Peppers Airlie Beach

Look no further than the Great Barrier Reef’s first fully solar-powered resort for an eco-friendly escape. With a private cove and the Conway National Park serving as your playground, you can’t help but fall in love with this idyllic part of the world.

Seclusion is a guarantee, as this exclusive sanctuary of ten ocean-front villas only allows a maximum of 20 guests at a time. Each air-conditioned villa looks out across the ocean, mountains and rainforest, with expansive windows and balconies to aid you with soaking in the views. Airy interiors feature fresh colours and wooden furnishings, while outdoor showers, snug daybeds and hammocks strung across the decks encourage you to ease into tranquil island life.

The retreat’s pool promises more than just refreshment, with magnesium mineral water, reducing body pains and relieving stress and anxiety. Continuing with the theme of rejuvenation, the on-site spa, which draws inspiration from ancient healing systems, promises the most revitalizing massages and facials.

Dishes inspired by the region and created with fresh produce from the resort’s own garden can be enjoyed at the restaurant. The menus change daily, a three-course dinner is hosted every night, and picnic hampers can be arranged for day trips. When guests aren’t feasting or relaxing on the beach, activities, including an array of water sports, are available.

Found sitting pretty on a five by three-mile private island, located in the very north of the Whitsunday Islands, you’ll find the modernist InterContinental Hayman Island. This island is filled with wonderful flora and fauna such as brightly coloured birds, wallabies and a beautiful variety of sea life along the Great Barrier Reef.

The interior is extremely slick in design thanks to a multi-million-pound refurbishment, and the hard lines of the white walls and stone floors make for an interesting visual contrast to the wild and exotic vegetation surrounding it.

The 160 rooms here are spacious and feature four-poster beds for the upmost comfort and style as well as offering equally roomy lounges. Bathrooms are grand in design with sleek marble and boast baths big enough for two, as well as large showers. Private balconies offer incredible views over the blue ocean ahead or the pristine pool, while rooms on the ground floor offer access to the gardens and pool area.

Here you will also find six beachside studio-style villas which provide the perfect place to relax: a private courtyard plunge pool.

Dining options here are plenty, with five restaurants and a bar on-site. Head to Pacific restaurant for typically Australian laid-back vibes, with contemporary Australian cuisine served with the country’s best wines and boutique beers. Or for a more bold and energetic atmosphere, head to Bam Bam restaurant, located beside the infinity pool, where you can indulge in a range of Asian cuisine. For contemporary Italian cuisine, head to Amici Trattoria where you’ll find Amalfi Coast-inspired interiors. Or for a truly romantic experience you can enjoy private dining on the beach.

The hotel’s location perfectly lends itself to a range of land and water activities, such as hiking and walking trails, as well as swimming, scuba diving, snorkelling through a string of reefs and sailing on the sparkling sea. After a busy day of exploring the island’s wonders, head to the Hayman Spa where you’ll find ten luxurious treatment rooms and a range of healing body treatments.

On Hamilton Island in the heart of the Whitsundays and the Great Barrier Reef, Beach Club is a boutique adults-only resort right on Catseye Beach, overlooking the Coral Sea.

There are 57 luxurious and each with a private terrace or balcony. The resort also has a private restaurant for secluded beachside dining, infinity swimming pool and access to the island’s spa.

When you’re not lounging on the beach, you can make the most of Hamilton’s incredible array of activities. Guests have complimentary access to all non-motorised sports equipment, including catamarans, paddle boards, windsurfers and snorkelling equipment, and use of the island’s gym and tennis. There is also golf, yachts to be chartered, reef cruises and more.

The Reef View Hotel sits in the heart of Hamilton Island with 363 stylish rooms, the vast majority of which, as the name would suggest, enjoy fabulous vistas out to sea from their private balconies.

While the hotel has it’s own restaurant, lounge and swimming pool, you’re ideally located to try out the other restaurants, bars, activities and venues in town. Sandy Catseye Beach is also direct opposite.