Does anyone remember when Oprah Winfrey came to Australia a few years ago? She was here to promote Australian tourism and as part of her trip she was taken to Qualia. Qualia has been named the best resort in Australia from time to time and it is nice - but I've always thought that 'best resort' is something which can't be pinned down. It is a very subjective thing. A few nights of pure heaven for one person may be absolute torture for another.
D and I are extremely fortunate. We have been not only to Qualia but also to Lizard Island and Bedarra, two of the other ultra-luxury resorts on the Great Barrier Reef. I preface this by saying they are all very expensive but if you are thinking of visiting the reef and doing it in luxury then your choice is probably between these three. All of them are lovely, but each has its own strength and weaknesses. I hope our experiences can help you choose between them.
Lizard Island
Having been severely damaged twice in the last year by cyclones, Lizard has just announced it's re-opening dates. While the complete resort will not re-open until mid-August, from early June until then some suites will be available at reduced prices - click here for details. The downside of staying during what the resort refers to as its 'soft' re-opening is that there will be renovation work going on while you are there. The up-side is the discounted rate and fewer other guests.
Lizard Island is a National Park of 1,013 hectares. The resort has 40 suites. Don't expect a tropical island of the kind you may have seen in the movies. Lizard is covered in grassland. The only palm trees are those around the resort, planted to give the island a tropical flavour.
Lizard Island
Advantages -
Snorkelling - If you want to snorkel, Lizard is by far the best island of the three. It is further from the Queensland coast than Bedarra or Qualia and located directly on the Great Barrier Reef. To find beautiful coral all you need do is step off Anchor Bay beach and swim out or walk around the headland to the magnificent Clam Gardens in Watson's Bay.
Diving - Lizard's position on the reef also means you can do a dive or snorkel trip without it taking the whole day. Since David is not a strong swimmer this is particularly important to us. I can swim out and snorkel in front of the resort, or take a half day snorkelling cruise without impacting too much on our time together.
Land Size - Lizard Island is considerably larger than either Bedarra or the area on Hamilton Island dedicated to Qualia. This makes it a lot more fun to explore by foot.
Watson's Bay - a short walk or swim from the resort.
Highlights -
The Coral.
Diving the Cod Hole. I don't dive, so I can't give you personal experience of this, but I'm told it is one of the world's great dives.
The beautiful beaches.
Dining in the open air restaurant and just soaking up the view.
One of the beautiful giant clams in the clam garden at Watson's Bay - trust me these are just stunning in the flesh.
Disadvantages -
We have found the rooms at Lizard less luxurious than you would expect for the price, particularly the cheaper rooms. The fact that the resort has recently been re-built will go a long way to address this issue for a while. There is nothing like newness to improve the feel of an otherwise ordinary room.
None of the rooms had baths before the recent re-build. That does not appear to have changed. If you have in mind spending your time in long luxuriating baths then you will be disappointed.
Don't miss -
Visiting Mary Watson's Hut at Watson's Bay - The sad story of Mary Watson and her baby son is re-told near the ruins of her cottage. Twenty-one year old Mary and her husband, a bech-de-mer fisherman, were camped on the island with their four month old son and two Chinese servants. While her husband was away, a group of aborigines attacked. One servant, Ah Leung was speared to death before Mary and the other servant, Ah Sam fled the island in a cut down beche-de-mer tank. They drifted at sea for eight days before dying of thirst. Mary is buried in the cemetery at Cooktown.
Hiking up to Cook's Look - Captain Cook who named the island for its population of what he thought were 'lizards' climbed the island's highest peak to find a way through the Great Barrier Reef. Today re-tracing his steps seems to be something of a rite of passage amongst the more energetic guests at the resort. Once at the top you are rewarded with an unimpeded view of the island.
The Lizards - They are in fact goannas which grow to several feet long and hang around the resort gardens and under the boardwalks looking cute.
A Lizard Island goanna.
Which room to choose -
Our preference has always been for the Anchor Bay Suites. Only a few metres walk to the beach at Anchor Bay they are set back from the sand far enough to give them some privacy.
Try to avoid room number 40 which, unless it has been moved in the latest re-build, is so close to the staff bar that it can be very noisy in the evenings.
Getting there -
Lizard Island is a 60 minute flight from Cairns in a light plane. On a clear day, there are spectacular views of the reef. The first time we stayed there the watersports manager was on the same flight and he spent much of the hour describing and pointing out different features below us. It was infinitely better than a flightseeing tour.
If your pockets are deep enough you can fly from Cairns by helicopter.
Bedarra Island
Like Lizard Island, Bedarra was the victim of a cyclone a few years ago. In February 2011 Cyclone Yasi struck and all but destroyed the resort. It re-opened eighteen months later. The result is that today's resort is relatively new. Personally, I think newness goes a long way to making any hotel or resort a lot nicer to stay in.
Bedarra is smaller than Lizard Island with an area of just 100 hectares. It is located 10 kms offshore from Mission Beach, 140 km south of Cairns. The island is covered in thick tropical rainforest.
Becoming modern day explorers in our own little dinghy was a highlight of our stay at Bedarra.
Advantages -
Privacy and Seclusion - With only eight villas, each sleeping two adults, Bedarra has taken privacy and seclusion very seriously.
Size - The smaller size of the island makes it easy to explore from the water. D and I had a great time in the resort's motorised dinghies circumnavigating the island and calling in at deserted beaches.
