'I visited private island resort voted world's best and taken over by Taylor Swift'

When finished one of her gruelling world tours, she hopped over for a super-luxurious holiday near Australia’s Great Barrier Reef to shake it off. It wasn’t a cruel summer for her tour crew, either, as she took all 125 of them with her to Qualia, a secluded resort on the north tip of Hamilton Island. Oprah Winfrey, Leonardo DiCaprio, and most recently Kylie Minogue are among other A-list guests who have spent quality time at Qualia.

I could scarcely believe that I should be so lucky to visit too, indulging in Taylor’s version of rest and relaxation for one night only.

Hamilton Island is just three miles long and two miles wide but one of the largest of the 74 Whitsunday Islands, a teeny cluster in the Coral Sea off the coast of Queensland. With 300 days of sunshine a year, average temperatures of around 22/23C in winter and 29/30C for summer, it’s almost guaranteed to be hot but not unpleasantly so.

Development began on this privately owned island in the 1980s, and there are lovely accommodation options for families looking for a luxury break. However, Hamilton Island is a particular draw for couples, and Qualia is the flawless five-star jewel in its crown. The 60-room resort opened in 2007 and has since been voted best in the world by Conde Nast readers.

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My VIP treatment began at the island’s airport, which has direct flights from Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane, when I was greeted by Qualia staff for a transfer while my luggage was whisked away separately. Minutes later I had arrived, my bags in my room and me perched in the Long Pavilion bar area with a glass of fizz in hand.

If your vision of paradise features sunshine, sandy white beaches, turquoise ocean waters, lush tropical nature and luxury living, this place should be on your bucket list. All of Qualia’s rooms face the water, with huge balconies to make the most of the superb views. They actually call them pavilions, not rooms, as they’re detached and enormous with a full-sized living room, bedroom and bathroom.

They get the little details spot on too, from the Aesop toiletries to the champagne on ice, and the turndown service at night leaving you cosy and candlelit. From the balcony I spotted possums, cockatiels and magpies – but keep your sliding doors closed or they’ll make a play for your fruit bowl and sugar sachets.

For fine dining, head to the Pebble Beach restaurant, which celebrates seasonal and local food such as bay bugs, skull island tiger prawn and spanner crab. The Long Pavilion offers a Whitsunday hot seafood selection if you’d prefer to share. There’s a separate vegan menu at both too, just ask.

You can take to the beautifully clear waters on a catamaran, paddle board or kayak, all included in your room rate. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can pay extra to go snorkelling, take a helicopter flight tour, or for spa treatments.

Eventually it was time to explore the rest of Hamilton Island. Electric golf buggies are the main means of transport – you are forbidden to bring a car – so don’t forget your driving licence.

Number one on my to-do list for this trip Down Under was to meet the Aussie animals. At the Wildlife Park you can get up close to koalas, dingoes, kangaroos and even a crocodile. There were koalas in the café even, casually munching eucalyptus while I sipped a cappuccino a few feet away.

Meanwhile, just pootling around the quiet roads I spotted wallabies bouncing across manicured hotel lawns. Fortunately, I saw no creepy-crawlies, snakes or spiders. The marina is busy all year round but turns into a world yacht hotspot every August for Hamilton Island Race Week.

The nearby main street has boutique shops, elegant bars and, of course, restaurants of many cuisines – even proper fish and chips.

No trip to Hamilton Island is complete without sunset drinks at One Tree Hill, one of the island’s highest vantage points. And you’re just a 10-minute ferry away from Hamilton Island Golf Club, built on an uninhabited island and reputed to be one of the most challenging and spectacular courses in the world. It was an all-too-swift one-night stay, but the Aussie adventure was not over. In fact I was heading even closer to the Great Barrier Reef – by sleeping on top of it. Considered one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World, it is home to an incredible array of marine plants and animals and it’s the only living thing on Earth visible from space.

Climate change and rising water temperatures are threatening its long-term existence, though here in the Whitsundays the reef is thankfully growing again. Tonight I would be kipping under the stars, about 45 miles out to sea, above the Great Barrier Reef itself, on a permanently moored pontoon called ReefWorld.

It takes a couple of hours to reach by boat, during which time there’s a strong chance you’ll see a whale. I kept my eyes peeled but was looking the wrong way just as one leaped into the air – but thankfully they put in a repeat performance a few seconds later.

Most boat passengers are here for a day trip to scuba dive, snorkel and swim in the ocean around the Hardy Reef. But if you’re staying overnight there’s no need to join the throng, there is plenty of time for water sports when they’ve gone home. Instead, book a flight on a helicopter to look for turtles, whales and sharks, and see the amazing maze of the Great Barrier Reef from above, including Heart Reef, a huge patch of coral shaped like a heart.

If you don’t want to get wet, or you can’t swim, take a ride in the ocean in a slow semi-submersible vessel, or take the steps down to the pontoon’s underwater observatory.

It’s as fascinating as any crime thriller down there – in fact as I watched one huge fish swimming around, a giant grouper gulped it whole, in one chomp. A few hours later we waved the day trippers goodbye, leaving a few dozen of us overnights on board. With the sun going down, I took a quiet guided snorkel around the edge of the reef, seeing parrot and clownfish, turtles, colourful clams and beautiful coral.

It’s teeming with life – there are 1,500 species of fish here. I had never snorkelled before but it was easy, I only needed to look under the surface, while the reef helps to keep the currents gentle. All the kit is provided but if you have a waterproof camera, bring it, you’ll want to capture these scenes.

By the time I’d towelled off, it was time for another pinch-me moment, watching turtles bobbing as the sun set over the reef, with drinks and canapés. That was followed by a superb dinner and more drinks with the other guests, all of it included in your price. My “room” for the night was a tented pod on the pontoon deck. They can be zipped up for privacy, or left open so you can stargaze or watch the magical morning sunrise.

The steps down from the pontoon lead to Australia’s first underwater hotel. The two Reefsuite rooms come with a double bed and bathroom and a full floor-to-ceiling window. You really are sleeping with the fishes.

Hollywood star Zac Efron summed it up perfectly in his Netflix series Down to Earth, when he spent a night in the Reefsuite then a day diving around the reef: “I will relive this moment in my head forever and ever. It’s truly one of
the coolest experiences of my life.”

Book the holiday

• Qantas offers return flights from Heathrow to Brisbane via Singapore starting at £1,250.
• Virgin Australia offers return flights from Brisbane to Hamilton Island starting at £112.
• Prices for a minimum two-night stay at Qualia Barrier Reef Hotel start at £1,833 for two.
• Reefsleep with Cruise Whitsundays (departing Hamilton Island) starts at £344pp.
• Great Barrier Reef Swim
  (departing Hamilton Island) with Cruise Whitsundays starts at £158pp.
• More info at