Hamilton Island is the largest inhabited island in the beautiful Whitsundays located in the Barrier Reef National Park off the Queensland Coast. Hamilton has a number of hotels, resorts and holiday homes but Qualia (kwa lee-a) is in a class of its own. The most exclusive at newest 5-star property on the island

Hamilton Island, Whitsundays, Queensland

With direct flights daily and a wide range of restaurants, shops and tours Hamilton is not a quiet exclusive island. If you want that type of ambiance check out Bedarra Island further to the north.

Just a buggy ride (top of the range and complementary) away from the busy Hamilton Island Marina Qualia is an oasis of peace ahd tranquility. This is added by their no under-12’s policy. Set on the tip of the island Qualia’s 27 suites are set in tropical gardens which cascade down the hill to the beach. Each private pavilion includes outdoor showers and wide balconies which echo the best of Asia’s resorts. But the tin roofs and wide verandas add an Aussie touch.

The Long Pavilion is the centre piece of the resort with the 100m indoor-outdoor space framing spectacular views of the Whitsunday Passage. The Long Bar includes one of the two stunning, climate-controlled infinity edge pools, the other is at Pebble Beach. Both pools are complemented with full bar service, and Pebble Beach also offers food service.

Main Infinity Pool overlooking the Whitsundays

Breakfast and dinner are severed in the Long Pavilion with a cuisine from Chef Stephan Rio who combines French flare and fresh local ingredients. Lunch is a beach side affair on Pebble Beach

In the very heart of the resort is the spa which includes the unusual Bularri Yarrul hot stone treatment - highly recommended.

Tariffs include all means plus complimentary buggies, kayaks, snorkeling equipment, and two Hobie Cat 17-foot sailing catamarans.

If you have never heard of Kangaroo Island and thought Australia was all about the Great Barrier Reef and Ayers Rock think again.

For many years the locals have known that Kangaroo Island, located 13km off the South Australia mainland, is a haven for wildlife thanks to the island’s isolation from the mainland’s introduced pests. Now Kangaroo Island getting better known internationally and earning tags such as “Galapagos of the South Pacific” or the “zoo without fences”. Exotic and unusual animals are common on the island that most visitors will see exotic species such as: koalas, seals, sea lions, echindas, huge variety of birds, and yes there are a lot of kangaroos too!

Originally settled by whalers, Kangaroo Island is one of Australia’s oldest white settlements though not much of that colonial history is left. Visitors now come to look at the local wildlife, surf the notorious breaks, or enjoy snorkeling or diving in the pristine undersea environment. Kangaroo Island is starting to pitch itself to the international tourist who is looking for a close, but comfortable wildlife encounter. KI, as the island is known locally, can offer a lot of exotic wildlife from the ubiquitous local kangaroos and wallabies to the visiting New Zealand fur seals and sea lions

The downside to isolation was of course: well it was pretty hard to get to Kangaroo Island , and once you arrived on Kangaroo Island your accommodation options weren’t in the class that Luxury Destinations likes to write about. However, the recent launch of the prosaically named Southern Ocean Lodge has changed all that. The lodge has been built with a very firm eye on the view, the architecture takes a back seat to nature: a very smart decision that. The architect, Max Pritchard, is a local and it shows in his sympathetic design. To help with that isolation, Southern Ocean Lodge is happy to arrange a charter of a light plane from Adelaide, the nearest city if the regular flights or the ferry schedule from the mainland don’t fit yours.

The boutique Southern Ocean Lodge consists of only twenty-one suites each of which are positioned to ensure that from everywhere, including the bathroom you can appreciate the breathtaking ocean wilderness views. The rooms are strung along a board walk so every room appears to enjoy the best view.

All the “normal” five star facilities are there including complimentary room bar. There are a range of room available but Luxury Destination’s pick is the:

“premium Osprey Pavilion is truly special with soul stirring ocean, beach and wilderness views. A unique curved floor plan features a sunken lounge with open fire and state-of-the-art audio visual system, laptop computer, separate king bedroom, bathroom with hand sculptured bath and spacious outdoor terrace with daybeds and private plunge spa.”

There is also a spa to relax in, after all that wildlife spotting. The Southern Ocean Lodge features contemporary bespoke furnishings and artworks commissioned from local Kangaroo Island artisans.

There is a minimum two night stay but five nights would make for the perfect break in this remote and beautiful island. The lodge’s rates includes all meals, alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, island airport transfers and guided adventures. The wine list features excellent wines from South Australia’s Coonawarra, Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, Adelaide Hills and Clare Valley regions.

Southern Ocean Lodge

True luxury comes to the Australian outback. Great Southern Railways launches “the Southern Spirit – luxury rail cruises”

The Great Southern Rail is launching its new Platinum level Service on The Ghan rail service. The Ghan has connected Adelaide with Darwin for a number of years but the new Platinum service really takes this train journey into a level of luxury of some of the great train journeys of the world. The twice weekly trip takes two nights to cover the 2979km in either direction with ½ day stop-overs in Alice Spring and Katharine on the way. The new Platinum cabins are twice the size of Gold class cabins and include full ensuite facilities, a plush lounge by day and a double or two twin beds by night. Platinum class includes 24 hour room service but you also have the choice of dining in the elegantly themed Queen Adelaide Restaurant Carriage or relaxing in the outback Explorer lounge.

This trip from south to north is the last word in luxury for a train line that took over 100 years to develop. The original Ghan replaced the Afghan camel drivers who helped open up the outback. The first 40 kilometres of track was laid in 1879 between Port Augusta and Quorn. It took another 50 years following the line of artesian springs through Maree, Oodnadatta until the line reached Alice Springs: roughly ½ way. The line was notoriously difficult to maintain and the old Ghan train, definitely not a 5 star luxury experience, was often days late into either Alice Springs or Adelaide. The old line had to follow the line of artesian water bores as the steam trains needed frequent water stops. Finally in 1980 the current line was opened re-aligning the train to Alice Springs via Tarcoola, several hundred kilometres to the east. Remnants of the old line remain are a popular trip for 4WD enthusiasts. The line was only extended to Darwin in 2003! Photo credit: vacation tips

November 2008 sees the launch of Luxury Australian Rail Cruises, with a 13 day cruise across the heart of Australia from the Darwin, through the tropical tropical Top End, the Red Centre, the scenic south, Adelaide, Melbourne and Canberra to Sydney. This marathon trip takes 13 days and is priced at A$13,290 per person twin share in Platinum class (the cheaper gold class is also available). Prices include “port excursions”in Katharine, Alice Springs, Adelaide, Melbourne and Canberra. What a way to experience without any of the inconvenience of the dust and flys: well except of course when you leave the “ship”!

Bezzina is a small Australian Luxury real estate developer based in New South Wales. Michael Bezzina established the company in 1986. Initially the company concentrated on the small residential market in the Eastern suburbs of Sydney, then progressed to medium density projects in Southern suburban areas such as Kirrawee, Gymea, Jannali, Caringbah, Sutherland and Cronulla.

Bezzina create almost exclusively luxury apartments - Tara, Mia, Lani and now Jade on Surfers Paradise beach and Sienna at Point Piper are some of the developments in their luxury portfolio.

The founder, Michael Bezzina, spent his early years learning the carpentry trade, working his way from contract builder to being one of Australia’s pre-eminent luxury apartment developers – building luxury homes in Australia’s most desirable locations, from Surfers Paradise in Queensland to Point Piper on Sydney Harbor.

The Jade Tower was launched in spectacular fashion in 2006, including flaming cocktails and a “Volcano” erupting on the beach and with Mr. Bezzina, affectionately known as a ‘Scruffy Mongrel,’ being thrown in the swimming pool. This didn’t stop the penthouse apartment selling for a rumoured $20 million – a new Australian record at that time.

Jade Tower:

The company has completed 30 luxury real estate developments since 2005. Largely residential, with a small number of commercial projects. Bezzina does most of the work in-house, employing a small team capable of taking the project all the way from the architect’s drawing board to landscaping the gardens and showing a healthy respect for the natural environment.

Bezzina employs a full-time architects - Victor Robert Bryce Lake (B.Arch (Hons), A.R.A.I.A.) and Architectural designer, Donna Pye (B.Sc (Arch) University of Texas
M. Proj. Mgmt. UNSW) along with an impressive array of experienced luxury building contactors.

Bezzina has won over 12 awards over the years for its apartment and townhouse developments.

1996 - Tiana, a ground-breaking multi-storey apartment development on the Cronulla beachfront was named the Housing Industry Association’s Best Apartment Building.

2004 - the Tara development won the ultimate accolade – the HIA People’s Choice Award for Best New Residential Development.

Company details:

Bezzina Group
Level 1,
4-6 Kingsway
Cronulla
NSW
2230
Australia

T: 02 9544 0054
F: 02 9527 4293

Email - info@bezzina.com.au

Bezzina online