If seeing the Seven Wonders of the World is on your bucket list (or as I prefer to call it ‘Swan Song Repertoire’), there’s a rather enchanting and decontracté experience waiting for you South of the Equator.
Hayman Island–not to be confused with the Cayman Islands. This floating gem is home to a resort by the same name–Hayman- situated on the northern tip of Whisunday Island in the Great Barrier Reef, off the coast of Queensland. That’s right, you have to go all the way to Australia to insert yourself into the above photo and breathe in that pristine air–at once unified with nature and in the lap of luxury.
I personally developed something of a burgeoning penchant for slightly off-the-radar islands in Australia since my incredible trip to Kangaroo Island last winter. So, as far as I’m concerned the lengthy journey is just par for the course.
Hayman spans 726 acres and fashions itself a high end nature retreat (it’s also a member of The Leading Hotels of the World). And if you’re lucky enough to have a generous, romantic and wanderlusty spouse, you may be heading there for Valentine’s Day. They’re offering several extravagant V-Day packages. The two I’m eyeing with baited breath:
The Perle Degustation Menu: Dine at their Fontaine restaurant and receive a Perle dessert, featuring hand-crafted Valrhona White Chocolate draped with Depazzi 18 carat white-gold earrings with South Sea pearls and a pair of Marquis cut GVSI diamonds. Yum.
And ladies, Oprah, Julia Roberts, etc. if you’re the ones footing the bill there’s also a couples helicopter tour that will whisk you up, up and away, above Hayman for a 15-minute joy ride. But, um, don’t get any ideas from the word ‘joy.’ It’s a helicopter, not a jet, ladies, comport yourselves!
