Our Whitsunday trips are often out on the water but for times when we need to base ourselves on land, Hamilton Island is an ideal central location.
And when the kids are on school holidays and coming with us, it’s the perfect place to keep them busy.
We recently visited during the July break where we had a fabulous time with our tweens.
Here are ten reasons we found it to be such an easy and fun family holiday destination:
1. It’s easy to get to
Compared to the days of old, when visiting an island in the Whitsundays required that you get yourself first to Airlie Beach via Proserpine and then onto a boat for an hour or more, a direct flight to Hamilton Island is extremely convenient.
Available from Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane on Qantas or Virgin Airlines, within 3 hours you could go from sub 10ºC drizzle in Melbourne to a balmy 23ºC and winter subtropical sunshine on an island paradise.
If you’re travelling with young ones, you’ll appreciate that patience is not in abundance – neither from the kids, nor the parents after the kids have whinged you around the bend.
At Hamilton Island, there’s very little waiting around. It’s quick to get your bags and onto a shuttle bus to your chosen resort or apartment.
Check-in is usually pretty fast and within an hour of touching down, you can all be swapping your clammy shoes and socks for flops and getting ready to hit the pool.
2. Family friendly accommodation
A major reason to choose Hammo over other destinations is that in many of the island resorts, kids stay and eat free up to the age of twelve. With our eldest soon to turn that age, it was the perfect opportunity to take advantage of this to reduce the cost of what can be an expensive holiday for our small family of four.
On the resort side of the island, the accommodation options are myriad, from the Whitsunday Apartments, that suit lower budgets, the mid-tier Reef View and Palm Bungalows, or the new luxury offer “The Sundays”. Or you can stay in one of the many holiday lets on the island.
All either have their own pool or are within a very short walk to another one.
We chose to stay in the Palm Bungalows, which were among the first to be built when Keith Williams developed the island for tourism in the 1970s and ‘80s.
They’ve been modernised a number of times since those days and were comfortably appointed with a king bed, two roll-out singles, a small kitchenette and a great bathroom.
While the views aren’t what you get from the Reef View, they do provide a slightly greater sense of privacy, and a spot to park and charge your buggy right outside your door.
We found rolling out of bed and down to eat a hearty breakfast at the Reef View’s Pool Terrace buffet before a stint by the pool was the perfect start to each day.
We chose to expend a little of the tween exuberance before a break for lunch back in our bungalow before another afternoon activity.
3. Did I mention the pools?
Still the cheapest and most loved activity on any resort (by our kids, at least), a good sized pool is the ultimate entertainer.
The main pool is big and meanders around the area between the resort centre and Catseye Beach.
There are lifeguards on watch, places to swim up to a bar, various nets for volleyball or kicking goals… and the most peaceful vista over
Catseye Bay for the parents to enjoy from a sunlounger.
The Bouganvillea pool is located on the opposite side of Sails Restaurant from the main pool.
It is shadier and suits younger kids, given it has more shallow spots for toddlers to splash about.
There’s a bar nearby for parents to grab a beverage while the kids frolic.
The Reef View has a conventional square pool, right by the downstairs dining area aptly named the Pool Terrace.
This is used by folks wanting to do a few laps in the morning and then everyone else during the day.
It’s a bit more of a grown-up space with plenty of interloping cockatoos, though kids are welcome there also.
4. Lots of dining and food options
As mentioned, there’s a kids’ stay and eat free offer when staying at some places.
Families staying at the Reef View Hotel, Palm Bungalows, The Sundays, or any Holiday Home booked through Hamilton Island Holiday Homes can take advantage of this deal when sharing a room with the kids and using existing bedding.
Kids eat free from the kids’ menu at the Pool Terrace (lunch and dinner) and Sails Restaurant (lunch only).
Just show your room key to access the offer. Hamilton Island has a variety of restaurants and eateries.
Just remember to check restaurant opening hours, make sure to place a reservation well in advance.
For our stay, we had breakfast each day at the Reef View Buffet, which had a good quality offer.
