barrier Reef
If you are visiting the Whitsundays, then going out to the Great Barrier reef is a no brainer. There are a couple operators who offer tours to the reef and you can either snorkel or scuba dive. I had been out to the reed before, but Simon had never had that experience, so this time it was his turn. He went out on a full day snorkeling tour and absolutely loved it.
Explore the Whitsundays
The chain of Whitsunday islands is composed of 74 islands, and they are a dream to sail around. You can’t miss the famous Whitehaven beach – you will probably recognize it from postcards all over Australia. This 7 km long beach has sand made up of 98% white silica, making it one of the whitest and squeakiest white sand beaches you will ever see.
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Visit some native wildlife
Those with kids will love the fact that Hamilton Island has a mini wild life zoo, located half way between the main resort center and the marina. If you buy a ticket to the zoo, it will be valid for your entire stay, which definitely makes it excellent value if you are staying for a few days. We didn’t buy this ticket, but we did attend for breakfast with koalas, which was included as one of the breakfast options with our resort. The breakfast here is a little more simple than the massive (and amazing) buffets at the other resort restaurants, but here you get to eat your breakfast surrounded by trees with sleepy koala bears. Definitely a unique experience!
