Turn your dream into reality at Daydream Island Resort
Dust off the suitcase and prepare to hit the beach. Daydream Island Resort is ready to reopen in 2019 following an extensive $100 million renovation.
The hugely popular Great Barrier Reef resort closed in 2017 after it sustained severe damage in Cyclone Debbie. Two years of renovations have meant that Daydream Island is now bigger and better than ever before.
“The re-opening of Daydream Island is a huge milestone after the devastation caused by Cyclone Debbie,” Jayson Heron, Daydream Island’s director of sales and marketing says.
“It will have been a two-year journey and we are excited to welcome our loyal regulars and new guests to the island to experience the new premium offering.”
The restaurants
Daydream Island Resort will have three restaurants: Graze Interactive Dining, Infinity and Inkstone Kitchen and Bar.
No matter which restaurant you choose – expect seasonal fresh local produce. Daydream has hired executive chef, Bradley Martin, formerly of Taumeasina Island Resort in Samoa to lead the resort’s premium dining destinations.
Through simple, yet creative menus Mr Martin plans to showcase local produce and flavours.
“I have been meeting local farmers and producers in the Whitsundays region and am excited by the quality of food that surrounds us,” he says.
“My food is prepared with love and respect and my menus will show this through simple yet modern dishes.”
Graze Interactive Dining, off the main lobby, will serve a modern buffet for breakfast and dinner. It looks and feels like paradise. In keeping with the tropical surrounds, huge baskets of plants are scattered across the rooftop, dangling ferns above diners. Huge glass windows overlook the pool.
The first-floor Infinity restaurant is open for lunch and dinner and has expansive views over the Whitsundays. Infinity has a private Teppanyaki Suite for an unforgettable dining experience.
Inkstone Kitchen and Bar will showcase modern Australia dishes. If you book a deluxe room or suite – this is your breakfast spot. All other guests can enter for lunch and dinner.
Daydream Island now has three bars – Barefoot Bar, Tonic and Silica – where guests can quench their thirst.
The rooms
The newly premium resort will have 277 rooms, including interconnecting rooms, suites and special access rooms
“Our deluxe rooms offer the perfect sanctuary for over 50s guests, with large east-facing terraces, king bed, lounge and coffee tables, they are a gorgeous retreat post a day in the sun,” Mr Heron says.
Daydream Island also has more than 40 sets of interconnecting rooms and suites for families, making it a great resort for multi-generation getaways. These rooms will be poolside on the ground floor or on level one with pool or ocean views.
“The majority are Superior King Room & Twin (2 Queen Beds) combined, but the resort also has options for three, four and even five rooms to be connected together for larger families, groups of friends or multi-generational families,” Mr Heron says.
The pool
When it opens, Daydream Island Resort will have a revitalised pool landscape which winds through tropical gardens and under bridges. From the sun lounges, you can expect to have unparalleled views over the Whitsundays.
The poolside bar will serve gourmet burgers, sliders, pork ribs and chicken wings as well as smooth tropical cocktails, draught beer or wine.
Want to indulge? Try a scoop of ice-cream from the Movenpick Ice Cream Bar.
The Living Reef
One of the best things about Daydream Island was the resort’s “living reef” and we’re delighted that it is back.
The free-form coral lagoon wraps around the central hotel building. It will hold 1.5 million litres of water and meander for 200m. Keep your eyes peeled for seastars, sea cucumbers and crabs – they are all in there.
Getting there
Daydream Island Resort is one of seven islands of the Molle Group of the Whitsundays. Getting here is easy – with access from Queensland’s Airline Beach and Proserpine Airport.
The island is small – just 1km in length and 400 m at its widest point. You can watch sunsets over the water and take walks around the island at sunrise. The highest point on the island is 51 metres above sea level. Grab a kayak and paddle all the way around the island after breakfast. Then flop down by the pool for the afternoon.
Daydream Island is surrounded by reefs – offering a great chance from some gently snorkelling. Dive in and explore the marine world below. You will be able to see tropical fish, stingrays and the occasional turtle.
The resort will also arrange tours out the edge of the Great Barrier Reef, where you can see the famous Heart of the Whitsundays and find Nemo hidden in the coral.
Written by Alison Godfrey. Republished with permission of My Discoveries.