We stayed at Qualia on Hamilton Island. We were originally going to stay on Long Island but the Peppers Resort shut there after taking our money and then said we would have to find somewhere else. We already had a non-refundable flight to Hamilton Island so we ended up staying at Qualia.

The Qualia resort is lovely. The rooms are essentially all chalets or bungalows that are separate from each other and done in a very modern and contemporary style. Ours did not have a plunge pool but it did have a wonderful view of the southern water and island through the gum trees and palms.

We ate breakfast each morning at the Long Pavilion but dinner was expensive, about $100 a head without an appetizer and I don't think it was worth it in comparison to the high end restaurants in Phoenix for the same dollar worth. Breakfast and bar service is worth it at the Pavilion and pool. For dinner and lunch it is probably more fun to wander into town (the Marina) and grab something there.

One of the funny things about Hamilton Island is that is like an older version of Lord of the Flies, without the violence. The entire place is run - very well I might add - by twenty year olds. All the staff is the typical young transient Aussie, Kiwi or European that is working there before they head off to America or somewhere else on an adventure.

Qualia is beautiful. The bungalows, the service and the experience is great. If you can spring for the extra cost of Qualia, do it, in my opinion it is worth it.

The north end of the island is undeveloped and has numerous hikes. The main hike goes up to Peak Passage which is the highest point on the island. This photography is looking east toward the Coral Sea and the other islands that make up the Whitsundays.

We did the wine and cheese tasting at Qualia one night. It was a lot of fun. We started with a glass of Champagne, then a Riesling, Pinot, Shiraz and then a desert wine. The cheeses were cheddar, blue cheese, brie and a goats cheese which had a brine like rind around it.

Putting down five glasses of wine in quick succession meant we were pretty toasted at the end of it. The cheese plates also had some kind of dried grape on them - not sultanas - and a fruit chutney. It was a lot of fun.

The riesling was Petamulah and the two reds were Robert Oatley. We found out afterward that Robert Oatley of Rosemount wines fame had bought the Hamilton Island management company in 2004 and was spruiking his wines through the ownership he has of Qualia. Amazingly he bought the company for just under 200 million which seems like a huge bargain.

This is a caution sign for slippery when wet. The slippery man looks like Michael Jackson dancing in Thriller. It reminds me of the Exclamation Mark man sign that I saw at Xel-ha in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico.

Amusing how different signs try and impart warnings.