How to spend three days on Daydream Island as a family

It’s a place you can kick back and relax or embark on adventures of a lifetime. It’s got a pace that makes your shoulders immediately drop and your soul slow down. It’s a nature revival that’ll spark curiosity in the world around you, and appreciation for Queensland’s raw beauty.

A resort where gourmet dining, sprawling pool, world-class amenities and luxurious touches are met with a passionate team of marine biologists who educate and share in their wonder of the Great Barrier Reef.

There’s activities to keep all ages enthralled, from toddlers to teens – and you can often find great package deals for family holidays. Convinced? Here’s how to spend a fun three days on Daydream Island.

Day 1

AM: Get up close with stingrays and marine life

The adventure starts long before you pull ashore on Daydream Island: the scenic cruise here from Hamilton Island or Airlie Beach (depending on which airport you fly into) sets the scene for the three days to come: beauty every way you turn.

Check in and waste no time investigating the activities on offer for the whole family (even though the modern rooms with views out across the Coral Sea are likely to make you pause for a few moments first). The immense Living Reef – a free form coral lagoon  – that wraps its way 200-metres around the main resort building will have already caught the kids’ eyes, so it’s time to meet a few of its residents up close.

Stingray Splash is a once-in-a-lifetime experience the family can sign up for together. Despite the name, stingrays are actually really friendly – even known as the puppies of the sea – and you can get up close to feed them and even give them a pat, as they swirl and play around you. 

PM: Watch the sunset at Lovers Cove

Grab lunch together and clock up a little time splashing in the pool: the quickest recipe for getting into holiday mode. Before sunset, make your way to the island’s western facing coral beach, known as Lovers Cove. This little hideaway is a great spot to let the kids do a little rock climbing, feed the fish (ask for some fish food from the activities hut) or to stop for a little while (wine in hand – there’s a bar here too) and watch the sun set.

When hunger strikes, make your way to Infinity Restaurant for upscale dining with a Japanese twist. And if there’s still gas in the tank after dessert, take the gang to the Open Air Cinema for movie night under the stars. 

Day 2

AM: Splash about

Early riser? Join in a sunrise stretch session by the water: the perfect start to the day. You might even spot a few friendly wallaroos (a mix of wallaby and kangaroo) frolicking on the grass.

Fuel up with a buffet breakfast at Graze, then suit up and head to the pool area: there’s a dedicated pool for kids and plenty of shallow areas for younger play (and a dedicated adults-only pool with its own swim up bar – in case you end up with a few spare hours with the little ones in kids club).

Feeling active? Older kids might like to burn off some energy on a guided kayak or paddleboard tour, or snorkelling the reef just off the beach. Walk into the water to discover a whole new world underneath it.

When it’s time to slow down and take a break, take it at the Underwater Observatory: a mesmerising peek at the marine life that call the Living Reef home. Settle back on the cushions – this afternoon will be quite the adventure.

PM: Visit Whitehaven Beach

Perhaps the most famous landmark in The Whitsundays, Whitehaven Beach has been voted one of the top ten beaches in the world (and one of our top Queensland experiences) – so it’s a must do when right on your doorstep. Daydream Island Resort offers half-day tours to Whitehaven, and the moment you step foot onto the soft silica sand, you’ll understand the hype.  

The water is the perfect colour of turquoise, the sand is super white, and it feels like paradise.

You don’t need to take much: just yourself, a towel, some sunscreen and a camera, so you can capture family memories.

If you’ve got a serious adventurous streak, take advantage of the resort’s many spine-tingling excursions like full day sailing trips, jet skiing through the islands, high-speed Great Barrier Reef tours and helicopter rides.

Be sure to take a look at the activities board before you grab dinner: depending on the day, there might be bingo, trivia and other family-friendly activities that encourage a little friendly competition. 

Day 3

AM: Become a Reef Ranger

The shimmering jewel of the resort’s renovation, the Living Reef is reason alone to visit Daydream Island.

Fascinating for young and old, and full of immersive educational activities thanks to the team of passionate marine biologists who manage it, the Living Reef should be explored as much as possible – home to over 100 species of marine life including thriving coral, colourful fish, rays, small sharks and more.

One of the best opportunities to spark the curiosity in your kids is to sign them up for the Reef Ranger program. The three hour interactive ‘class’ is available for kids aged 6 years and older – and it’s their backstage pass to the Great Barrier Reef as they shadow a marine biologist, visit exclusive parts of the Living Reef, help take part in the morning fish feeding show, and get hands-on in the touch tanks, meeting a few curious sea creatures. 

PM: Take a guided snorkel or hang out underwater

More than the best classroom the kids have ever stepped into, the Living Reef is an incredible ‘controlled’ environment for little ones to snorkel with a guide (and parents, too). Toddlers and those less confident in the water can still take it all in from the observatory – which becomes a hive of activity during the afternoon public fish feeding.

Of course, you can always slip on the snorkel and fins to discover more of the fringing reef around the island, or soak up a little more time poolside.

It’s a stunning snapshot of the Great Barrier Reef and if it leaves you wanting more, check out some of the other places to explore more of this magical wonder. 

If your three days on Daydream Island inspires more family holidays in The Whitsundays, take a look at these adventures from Airlie Beach, add these activities to your wish list, or take a spin through the islands and captain your own yacht on a sailing adventure.