Why did Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran Choose Hamilton Island for an Exotic Party Destination?

australiatravelWhitsundaysHamilton Island

Nov 2

Written By Dee

Hamilton Island in the Whitsunday group of islands off the North Queensland Coast of Australia is by far one of the most exquisite island destinations in the world. There is something transfixing about this place, as if the whole world has stopped and you are floating in a bubble far above the chaos and the crazy pace of everyday life.

As your toes touch the tarmac, you’ll feel your soul shift gears into Hamilton Island time as you find yourself immersed in your own island paradise.

So, why did Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran choose Hamilton Island for an Exotic Party Destination?

Bommie Restaurant – Hamilton Island Yacht Club (where Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran and her crew partied overlooking the moonlit, still ocean waters)

If you’re the adventurous and sporty type, the water sports on offer include catamaraning, paddle boarding, jet skiing, wave runners and jet boats. If you’re looking for something more land-based, there’s golfing on one of Australia’s premier golf courses on nearby Dent Island, go karting, off-road dune buggies, hiking trails, quad biking, ten pin bowling and mini golf – there’s so much to do and there is something on offer for all ages.

When you arrive on the island, you choose the rhythm; you can do everything or nothing at all! What will you choose? Creamy cocktails at the swim up bar, watching majestic sunsets from the top of One Tree Hill, singing along with the musicians poolside, fine dining at Bommie Restaurant, basking in the tropical sun or gazing at the beautiful moonlit sky from Catseye Beach?

Poolside – creamy cocktails at the swim up Pool bar

The island has a variety of accommodation options that range from hotel style accommodation at the Reef Hotel to family style villas such as the Palm Bungalows; there are other styles of accommodation as well such as the Beach and Yacht Villas and accommodation on Hamilton ranges in price to suit all budgets.

The resort itself is set on the Catseye Beach side of the island and was developed by multi-millionare property developer Keith Williams who owned and operated the island between 1975 and 1996. Since then, there has been an explosion of property growth on the island that provide visitors with accommodation options all over the island; you can rent anything from small studio apartments to luxuriously appointed villas and oceanfront homes.

View from Villa Illalangi, Hamilton Island

I booked with Whitsunday Holidays, a Whitsunday and Hamilton Island specialist for accommodation in and around the Whitsundays; keep an eye out for their frequently available special offers. If you want to save on accommodation costs, look to booking out of peak season and also keep an eye on travel deals that include airfares and accommodation. The weather is still spectacular even in the off-season. Subscribe to Whitsunday Holidays to check on last minute deals. If you are keen to share your holiday with friends, book a luxury home that caters for larger groups and divvy up the cost making it a much more affordable holiday.

Getting around on the island is easy, you can walk from one side of the island to the other or use the golf buggies available for hire; for those not overly keen on walking, the buggies make getting around a breeze. Some of the accommodation types even include use of a buggy during your stay as part of the deal.

Getting around the island is made easy with the use of Golf Buggies

I chose accommodation that included use of a buggy as it saved quite a bit of money on daily rental. Alternatively, you can use the island’s shuttle service, which is completely free for both guests and visitors to the island. Buggies are a lot of fun and make getting around the island a lot easier.

270 Degree views over the ocean - Villa Illalangi - set high on the Island - a beautiful destination

For a milestone birthday, we booked a luxuriously appointed Hamilton Island home perched on one of the highest points of the island; Villa Illalangi.

The villa included four levels of breathtaking luxury complete with jaw dropping views; it also included the use of two golf buggies throughout our stay as we had 8 guests staying at the property.

Days were spent stretched out on wooden deck chairs on one of the many decks that wrapped around the villa, with palm fronds swaying in the cool ocean breeze, we had a stunning 270-degree view of the water, and spent hours watching yachts set sail on the picturesque blue ocean. With days spent like this, our four days away felt like four weeks and I returned home recharged, relaxed and feeling like I’d had a much longer break.

We didn’t just spend our days lying prone and immobile though, there was also a lot of fun to be had in these exhilarating and beautiful surrounds. Skinny dipping in the moonlight, barbeques and beers with friends in the cabana, dancing and daiquiris on the decks and days spent roaming the island soaking up the beautiful Queensland sun, it was, in a nutshell, completely blissful.

If visiting Hamilton Island, you must include at least some of the following activities:

WHITEHAVEN BEACH, WHITSUNDAY ISLAND

A trip to Whitehaven Beach by seaplane, boat or helicopter – this is one of the most pristine and beautiful beaches I have even seen and, though I’ve been to many of the most beautiful beaches in the world, can honestly say that in my opinion, this is THE most beautiful of them all - you simply have to include a visit to Whitehaven on your itinerary - it is 7km of white silica sand lapped by the most crystal clear azure water, it’s no surprise to me at all that it’s voted the best beach in Australia and in the Top 10 best beaches in the world.

