Arriving on Christmas Eve, we were greeted by our welcoming hostess and the rain. Much of the accommodation on the island is serviced condo style units which offer personal golf buggies as part of the transportation. After receiving our luggage in a pretty non-conventional way, from the back of compartments steered by mules, we followed our hostess to our condo on our own golf buggy. Our unit was nice and offered a pleasant view of the bay but it needed some Christmas flare.
After we decorated the unit and settled in, we made our way back to ‘town’ and had a nice lunch at the pizzeria next to the harbor. The rain had not let up so we were soaked but didn't mind too much since it was Christmas Eve and we were on an island, with a golf buggy for transport.
We enjoyed amazing Italian food and wine at one of the restaurants on Christmas Eve, not unlike going to Spaghetti Warehouse in Houston after church and the seeing the big Christmas Tree downtown. We woke up on Christmas and exchanged our presents then Skyped the family. It was so fun sharing the view with everyone and seeing how bundled everyone at home was. They even got to see the cockatoos try to attack us on the balcony. Skype is a wonderful thing!
We even got to watch our families open presents on their Christmas morning. We definitely missed the comforts of home though, turkey and dressing, apple pie, fajitas and guacamole. What? With so many Christmas dinners, you have to mix it up a bit. But overall, it was definitely a Christmas we will not forget.
On Sunday, the rain finally cleared up a bit and we took a ferry over to Dent Island which is the Whitsunday golf course. We enjoyed a very nice lunch and a tour of the back nine.
Monday was pretty cloudy but thank goodness it wasn't raining. We finally got to enjoy the beach and the pool a bit and were even able to get some sun through the clouds.
We had planned a tour on Tuesday which could not have worked out better for us since it was the nicest day of our stay. The boat took us to a snorkel spot close to the island, not the reef but attractive all the same. Then we stopped at Hill Inlet which overlooks Whitehaven Beach, voted one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. It definitely has our vote! If you have not seen Fool’s Gold, you need to watch it, mostly because it's a great movie, ;) and because it was filmed in various parts of Australia including Whitehaven. In the movie it’s the Caribbean, but every tour guide in Australia reminds us of the truth. The breathtaking view from Hill Inlet speaks for itself and was the absolute highlight of our trip.
The last stop on the tour was Whitehaven itself. The sand on the beach is 98% silica and actually squeaks a little when you take a step. We didn't spend too much time in the water because they advise you to wear your Lycra suit since it was still stinger season. We didn't feel like dying from invisible jellyfish stings so we mostly kept to the beach.
Back on Hamilton, we once again visited the lookout for cocktails at sunset. Greg took his camera to capture a million more shots but the battery ran out right before the most amazing sunset we’ve ever witnessed. I’ve said that sometimes we rely on pictures too much as memories so we just took it all in as this was an experience that couldn't be captivated in a picture.
We very much enjoyed everything about Hamilton Island. The restaurants were amazing, the service was friendly and the islands beauty is overwhelming. Overall, we had an amazing experience and a wonderful Christmas adventure.
