Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Whitsunday Fun... Hamilton Island Hell

Aside from the two tired children at our side, it was romantic. Exclusively outdoor dining, tables topped with fresh white linen overlooking the Whitsunday Islands, the soft glow of the backlit overflow pool and fountain, flame-topped tiki torches.

Our dinner and accomodation at the Pepper Coral Coast Resort was still romantic in some way, even with the 3-year-old who's forgotten how to feed himself, the tired baby who tosses anything in his reach onto the ground, and the fights over who gets to play with what. And for something to maintain its romance through such adversity is nothing short of a miracle. Truly.


Coupled with the snorkeling trip to the Great Barrier Reef, lazy walks through quaint Airlie Beach, and splashing around in the centrally-located Airlie Beach Lagoon, our time in the Whitsundays was pretty magical.

...Until, that is, it came time to fly out of the Hamilton Beach Airport. Man, was that hell. They're so not equipped for large crowds, and it was vacation time for many schools across Australia. But then again, we survived it. To avoid landing in the same predicament, during big vacation times get to the Hamilton Island Airport 3-4 hours early, rather than 2. Sounds absurd, but it will save you a whole lot of headache. Wish we hadn't ended our time in the Whitsundays on such a rough note, but that we were able to visit at all was a blessing in itself.

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