Check the weather forecast and aim to spend a whole day at Whitehaven if you can; we visited for a wedding reception and, as the boat moored just out from the beach, we dived into the warm ocean and paddled to shore - needless to say the dress code for this particular wedding was beach casual! As I opened my eyes and looked down during my swim, the water was so incredibly clear I could see the sand gently ruffling the ocean floor; it was a truly exhilarating day and one I shall never forget.

GREAT BARRIER REEF

A visit to the Great Barrier Reef is a must - one of the great wonders of the world and I feel really blessed to have been able to visit this amazing place with our children.

You can tailor a trip to the reef to be as adventurous or relaxing as you like. There are so many options to choose from like snorkeling amongst the darting fish and colourful coral or scuba diving with a guide to explore the reef below.

If getting in the water is not your thing, you might choose a trip below the surface in a submersible vehicle or view it all from above the surface of the water in a glass-bottomed boat; you’ll still feel like you’re getting up close and personal with the sea life below, you’ll just be doing it without getting wet!

If you’re not comfortable on boats, you can also choose to view the beauty of the reef land by visiting the underwater observatories; you’ll spot large groupers and schools of colourful fish that frequent the pontoons.

Coral and Aquatic Life at the Great Barrier Reef, Australia

HELICOPTER FLIGHT TO HEART REEF

Helicopters fly from the pontoons out over the iconic Heart Reef but you’ll need to book a helicopter trip early to avoid disappointment, it’s a really popular option with tourists! I am sure there have been a few proposals made over this reef!

We did our trip to the reef with Cruise Whitsundays, check out their range of incredible reef experiences. If you choose to take a boat out to the reef, take seasick tablets well before you board to ensure a great trip. It was particularly calm on the day we travelled and one of the reasons I chose Cruise Whitsundays was that they include a sumptuous onboard buffet lunch.

Make sure to block out a whole day for a reef trip as you won’t arrive back on Hamilton Island until late in the afternoon. We arrived back to hear that Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran and a group of their celebrity friends were at the Hamilton Island Yacht club just a short walk from where we were staying. People who were lucky enough to get an autograph or a selfie taken with Taylor were in frenzy and her visit was the talk of the island for days; you learn to expect the unexpected in this beautiful part of the world. Hamilton Island is a real celebrity haven. They were staying at Qualia - a world-class luxury resort on the Island.

Another great experience, without having to venture too far from Hamilton Island, is the snorkelling you can do on nearby islands such as Chalkies Beach on Haslewood (aka Hazelwood) Island – our kids loved this experience and it meant we could return to the island at a reasonable time in the afternoon so we could get the evening’s festivities started early! Check out a website called Book Me Australia for experiences in and around the Whitsundays.

I just used Book Me recently in New Zealand and was a great way for us to get exciting adventures for a lot cheaper. Check out what is on offer on the website. If you have an idea of what you want to do, what day and time, then this works well in saving your travel money.

The Foodie Experience:

There are some incredible restaurants on Hamilton Island, if you’re staying at the resort itself, many of the holiday packages include a ‘kids eat free’ deal, this is usually only for under 12s.

So many food options - Dinner at Romano’s - Hamilton Island

Dining options can range from cheap eats to silver service; on the Marina side of the island you can find reasonably priced food at the bakery, fish and chip shop and the tavern. There is also a bottle shop, ice creamery, local supermarket and an IGA convenience store.

I used Whitsunday Provisioning who delivered groceries to the dock and our host arranged pickup; Orders can also include wine, beer and soft drinks and I found using this service really time saving and convenient as they also provide party platters and pre-prepared meals.

Whitsunday Provisioning delivers your order to the island (at the Marina) at a pre-arranged time so you all you need to do is place your order ahead of time then kick back and relax and wait for it to arrive! Using self-catering options such as this one will also save you a ton of money on dining out. Making such a huge saving on food meant we could treat ourselves to a really special silver service dinner at Bommie Restaurant at the Hamilton Island Yacht Club.

Marina - Hamilton Island (check out the beautiful colour of the water)

Hamilton Island is one Australian destination I will continue to return to, it feels like my luxurious island home and it’s a destination that should be in the Top 5 on your bucket list – its spectacular in its natural beauty and it’s a location that allows easy access to surrounding area’s such as Whitehaven, not to mention the Great Barrier Reef, no matter how long or short your stay, it’s a place that will remain in your heart long after you return to the mainland.

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Dee

Meet the Dee in Deeluxe Travels! Part time blogger, travel addict and vacationing around work schedules!

Travel tips, itineraries and guides to inspire YOU to explore Australia and beyond!

https://www.deeluxetravels.com/