A night at the InterContinental Hayman Great Barrier Reef

An idyllic island bounces back to be better than ever with the resurrection of an Australian icon.

When visiting an icon, opportunities are rife for disappointment. The weight of expectation can be a cumbersome burden to bear, informed as it is by past glories, hype and second-hand experiences, both good and bad.

Hayman Island is a perfect example. Long considered the jewel in the crown of the Whitsundays, a sublime collection of islands, sprinkled like confetti across the warm waters off the coast of Queensland, Hayman was arguably Australia’s first internationally recognised luxury resort, hosting the great and the good over its 70- year history, and accumulating a reputation (a mystique even) that requires constant effort to live up to.

But it’s been tough going over the last few years: the brutal force of nature and uncertainty in ownership has left the island resort languishing while its traditional customers looked elsewhere for their five star island fix. Qualia on the neighbouring Hamilton Island took up some of the slack domestically, and places like the Maldives featured on the travel plans of an increasing number of Australians.

So, as I board a luxury catamaran en route to the recently reopened InterContinental Hayman Great Barrier Reef (the property is now managed by the giant InterContinental Hotels Group), I am unsure what to expect. The welcoming glass of bubbly, a stalwart of the Hayman transfer for years, hints that things might not have changed so much after all.

The iconic Hayman Island — Wish you were here?

The back story

Having been battered by the destructive Cyclone Debbie back in 2017, the private-island resort has undergone a $135 million refurbishment, which has taken it to the next level of gracious hospitality and glamour. While still possessing a unique Australian charm, informed by its surroundings and staff, the resort has once again ascended to an international imprint of luxury.
Contained within an island that measured just 400 hectares (it is four kilometres long and three kilometres wide) the resort itself feels spacious: it houses a total of 168 rooms but there is a sense of being in an exclusive enclave.

The resort

The rooms, most of which have views out to the iconic Hayman pool (some with direct access), have had a contemporary face lift, all pleasing shades of blue and creamy beige with lots of blonde wood and natural textures. Days start with breakfast in the Pacific restaurant, which is one of the five dining options on the island that all lean heavily towards locally sourced produce and ingredients. And, of course, there is a spa that follows the design cues throughout to create a blissfully relaxing space.

Across the resort, the staff are warm and genuine. I find out later that they all live in an almost ‘mini resort’ on the island which seems to have created a genuine bond of camaraderie that enhances the guest experience.

The luxe interiors of a Lagoon Ocean View

Further stamping itself as a modern incarnation of its old self, the resort has introduced a ban on single-use plastics. Guests receive a complimentary reusable water bottle upon check-in that can then be filled at filtered water stations around the resort. It has also partnered with Australian sunscreen brand We Are Feel Good Inc., whose products are reef-safe.

The less I do (guests can fill their days with activities if they wish) the longer the days feel, which seems to me to be the ultimate mark of a luxury resort like Hayman. So, I am understandably reluctant to board the catamaran back to the airport, but the farewell bubbly does help. Some icons, it turns out, never disappoint.

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Details

Getting there

Fly direct to Hamilton Island airport from most major capital cities, then board a one-hour private charter to Hayman Island during which sparkling and snacks are served.

Staying there

InterContinental Hayman Great Barrier Reef offers 168 luxury rooms, suites and villas across three distinct wings: Beach, Pool and Lagoon. The pool suites have direct access to the iconic main pool, while the beach villas look out to the Coral Sea. Also on offer are two luxury four-bedroom Residences situated on the island’s hilltops for the ultimate in luxury, with full access to the resort’s facilities.

Eating there

There are plenty of dining options at Hayman. The resort’s signature bar and restaurant Pacific offers a buffet breakfast in the morning and à la carte dining in the evening. AQUA is a pool-side menu of seafood dishes, tropical fruit juices, fresh salad bowls and classic cocktails.

The casual Italian eatery Amici Trattoria features wood-fired pizzas, pasta and an extensive Italian-influenced wine list. For a touch of pool-side glamour, try Bam Bam, pan-Asian cuisine with an Australian slant, with zesty cocktails by the infinity pool. Set in the resort’s lobby, Bar Fifty is a 1950s-inspired cocktail bar that also overlooks the golf simulator. One for the blokes.

