DINING

Bommie Restaurant

This waterfront venue serves a modern Australian tasting menu yet pays homage to the country’s Aboriginal roots, shortening the word bombora, referring to the colorful reef patches found in the surrounding waters, for its name. Dishes rely on seasonal ingredients and locally caught seafood.

Hamilton Island Yacht Club, Front Street, Hamilton Island, Queensland $$$$

Elysian Retreat Dining

The all-inclusive Elysian treats guests to a rotating menu decided by its on-site private chef. Dishes are seafoodcentric but tailored to guests’ preferences and dietary needs, personally discussed with the culinary team upon arrival.

Elysian Retreat, Long Island, Whitsundays, Queensland

Pebble Beach

Located at Qualia resort, this restaurant has become renowned for its six-course degustation menu paired with wines. Though reserved for guests, it’s the spot on the main island and worthy of the splurge.

Qualia, 20 Whitsunday Blvd., Hamilton Island, Queensland

$$$$$ recognized as Australia’s most beautiful beach year after year, remain so popular, with the possibility to make the day leisurely or adventurous.

As revered as the destination is, during my time in the Whitsundays it never felt overcrowded, perhaps because most resorts inhabit their own island, which adds an extra step to an already lengthy travel day (if you’re coming from the United States) but also adds to the luxury castaway feel: your own secluded slice of heaven. When I wasn’t out adventuring, I tucked into a beachfront suite at Hayman Island, toying between a dip in the plunge pool and a long soak in the salty ocean. Luckily, being on island time, I had hours for both.

The Whitsundays’ isolation means you’ll likely eat on property most of the time, but with the marine bounty in its backyard, ingredients are fresh, innovative and representative of the regions’ flavors (think wild-caught fish like coral trout or snapper and Moreton Bay bugs, a species of slipper lobsters commonly found in northern Australian waters).

All this is to say if you’re planning a trip to Australia, the Whitsunday Islands undoubtedly merit a necessary extension. However, as someone who traveled exclusively there from the U.S. East Coast, I can certainly say it’s a destination worthy of its own trip.

Info To Go

Hamilton Island Airport is the destination’s most convenient airport, primarily serviced by Virgin Australia and private aircraft via one-hour direct flights from Cairns (CNS) or Brisbane (BNE). Though a number of resorts and restaurants call Hamilton Island home, many travelers hop on additional transport, either private yacht or helicopter, to check in at their private island resort.