Qualia Great Barrier Reef

The northern point of Hamilton Island holds qualia, set above the Coral Sea with the Great Barrier Reef spread out beyond the fringing water. Sixty pavilions are split across two styles. Leeward Pavilions face south-west into tropical garden with glimpses of water beyond the trees, each with its own sundeck under timber louvres that let the sea breeze through. Windward Pavilions face north, and each comes with a private plunge pool and a bedroom looking straight out over the Whitsundays. For larger groups, the Beach House stands apart entirely, with a 12-metre infinity pool, a ten-person dining room and a separate guest pavilion. Two restaurants anchor the resort: Long Pavilion, raised among eucalyptus trees with a wide view of the surrounding islands, and Pebble Beach, set on the sand for lunch beside an infinity pool and reworked into the main dinner sitting after dark. A spa sits close to the water, its treatments built around reef-inspired ingredients like bamboo, macadamia and marine minerals. From the resort, guests can dive at Bait Reef, fly by helicopter to Whitehaven Beach or Heart Reef, or play the Peter Thomson-designed course on neighbouring Dent Island. Check-in runs from 2pm. The tide swings by several metres through the day, and the water stays close to 19 degrees year-round.