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Playing there

Hayman offers many experiences including island tours, diving, snorkelling and paddle boarding, while helicopters and seaplanes offer an experience from above. Yoga sessions and sunset hikes are also options. You can wind down after all this activity in the Hayman Spa with a full range of treatments available.

From poolside bites and tasting flights to seafood plates and dry-aged steaks, a foodie adventure on Hamilton Island is worth every bite.

Hamilton Island’s sun-lacquered shores have long magnetised travellers craving an escape from reality. But what’s less expected – and more interesting – is just how assuredly this Whitsundays idyll delivers on the culinary front. Dialling up the flavour as much as the barefoot allure, the Hamilton Island food scene offers world-class dining and drinking options, spanning slick fine-dining moments to just-caught seafood served within sight of the sea. Let’s dig in.

Catseye Pool Club

Framing the electric blues of Catseye Beach from The Sundays hotel, Catseye Pool Club is Hamilton Island’s latest culinary prodigy. Shown to our table, we thread through rattan chairs, Zellige tiles and tumbling greenery that opens up to Coral Sea shimmer.

The poolside restaurant is the brainchild of Sydney-based chef duo Josh and Julie Niland, who have brought their relaxed yet elevated dining ethos north. The menu – designed to bring people together – is made for sharing, each hero ingredient orbited by a palette of sides to mix, match and layer as you please.

My thyme cocktail – woody with scotch, lifted by lime leaf – pairs perfectly with the charcoal grilled prawns entree, which is served with tumeric and lemongrass marinade, macadamia satay sauce and a thai-leaning sour green mango salad. Each forkful lands differently, but all are a delight. Then comes the coral trout. True to Josh Niland’s ‘scale-to-tail’ philosophy, the fish is presented whole in a theatrical crescent, a tiny fork stuck into its cheek in a nod to Niland’s declared prize cut. Ribbons of zucchini resembling gauzy curtains bring brightness and snap, while kasundi lends depth and warmth. It’s tongue-tantalising, special occasion dining with humanity.

Sails Restaurant

A more casual poolside dining scene awaits at nearby Sails Restaurant, where Eastern Mediterranean flavours are dished up with an island twist. Chermoula chicken skewers and barramundi souvlaki lie on the more filling side of the menu, while the sumac squid and stone-bread flatbread with za’atar – arriving alongside pomegranate molasses, beetroot hummus and crushed macadamias – are perfect light bites after a dip in the pool. And don’t miss the garlic lemon scallops.

The setting is equally part of the draw. Sunlight floods the high-ceilinged dining room, while outdoor tables look out across the glittering expanse of Catseye Beach. Holidaymakers in oversized sunglasses sip spritzes beneath umbrellas, the gentle clink of plates mixing with splashes from the adjacent pool. It’s the kind of place you’ll want to linger long after lunch.

Bommie

Tucked into a sleek curved wing of the Hamilton Island Yacht Club, Bommie delivers experiential fine dining with a sense of occasion. Led by award-winning Executive Chef Ryan Locke, the seasonal menu champions local and native Australian ingredients whipped up into a modern display of creative precision.

Inside the dim-lit dining room, guests can choose between the Tasting Menu or Chef’s Signature Degustation. Sourdough with pine oil sets the tone for the six-course tasting menu, beautifully presented in a bed of pine needles alongside smoked paperbark butter. I love how the squid ink choux pastry is served with flavour-popping native finger lime, which our waiter encourages us to eat caviar-style. Standout moments continue with the wattle-seed-crusted venison elevated by red fruit and pickled beetroot swirls; the meat is perfectly pink in the middle and an homage to the island’s history as a deer farm.

Pebble Beach

Exclusive to qualia Resort guests for lunch and dinner, Pebble Beach is Hamilton Island’s most serene expression of seasonal island dining. Ocean-facing chairs dot a timber deck that spills straight onto the resort’s private beach, while crystalline turquoise waters stretch to meet distant islands – a scene far prettier than any postcard could capture.