There was usually a queue (it was during school holidays) but we didn’t have to wait too long for a table.
We chose to purchase a barista coffee which wasn’t included in our room deal but we could have used the cappuccino machine for free if we weren’t such insufferable coffee snobs.
We ate lunch either in our bungalow (with supplies bought from the IGA supermarket by the harbour on the other side of the island) or at Sails Restaurant adjacent to the resort centre.
It has a convenient position near the pools and has lovely views onto the beach and bay. The menu isn’t ambitious, but suits families and most tastes.
For dinner we mostly splashed out on restaurants all over the island, and there are a number to choose from. On the harbour side, we at at:
- The Marina Tavern, which offers what you’d expect from a pub – chicken schnitzels, steak, burgers, chips and such. They don’t take bookings (unless you are a large group) so make sure you’re there in enough time to queue and eat dinner which finishes serving at 9 pm. I’d suggest you get there before 7:30 pm, the wait can be lengthy.
- The pizzeria serves, you guessed it, decent gourmet pizza and gelato. You can order a pickup or delivery, or try your luck getting a table.
- Manta Ray which serves Mediterranean tapas and is a little pricier than the others mentioned so far, but that’s commensurate with an a la carte restaurant experience on the waterfront. You’ll need to book ahead.
- Romanos serves contemporary Italian cuisine and is more in line with Manta Ray in terms of price and offer. The harbour views are very pleasant and the food was also good. Bookings are required.
On the resort side, we ate dinner at:
- The Pool Terrace (the dining area of The Reef View Hotel) which requires a booking for dinner and serves modern Australian food.
- Coca Chu, a south-eastern asian restaurant that now occupies a building that used to be used as a table tennis parlour when I was a kid. It’s a much nicer venue now with views over Catseye Bay, and you will have to book. The food was probably among the best that we had on the island and the kids loved it too.
All the food on Hamilton Island tends to be on the pricier side, which is largely due to the logistics of island living.
Everything – from transporting ingredients to staffing and maintaining facilities – comes with added costs, and that’s reflected in the price of meals.
It’s worth keeping in mind that prices here won’t match, let alone undercut, what you’d typically pay on the mainland.
If you’re a gourmand, there are no stand-out dining experiences among the restaurants mentioned above. They were of an acceptable standard.
Our eldest chose to eat an adult meal sometimes (for which we had to pay), because the kids’ menus are usually pretty basic and portions are small.
We hear from others who have older kids, or don’t take them at all, that the best dining can be found at the more expensive restaurants, such as the golf club on Dent Island, at qualia (adults only) and at Bommie Restaurant (16yrs+ and located at the Yacht Club). But be prepared for the rather high prices.
There’s always the option to take away from various cafés, the Bakery and the IGA for those who want to keep the expenses under control.
If you choose to self-cater in a holiday home, you can cut eating-out altogether if you are keen to cook during your time away.
It’s also the option to order a delivery of fresh seafood to collect at the IGA if you’d like.
5. Azure seas and water activities
Being resort-side, we made the most of the fun at Catseye Bay where you can grab a SUP, Kayak or don some snorkel gear to get out among the turtles which frequent the bay.
We had fun on a double kayak with our youngest who wasn’t confident to go on her own and my eldest had fun tipping me off the SUP.
As far as the snorkelling goes, Catseye Bay isn’t the outer reef. The particles of sediment that make the waters here that surreal turquoise colour also inhibit visibility underwater.
It’s especially cloudy when the tide is running in or out at full flow and when the tide is at the lowest point.
For the best experience, it’s recommended you start your snorkel 2.5 hours before the low tide, when currents are slowing down and you’re not floating so far above the reef that you’re too far away to see things.
If you can combine that with a clear day when the sun is high in the sky, you’ll get good light and better colour too.
There are things to see underwater in Catseye Bay, and many report swimming with turtles there, though we were not lucky enough to encounter any on the day we tried.
