helloworld Travel Mt Maunganui - Recent staff trips

Although I have been to the Great Barrier Reef before, I have never been to the Whitsunday Islands, so I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I was blown away by how beautiful it is.  The water is such a stunning colour, and with delicious food, amazing snorkeling nearby and lovely temperatures, it gives the Pacific Islands a run for their money.

Getting There

We flew via Sydney to Hamilton Island and then took a 1 hour boat transfer (with complimentary drinks and nibbles onboard) to the gorgeous Intercontinental Hayman Island Resort.

The Stay

On arrival we were taken in golf carts to the main reception and given a quick tour of the property. 

There are:

• 2  X wings
• Beach villas
• A 3 bedroom beach house
• Residences (a little away form the resort)

We stayed in the Lagoon wing in a Premium King room, and it had everything I could have asked for, including visits from nosy cockatoos on my balcony!  Hayman Island Resort claims the biggest saltwater lagoon pool in the Southern Hemisphere, plus a kids pool and infinity pool, as well as a beautiful beach, so no lack of places to swim and hang out.

Excursions:

We went on a snorkelling trip one morning, to the 'Inner Reef', and it was only as 10min boat trip away to see beautiful coral and a lot of very friendly fish – so friendly I kept having to shoo them away from my mask so I could see where I was going!  It is ‘stinger season’ over our summer, but the resort has stinger suits (like a mix between a wetsuit and a rashtop) to protect against these when snorkelling.

You can also do:

• A day trip to Whitehaven Beach, by helicopter or by boat
• A romantic helicopter excursion to Heart Island
• Visit the PADI dive shop
• And plenty of non-motorised water activities

So lots of options if lying around is not your thing!

We were there for just 3 nights, but it was a great trip, and I would love to go back again with the family – a great alternative to the islands and still very close to home.