Dear Reader,

yes, in the middle of winter, the water and the island are really this blue and green.  While The One and Only Resort on Hayman Island is definitely NOT ready for prime time, the island compensates for in its beauty and activities.

The resort was still building and, while, the staff was incredibly accommodating it’s still under construction.  They may say that they are at “100% capacity” but the rooms on the bottom floors are all unfinished (I walked the length of the first floor and saw all the construction).

The food is great and expensive as is the alcohol.   The grounds will be amazing, the rooms are very comfortable and the staff is incredibly gracious (look for Anna at the pool, Keri on the boat and Lachlan, the red-headed Kiwi everywhere- about the nicest kid you’ll ever want to meet- raised on a sheep farm in Hawkes Bay, NZ).  So, the resort will be worth it, but with construction noise and workers surrounding the resort- I probably could’ve missed the stay EXCEPT for the GBR (Great Barrier Reef)- the coral… OMG… The CORAL.

The snorkeling is just amazing (even when cold and sandy)- I couldn’t believe the amount of living coral in such a small area and then there was the turtle…

If I we had more time I would have invested in more excursions onto the Great Barrier Reef and invested in a wetsuit.  While the water was warm the heavy winds made coming out of the water a hair raising experience.

We also reached an all white sand beach and a confluence…  The pilot of the small plane that we were on stated we could never walk to the confluence in an hour (and as much as I tried  to prove him wrong)- he was right.  The attempt was gorgeous and filled with surprises…

Weird, who you can run across on a deserted beach…

Finally, the alarm clocks that would arrive in droves every morning were sulfur crested and LOUD, but very funny and not camera-shy in the least.

On Hayman Island, itself, there are wallabies, bats and many different types of birds which were all beyond friendly as is the example with Little G and his Kingfisher.  The hike around the whole island is beautiful and moderately strenuous but the views are well worth the 6 miles (10km) – highly, highly recommended.

I am sure one the One&Only Hayman Island completes the Aquazone (a series of pools for kids which was only pipes and construction noise while I was there) and the other rooms that were still unfinished the resort will be absolutely worth a visit.  I wouldn’t look for completion until August providing they don’t run into any difficulties.  Don’t miss the Great Barrier Reef whatever you do.