5 days of luxury in The Whitsundays

Day one: Discover Airlie Beach

See Airlie Beach before you head out to the Whitsunday Islands – it’s full of salty characters and bars and restaurants with stunning ocean views. There’s an energy about the place that’s infectious; being here is like being in some far-flung South Seas destination.

Take time to discover town, people-watch as you stroll the main street, then walk the four-kilometre-long Bicentennial Walkway on a boardwalk a few metres above the ocean. You’ll see turtles, the super-yachts of Coral Sea Marina and pretty parklands.

Enjoy lunch at The Anchor Bar, overlooking town and the ocean. It’s not overly fancy, but there’s a jacuzzi and pool for an after-meal treat, and nowhere has better views.

Check in at the Coral Sea Resort. It’s only a five-minute walk from town, and your room comes with a private balcony with hammock, and a view over the water (where yachts are anchored).

Have dinner at its restaurant, The Rocks, beside the pool, looking out to the islands – with its impeccable green lawn and beachfront location, there’s a Gatsby-like quality to this place.

Day two: Find an island hideaway

Take a taxi to Shute Harbour, 11 kilometres east of Airlie Beach, driving through the rainforest-covered mountains of Conway National Park. Drive to the top of Coral Point for views across the Whitsundays (look for whales).

A boat is waiting to take you to one of the Whitsundays’ best-kept secret: eco-resort, Elysian Retreat. You’ll have to time it with the tide (you need a high tide to get into the beach).

You won’t feel more removed from the world. Elysian Retreat is the most secluded island retreat in the Whitsundays, and it’s the first 100 per cent solar-powered island resort on the Great Barrier Reef. There’s just 10 cabins built across three hectares on a secluded rocky bay (Paradise Bay), with a restaurant/ bar open to the elements - there’s floor-to-ceiling glass doors if the temperature ever drops below 20 degrees.

From the moment you arrive, you’ll go ’into the wild’. Perched on the remote southern corner of Long Island, you’re surrounded by rainforest. Take a hike through the forest to a secluded beach, or take a glass-bottomed kayak or stand-up paddleboard over the off-shore reef, or snorkel with turtles.

There’s no Wi-Fi on the island – O-M-G! Use the down-time for a massage, or to stare at a palm tree from the pool deck with a cocktail.

Day three: Make your way to Queensland’s adventure island

Start your day with a free session of yoga by the pool, gazing across the water towards the mainland. Enjoy a leisurely breakfast - the food at Elysian Retreat is part of what sets this place apart.

Take a helicopter transfer direct to your next island resort, flying over the baby-blue Coral Sea. Land on the helipad at qualia, one of Australia’s most prestigious island resorts.

Located behind huge wooden gates amongst a setting guests say resembles the set of Steven Spielberg’s The Lost World, you’ll sleep in a private pavilion amongst the bush beside wallabies, with stunning views across the water – most come with their own plunge pool.

Qualia is located on Hamilton Island so you’ve got plenty of choices for day activities. You could stay a fortnight and you won’t do the same thing twice. There’s over 50 activities, but try one of the most exclusive options first. Take a helicopter from Hamilton Island’s airport to your own private pontoon in the middle of the Great Barrier Reef. Located beside world-renowned Heart Reef (a 100 square-metre patch of coral shaped like a heart), you’ll land at low tide when the reef creates an enormous lagoon. You’ll have 90 minutes to travel in an eco-friendly jet boat and a glass bottom boat for reef viewing, with time to snorkel.

Day four: Get to know your surroundings

You don’t have to spend big for exclusivity round here. In fact, one of the best ways to see the island is to hire your own motorised dinghy from Hamilton Island Marina. You’re the skipper, itinerary planner and chef as you motor your way around Hamilton Island. You can hire fishing gear to catch lunch, and you’ll get to discover the stunning beaches of the island few guests see, like Coral Cove and Escape Beach. You could easily spend a whole day out, but there’s so much to do yet.

After a picnic lunch on board, change for Australia’s most picturesque golf course. Hamilton Island Golf Club is a 10-minute boat ride away – the course sits on its own private island. Designed by Australia’s greatest golfer, Peter Thomson, it’s built along the edges of cliffs – make sure you buy plenty of golf balls.

Get back in time for sunset drinks at One Tree Hill. Guests gather at one of the island’s highest locations at sunset at the Whitsundays’ best positioned sunset bar. Order signature cocktail: French 75 - gin, Cointreau, sparkling wine and lemon juice.

Day five: Make your way to Australia’s most famous beach

See that big island from your private pavilion (if you have a pavilion facing north)? That’s called Whitsunday Island: have a guess what’s on the other side of the mountain? Whitehaven Beach, one of the world’s top 10 beaches, a seven-kilometre stretch of silica-sand beside aqua marine water that’s the crème de crème of beaches anywhere in North Queensland.

Getting there is easy from Hamilton Island. There’s a variety of choices - depending on how private you’d like to make your trip. For total exclusivity points, book a private charter with Mars Charters. They’ll take you direct to the beach where you can have a picnic with champagne on the sand. You can book either a day tour or half-day tour, or even just a few hours.

Or take a helicopter and set yourself down on the sand with a bottle of sparkling wine, a sunshade and a rug for 75 minutes.

On your return it’s easy to get home from Hamilton Island Airport, which offers daily flights direct to Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne.