Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
couples. For those who are more inclined to relaxation Dunk has beautiful
beaches and gentle pastimes like champagne sunset cruises. Just 5km (3 miles)
offshore from Mission Beach, Dunk is a thickly rainforested 12 sq. km (7
1
⁄
2
-sq.-
mile) island that attracts everyone. The island is renowned for bird life and
neon-blue Ulysses butterflies, which you will see everywhere.
Among the free activities are windsurfing, catamaran sailing, paddle skiing,
tennis and squash courts, fitness classes and aqua-aerobics, beach and pool vol-
leyball, badminton, bocce, and archery, to name just a few. You pay for a range
of other activities, including guided jet-ski tours, parasailing, water-skiing, tube
rides, tandem skydiving, game-fishing trips, motorboats, sunset wine-and-
cheese cruises, and horse riding. A yacht calls to make trips around nearby
islands, and a game-fishing boat picks up here regularly. The kids will love the
playground and a visit to Coonanglebah (the island farm), as well as the kids'
club. A private artists' colony in the rainforest sells works Monday and Thurs-
day, from 10am to 1pm.
There were big changes at Dunk in the past year. All four kinds of low-rise
accommodations have been refurbished, with new furniture in the Garden
Cabana, Banfield and Beachfront rooms, while the Bayview suites have been
gutted and given a new modern style. The golf course has expanded from 6 to
18 holes, making it Australia's only island resort course. The Spa of Peace and
Plenty, which offers facials, massage, body wraps, and other treatments, has been
extended and is now housed in two large tropical-style buildings connected by
a floating boardwalk on a man-made lake.
Off Mission Beach. C/o P&O Australian Resorts, G.P.O. Box 478, Sydney, NSW 2001.
&
1800/737 678
in Aus-
tralia, 800/225-9849 in the U.S. and Canada, 020/7805 3875 in the U.K., or 02/9277 5050 (Sydney reserva-
tions office). Fax 02/9299 2477 (Sydney reservations office). www.poresorts.com. 146 units (72 with shower
only). A$480-A$740 (US$312-US$481) double. Rates include full breakfast and dinner daily. Extra adult
A$140 (US$91), extra child 3-14 A$80 (US$52). Ask about packages; some combine stays at Bedarra Island
and Silky Oaks Lodge (p. 299). AE, DC, MC, V. Daily 45-min. flights operate from Cairns (book through Qan-
tas or the resort). Aircraft luggage limit 16kg (35 lb.) per person. Dunk Island Ferry & Cruises (
&
07/4068
7211
) makes round-trip ferry transfers from Mission Beach for A$28 (US$18) adults. Including the ferry fare,
the company does daily door-to-door coach connections from Port Douglas for A$126 (US$82), Cairns for
A$84 (US$55), and Cairns northern beaches for A$104 (US$68) adult. Fares for children 4-14 are half price.
Disembarkation from the ferry is sometimes into shallow water—be prepared to get your feet wet! Airport
pickups must be booked. Transfers also available by air charter and “Quick Cat” Great Barrier Reef cruise boat
(see earlier in this chapter).
Amenities:
3 restaurants; bar; 2 large outdoor pools; 18-hole golf course; 3
day/night tennis courts (1 indoor); exercise room; spa; extensive watersports equipment rental; bike rental;
daily kids' club for ages 3-14 (an additional fee); babysitting; coin-op laundry. In room: A/C and ceiling fans,
TV, minibar (beachfront units and suites only), fridge, coffeemaker, hair dryer, iron.
BEDARRA ISLAND: THE ULTIMATE LUXURY GETAWAY
Only a mile long, Bedarra is home to an exclusive 15-room resort favored by the
rich, the famous, and anyone who treasures privacy. The staff is discreet, and
day-trippers are banned. Rainforested and fringed by beaches, Bedarra is a few
miles south of Dunk Island.
Bedarra Island
Bedarra is one of those rare and fabulous places that
throws not just meals but vintage French champagnes, fine cognacs and wines,
and other potable treats into the price, shocking though that price may be. If
you feel like Louis Roederer Champagne at 3am, help yourself. The new-look
Bedarra was injected with some contemporary style during 2001. The private
villas have large verandas, and there's a sense of light and space in the public
areas. The lobby, restaurant, and 24-hour bar are open, with ironbark and recy-
cled timber beams, and feature panels of volcanic stone. Each villa is tucked into
