Hamilton The Musical? No, Hamilton The Island

Joe Morosini shares the unrivalled experiences that the largest of the Whitsunday islands (off the Southeast coast of Queensland) has to offer.

‘How lucky we are to be alive right now,’ said Eliza Schuyler in Hamilton the musical. However, that is exactly the phrase I would use for Hamilton Island. This island is rich in history and culture. The indigenous speaker we saw said its history goes back around 8000 years ago. Back then it was occupied by the Ngaro people, Indigenous Australians that cared for the land and knew that this connection to nature would help them.

Apart from its history, the island is one of the most beautiful spots in Australia> with I remember the satisfying sand that conformed to my feet, and the calming, tiny, ocean waves and sounds. This destination has amazing views from the hills but also from the 4- and 5-star villas and resorts to stay in. ‘Thank you to Hamilton Island for taking such great care of 125 of my people.’ Taylor Swift said about the excellent staff and team on this island. So you know that you are in good hands when holidaying here.

As well as the fantastic staff, the island had two main things that stood out in my mind when I visited the island: the all-you-can-eat buffet and the catamaran ride. The former was amazing! There were sausages, waffles, and croissants. The dream for five-year-old me, and every day it just got better and better.

The latter was an experience I had never done before. A catamaran is a sailboat with two parallel hulls for stability. On the ride, it was just me, my brother, and my dad, with my dad steering. The wind rushed through my hair, and I couldn’t help but smile through the whole ride. Every wave we went over gave me a weird sensation in my stomach, but I loved every minute of it.

We went to the island in the spring which is the perfect time to go. The water is beautiful and warm when going snorkelling in the Great Barrier Reef, (which we did but I don’t remember most of it.) But we missed out on whale watching, which is a necessity when going in Spring. The big friendly giants are graceful when they jump out of the water, and you can get splashed if they're close, making it even more fun.

Also, we missed out on go-kart riding and nature hikes/walks. Go-kart riding is a good way to show who the boss is in the family but also let loose and feel the adrenalin rush on the track. The walks include Coral Cove and Passage Peak, both leading to amazing, picturesque sights. Coral Cove has hills almost entirely circling a bit of the sea and the view is outstanding. Passage Peak is a view that looks out into the ocean with many more islands in the distance.

To see these sights and experience these activities, getting to Hamilton is easy. This island is the only Whitsunday Island with an airport, so book a flight to Sydney, Brisbane etc and then straight to Hamilton Island, for a memorable time.

The island is outstanding! But ‘There’s a million things I haven’t done,’ said Lin-Manuel Miranda in the musical. This is exactly what I would say, as I missed many sights and experiences there. But if you visit, you could experience these yourself. As good as Hamilton the musical is, Hamilton the island is better.