The Villas - Unlike Lizard where most of the villas are grouped in pairs, every villa on Bedarra is set in a separate building.
Highlights -
Taking a motorised dinghy and picnic to a deserted beach and playing Robinson Crusoe for the day.
The Food - Dining in the open air restaurant is a highlight. Bedarra is more focused on just laying around and relaxing than Lizard. You can still take part in activities like snorkelling, kayaking and paddle-boarding, but we found that Bedarra made just a little more effort to make you feel pampered.
Don't expect to lose weight while you are there - it is just not going to happen.
Disadvantages -
There is a proliferation of seaweed and other seagrasses in the waters near the resort. It collects on the beaches and is unpleasant to swim through. It was disappointing to have to go to the other side of the island to find pristine sand beaches with crystal clear water.
There is some lovely coral in Hernandia Bay but it is a fair way out. If you are not a confident swimmer it is probably out of your reach. If what you want is the ability to snorkel or dive right off the island then you are better off at Lizard Island.
Bedarra offers dive and snorkelling trips to the outer reef but because it is much further than Lizard from the main reef getting there takes a lot longer.
Playing Robinson Crusoe with a beach picnic packed by the resort.
Don't miss -
A beach picnic on one of the isolated beaches away from the resort.
Which room to choose -
Our focus is for seclusion and privacy rather than being right on the beach. For that reason we like the Oceanview Terrace Villas (Rooms 12 & 13). If you want a plunge pool then go for Villa 14.
The Beach House (Villa 5) is right on the beach if you want to literally fall out of bed and hit the sand.
Late afternoon strolls were a must for us.
Getting there -
Bedarra is half an hour by launch from Mission Beach. The reservations staff will organise your launch transfer when you reserve your accommodation.
Mission Beach is two hours drive south of Cairns. There are limousine and bus services operating from Cairns, but the easiest way of getting to Mission Beach is to hire a car and drive.
If you have deep pockets and not much luggage then as with Lizard you can arrive in style by helicopter.
Qualia
Qualia is situated on Hamilton Island, one of the Whitsunday Group, 16 kms from the Queensland coast at Airlie Beach. It is 500 kms further south than Bedarra and about 1000 kms further south than Lizard. This makes it cooler year-round than both Lizard and Bedarra.
Although there are many other hotels and resorts on Hamilton, Qualia has its own private little corner on the northern tip. Behind the imposing electronic gates and 'Guests only - entry by appointment' sign you will feel quite secluded.
We never actually saw anyone swim in this pool. I think it just looked too perfect to disturb the water.
Advantages -
Easy access - Hamilton Island has its own airport which can handle passenger jets. There are direct flights from all the mainland capital cities. You can be relaxing in the luxury surrounds within a few hours of leaving home.
Accommodation - Qualia's villas are stunning. The Windward Pavillions, in particular, have magnificent views out across the Coral Sea and Whitsunday Islands. It has been a while since we stayed at Qualia but assuming the standard has been maintained I can't imagine anyone being disappointed with the villas.
The rooms are just lovely - I adore a nice long afternoon soak.
Highlights -
The view from the Windward side.
Zipping around Hamilton Island in a Qualia golf buggy. Each of the rooms comes with a two-seater buggy. We had a lot of fun exploring the rest of the island in ours. Be warned though, you need a full drivers licence.
Being dropped off for a private beach picnic.
Our beach picnic.
Disadvantages -
Qualia is built on a cliff hillside. While this makes for great views across the water it means that some parts of the resort are quite steep. You will want to take your buggy down to Pebble Beach's restaurant and pool for example.
Mostly pebbles with a short, uninspiring stretch of sand the resort beach is disappointing.
There are some patches of coral at Pebble Beach but a prevailing current while we were there made the water too murky to see the colours. To snorkel the main reef you have to take a helicopter, sea-plane or day cruise.
Except breakfast, meals are not included in Qualia's standard rate, nor are alcoholic drinks. There is a Gourmet Rate which includes dinner but not lunch. You will need to take the price of meals into account when working out the cost of your stay. While you might decide to eat out occasionally the experience wouldn't be the same without dining in one of the resort restaurants.
With 60 pavillions, Qualia is less intimate than either Lizard or Bedarra.
They don't let just anyone in!
Don't miss -
A private beach drop-off and picnic.
Which room to chose -
We stayed in a Windward Pavillion because of their superior views. The Leeward Pavillions didn't seem to have quite the same magical feel.
Which resort should you choose?
Qualia - if you are time poor and want to get there and back quickly.
Lizard - if, like me, you love snorkelling.
Bedarra - if you want privacy, seclusion and lots of pampering.
We have returned to one of the resorts three times and we are headed back to another later this year - but I'm not going to tell you which. Can you guess? Do you have a favourite luxury resort somewhere in the world?
Note: In the last six years David and I have been to all three of Bedarra, Qualia and Lizard Island Resorts. We stayed in the mid-priced rooms each time. We have not stayed at either Bedarra or Lizard since their re-builds. However, both appear to have been re-built to the same basic plan as they had before they were hit by cyclones. I have written this guide drawing on our personal experience but bear in mind that your expectations and experiences may be different to ours. If you choose to go to one of the resorts I hope you have a wonderful time. If you do go, drop me a line and tell me what you thought.