The recently refreshed menu doubles down on seasonality and bright, layered flavours. While the more substantial T-bone steak with hazelnut honey carrots tempts, we go lighter: Coffin Bay oysters with Champagne foam and keffir lime dust kick us off splendidly, followed by Byron Bay burrata served with balsamic and caramelised figs. The fennel and orange salad topped with succulent grilled chicken is utterly delectable, but it’s the zingy, oh-so-fresh soft shell fish tacos that I can’t stop thinking about. It all goes down a treat with a glass of delicate Charles Heidsieck Brut Reserve Champagne.

Beach Club Restaurant

A lunch or dinner table at Beach Club Restaurant is best booked in advance – and it’s easy to see why. Looking out over the hotel’s palm-fringed infinity pool, the restaurant spotlights elegant contemporary Australian cuisine with a stellar (also Aussie-leaning) wine list to match.

I am completely enamoured by the grilled Queensland prawns, which are brought to life with a smoked compound, local fried curry leaves and lime. Digging into the butter-soft lamb rump served atop pea ragout and parsley Paris mash feels like a warm, nostalgic hug. And dessert – vanilla bean ice cream drizzled with hot salted honey and apple gel – ends the night on a high note.

Expect warm and discreet service; our waiter Marco tells us that the tiny decorative starfish on our table are there to help the staff remember whether we prefer sparkling or still water, so they don’t need to bother us by asking multiple times.

Talk & Taste with Courtenay Morgan-Fletcher

There’s more to Hamilton Island’s foodie scene than restaurant reservations alone. For wine-curious travellers seeking something a little more immersive, Beach Club has recently introduced Talk & Taste – a tutored tasting hosted by Bommie Assistant Manager and wine enthusiast Courtenay Morgan-Fletcher. Held twice weekly for a maximum of eight guests, the experience explores Australian wine culture through four thoughtfully selected drops paired with native-inspired bites.

We opt for the white wine and seafood option. Alongside pours from Eden Valley and Launceston, a nibbling platter arrives featuring sashimi, salmon roe, Mooloolaba prawn ceviche and palate-cleansing ginger. The seafood is pristine and pared back, allowing the wines to take centre stage.

The real highlight, however, is discovering just how nuanced winemaking can be. Courtenay speaks of viticulture as both art and science: harvest grapes a week too late and ripeness tips into ruin; plant the same varietal on different elevations and the sun, slope and water flow will shape entirely different expressions. Pinot noir, she explains, with its delicate skin and high water content, yields lighter fruit-forward wines, while thicker-skinned shiraz delivers depth and structure. I leave feeling fascinated and inspired by Courtenay’s evident passion.

coca chu

Sweet and hot. Sour and salty. Dining at ever-popular coca chu is a sensation-swirling experience that’s not to be missed if you’re a sucker for punchy Southeast Asian flavours. Located at the Main Pool end of Catseye Beach, this lively hangout is all swaying lanterns, driftwood, high beamed ceilings and giant open windows that let in the balmy ocean breeze.

Drawing from hawker traditions, the grilled betel leaf is a neat, vibrant mouthful of chilli fried cashews and spiced beef. The tofu surprises – soft beneath a tumble of dill, mint and coriander, and glossed in moreish peanut sauce. The massaman curry is pure comfort: creamy, fragrant, fall-apart meat. It’s generous and expressive cooking that I, for one, cannot get enough of.

Marina Cafe

Sometimes, all you crave on holidays is a bacon and egg roll done properly and a creamy fruit smoothie. Boasting harbour views, an easygoing atmosphere and clean modern interiors, Marina Cafe is a popular local haunt for a reason. The casual menu lures families and couples alike with its all-day brekky, seasonal salads and sandwiches – from a roasted pumpkin bowl to prosciutto and rocket on herby focaccia.

The acai bowl, topped with toasted nuts and berries, is a refreshing start to my day. Whether you sit in or takeaway, it’s a good-vibes-guaranteed place to refuel before or after your Whitsundays adventures.

Discover your foodie getaway now at hamiltonisland.com.au.

A night in the new InterContinental Hayman Great Barrier Reef

An idyllic island bounces back to be better than ever with the resurrection of an Australian icon.

The back story

The resort