Welcome back ... beach villa luxury.Credit: David McGonigal
The might of cyclones has been unable to diminish the pleasure of a holiday at this rebuilt Whitsunday resort, writes David McGonigal.
THE lure of the beach took us through our room in record time.
Our butler opened the door to our luxurious Beach Villa on Hayman Island and we were presented with a vista of sun-dappled water and palm trees swaying overhead. And that was the room - beyond lay a glorious panorama of beach and bay. About 10 seconds later, we were wriggling our toes in the golden sand.
Grounded, we returned to marvel at the way the room flows into the outdoors by the clever use of glass, design and furnishings.
"During cyclones Anthony, then Yasi four days later, the windows were visibly flexing but none broke," said our butler, Chris, as he showed us how to operate our room. "But the gardens were stripped bare and there was sand everywhere."
Indeed, the damage was so extensive that the resort closed for five months and was reopened by the Queensland Premier, Anna Bligh, only on August 4. But the comprehensive rebuilding has been worth it. Even the pool had to be dug out of the sand and is now painted in a different hue. The most obvious first impression is that the resort looks more than ever as if it has been dropped into a beachside tropical jungle.
The gardens were redesigned by Jamie Durie and you'd imagine few tropical nurseries in Queensland have any mature plants left.
The 16-hectare gardens have 33,000 new plants. They certainly don't look as if they were devastated by a cyclone on February 3, or ever. To add to the pain, Hayman had just completed a $65 million refurbishment when Yasi hit. The now gleaming-white resort reflects the millions of dollars more spent this year to rebuild and relaunch. The most impressive development is the eight 120-square-metre Beach Villas designed by much-awarded architect Kerry Hill. Australian-born and Singapore-based, Hill is one of the world's great tropical-resort architects and it shows.
There is something special about a resort room that has a large, open-air space, with a pool between the bedroom and bathroom. As you enter from the garden path, the first area you see is a spectacular, expansive white-marble bathroom dominated by a freestanding bath that has great views to the seashore through glass walls. An outside shower overlooks your big, private pool. Finally, in the large bedroom a king-size bed looks to the beach.
It's the perfect holiday place for exhibitionists. Electronic sheer blinds give privacy during the day but our extensive butler briefing reminded us that we might want to drop the opaque blinds when our lights are on and it's dark outside. We raised the blinds before going to sleep and woke to a breathtaking dawn across paradise.
Hayman attracts a lot of families and won a world travel award in 2009 as "Australasia's leading family resort". The Beach Villas aren't for kids but the nanny and children can always stay in a nearby Retreat Wing room, 38 square metres in size and with its own rockery garden. To stay together, aim for the main buildings of the resort, either overlooking the lagoon or the Hayman pool. All reveal the recent rebuilding and Hayman's desire to reclaim the crown as Queensland's most luxurious tropical island.
The palatial resort is one of only four Australian members of the prestigious The Leading Hotels of the World consortium and is far from its origins as a fishing getaway in the 1930s and '40s.
In 1947, Reg (later Sir Reginald) Ansett bought it for £14,000, said to be based on a rate of £10 for every wild goat on the island.
Royal Hayman resort led the way for Whitsunday resorts for decades. In 1985, Ansett, the now-defunct airline, tore it down and started construction of today's resort: plush carpets, crystal chandeliers and original works of art set a new standard of opulence for an Australian resort.
The stylish latest rebuilding is no less luxurious but shows how we desire less clutter and cleaner lines now. Even the pods for two around the pool resemble giant, business-class airline seats.
In the MasterChef age, our culinary needs have changed dramatically, too, and Hayman has responded. Beachside, the Azure restaurant has an open kitchen and a breakfast buffet displayed so appealingly that return visits are obligatory. For Italian, La Trattoria, and the diverse Oriental, set in a beautiful water garden, continue. The resort's signature Fontaine restaurant opened early this month under executive chef Glenn Bacon and extends outside on platforms over the Swan Pond (the famed white swans are still in residence).
For foodies there is a weekly Chef's Table in the main kitchen, while romantics may opt for private dinner in a cabana overlooking the beach. Another option is a helicopter ride to nearby Whitehaven Beach for an indulgent picnic.
Within minutes of our arrival we were cruising along the beach in a brisk wind on one of the Hobie Cats that are available free of charge whenever tide and conditions allow. Others had taken the greater challenge of the resort's windsurfers. A seaplane landed at the marina, then the resort's luxurious Sun Goddess returned from a reef excursion. Hayman Island offers complete luxury but it's certainly not idle.
As we cruised away from Hayman, the captain stopped the vessel so we could observe a humpback and calf by Whitsunday Island. It's easy to love the Australian tropics.
Trip notes
Where Hayman Island is part of Queensland's Whitsunday Islands and is north of Hamilton Island; 1800 122 339, hayman.com.au.
Getting there The direct route to Hayman Island is by air to Hamilton Island with Virgin Blue or Jetstar, then a 50-minute transfer by boat (with canapes and champagne en route) to Hayman. Or fly from Hamilton Island to Hayman Island by helicopter or seaplane.
How much Hayman Island has a dozen different standards of accommodation, two seasons (Christmas-New Year is peak) and discounts for stays of four nights or more. The standard rate for a Pool Room for two, including breakfast, is $590, while a Beach Villa is $1590.
Top marks Relaxed, friendly but attentive staff; natural setting; free activities; very smooth luggage transfers.
Black mark Vague times for launch transfers.
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