The advice from the locals is to walk or swim out through the channel in the reef (where it’s sandy) and toward the outer fringes.
There’s some nice corals – staghorn, plates, sponges, etc – and a good variety of life including rays, various colourful reef fish and maybe even a reef shark (these really aren’t ones to worry about and we didn’t see any when we went).
Or if you’re going at higher tide, head to the less populated side of the beach before heading out.
Avoid standing on any corals or what looks like rocky rubble. It’s likely coral and you’ll crush someone’s home – they’d thank you to keep you clod feet to yourself.
The reef is already struggling to survive without the careless stomping of visitors.
The resort provides everything you need, including stinger suits, which are recommended all year ‘round, but are essential during the warmer months when a brush with an irukandji jellyfish could ruin your holiday.
Many don’t bother wearing a suit during the winter months, because the winds blow predominantly from the south-east, which means these thumbnail-sized translucent cuboids are not being blown in toward the islands from the outer reef where they breed.
However, we’re cautious and wear a suit all year ‘round, because while the chance of a sting from one of these is small in winter, it’s not zero.
Aside from irukandji, there are plenty of other beasties in tropical waters that can deliver an uncomfortable sting albeit with less dire consequences. So a suit is always a good idea.
You can lounge in the sun on the beach, play volleyball or book a hobie cat – though be warned, in busy periods you’ll need to book these days ahead and if they decide to cancel your booking because there’s too much wind, or in our case, not enough wind, then that’s it, you’re out of luck.
They won’t shift the bookings on, or brook your arguments that you’re a great sailor… you’ll have to rebook and may miss out altogether if you’ve insufficient days left in your stay.
So, I’d suggest if you’re keen on this, book for a day early on in your holiday to minimise the chance of suffering our fate.
6. Nature abounds
Although Hamilton is the most developed of all the islands in the Whitsundays, there is still a significant majority (70%) that is still in its natural state.
The whole island is around 7.5 square kilometres, 5 KMs at its longest and 3.5KMs at its widest and there are several great trails to enjoy, most on foot and some by all terrain vehicle, or now, eBike.
There are short walks, like the one to Hideaway Bay or longer ones, like those to South East Head. Stroll on gentle slopes or take a steep climb to various lookouts like Passage Peak, where there is a huge viewing platform at the top.
From here you can catch one of the best vistas available from any place in the Whitsundays.
If you’re not up for walking, you can get to many other great spots on a fun ATV tour where a guide will also tell you about the island and what you’re looking at.
They might even encourage you to try a green tree ant for some bush tucker, which tastes a bit like citrus, or so says our son, who was game to try them.
From so many vantage points, the island cuts a dramatic profile – from the soaring passage peak to the undulating ridges and saddles that create interesting angles to every view.
And if that’s not enough, you can get your selfies for the ‘gram at various points on the ‘Icons Trail’, such as a massive chair overlooking South East Head or a giant swing on the beach at Coral Cove.
The vegetation is typical for the islands, with many grass trees, eucalypt varieties, pandanus, figs, strangling vines, cycads, palms, hoop pine trees and more.
All are architectural in their way, combining with the ever-thrusting topography to create some kind of weird mash-up of Nordic alpine mountains and a Mesozoic Australian subtropical rainforest. It’s beautiful.
Every trail provides ample opportunity to capture stunning photos of the majestic surrounding islands, neon turquoise seas, sometimes dazzling sparkly water, or alluring fringing reefs quietly emerging from the blue, beckoning you to come closer.
There are cockatoos, kites and eagles overhead, bush stone curlews, brush turkeys, oyster catchers and wallabies on the ground.
Humpback whales, fish, turtles, rays, starfish and all manner of reef life can be observed beneath the waves. For nature-lovers, it’s quite the treat.
7. The buggies!
We highly recommend getting a buggy on the island, even if you’re just there for a few days.
It’s a hilly place and though you might like keeping fit by walking, at some point you’re going to sigh about climbing that hill one more time going to or from the marina village.
You’ll especially be thankful when it’s time to go to the top of One Tree Hill to catch the sunset and a cocktail overlooking Henning Island at the end of a full day’s activities.
While all the normal road rules still apply, there’s nothing like zipping around in an open-sided electric cart up hill and down dale, hopping on and off and never worrying about finding a park.
They’re not particularly fast and you can call me a big kid if you like, but they’re just heaps of fun!
Of course, the kids absolutely love them too and will want to drive, but sadly, that’s not allowed. More driving for poor old Dad… oh well 😏.
Buggies are super easy to drive.
You’ll need to hold a valid driver’s licence and sit through a short video to ensure you understand that they aren’t a toy and that you must wear seat belts and not drive like an idiot.
They can be collected by the resort centre near the Reef View Hotel, so book ahead and you’ll avoid missing out.
8. Kids activities
Hamilton Island has got something for all ages, and the young or young at heart will not be disappointed.
Table tennis tournaments, bowling alley, mini-golf, driving range, go-karts, quad-bikes, a wildlife park, hair braids, tennis courts, jetskis, a pro golf course, various tours, eBikes, SUPs, kayaks, hobie cats, basketball, volleyball, did I mention the pools?… the list just goes on and on.
If you’re bored at Hamilton Island, then what can anybody say except, “Get off your bloody phone!” and “Kids these days! When I was growing up…”?
There’s a good mix of things that cost and things that don’t, scheduled activities and DIY, and there’s an app you can download to tell you what’s on that day.
There are plenty of activities that older kids can enjoy independently – which begs the question, what more could you ask for in a family holiday destination?
9. Travel and tour options
Getting around to other fun places in the Whitsundays is easy from Hammo.
Taking the Cruise Whitsunday ferry to or from Airlie Beach or Daydream Island, for example, is a breeze and there are a variety of times you can go.
We’ll be returning next year to sail the islands to do more field research, so we didn’t feel the need to venture far this time.
But visitors are absolutely spoiled for choice. There’s a huge array of half-day and full-day tours of all varieties, to nearby islands, signature experiences like Hill Inlet and Whitehaven Beach, or to get out to the outer reef.
You can even hire a helicopter for sight-seeing or if you don’t fancy a bumpy boat ride somewhere else.
The Hamilton Island app makes it simple to browse all the available options, and the Hamilton Island Visitors Facebook group is another great resource – just search for specific tours to see what others have said, which is especially helpful when deciding what suits your kids’ age and stage.
10. It’s safe and clean
From the moment you arrive, Hamilton Island has a polished, welcoming feel.
Everything is well-maintained and you’d be hard-pressed to find anything that’s looking a bit shabby and tired.
That’s more impressive than it sounds when you consider the challenges involved in looking after a tropical island resort.
With storms, the humid air and the challenges of just getting workers and equipment on and off the island, generating their own power and water, these resorts aren’t easy to run.
Even this resort back in the 1990s was pretty clapped-out, with old cane furniture, mouldy walls, RSL carpets and crumbling facilities.
All of the Whitsunday Island resorts can get a bit run down over time, but that’s less true of Hamilton Island over the last 20 years.
There’s always work being done to make improvements and the Oatley’s have never skimped on making things just right, ever since they took ownership in 2003.
There’s approximately $16M spent annually on capital expenditure for the maintenance of roads, utilities and infrastructure alone.
So, the roads and paths are clear, the tropical gardens are beautifully kept, the rooms are modern, clean and comfortable and everything feels well-managed.
We felt completely comfortable giving the kids a bit of freedom to wander between the pool, our bungalow and the sports centre.
The staff were friendly and always happy to help, adding to the overall sense of ease.
Summing up
So there you have it, ten good reasons that you shouldn’t look past taking your tweens to Hamilton Island for a holiday.
You really cannot beat this destination on so many fronts. Very rarely do you hear people saying they didn’t thoroughly enjoy their stay.
For many Australian families, Hammo is their happy place, and we are thankful that we can be regular visitors to paradise too.
