By Karon Ng

THE view was great. Having walked across some 2,650m of bushland, I was finally 239m above sea level on the east at the highest point of the island. I panted hard after the steep ascent on the final stretch.

Over 70 per cent of Hamilton Island is a protected national park and it is one of the 74 islands of the Whitsundays, which lie midway along the Queensland coast, bordered by the World Heritage Great Barrier Reef.

Waking up at 5.30am, after an overnight flight the day before, to hike to Passage Peak took a lot of will power. Without proper trekking shoes and socks, I wore my walking pumps disguised as trendy gold shoes, which nonetheless allowed me to push ahead of the rest of the group and set a punishing pace.

It was a pity that on my way down with my travel companion Albert, we not only got lost but I also developed two blisters on my left foot.

I was in a hurry to be back by 7.30am to see and carry a koala for the first time at the wildlife gallery.

As a dutiful Singaporean, I wanted to turn back at the "no entry" sign and a gate at the end of the trail, but China-born and American-educated Albert insisted we forge ahead. We emerged at a road bordering the airport on Hamilton Island.

There was a light drizzle, the start of many throughout my five-day stay at the Whitsundays, and storm clouds lurked threateningly on the horizon. We started at a brisk pace back towards the resort.

Thankfully, my blister-blighted foot got a respite when a passing buggy stopped and gave us a lift to our date with the koalas. I had successfully hitchedhiked for the first time in my life!

The day before, we had visited the Blue Pearl house, which was fully furnished with three bedrooms and a view of the beautiful bay from the pool. The successful applicant for the "best job in the world" would stay here to look after the islands. The "best job", which pays A$150,000 (S$149,265) for six months, is a publicity stunt by the Queensland Tourism authorities to promote tourism in the state.

As part of the publicity drive, we were given a taste of the resort-living in the Great Barrier Reef on three islands - Hamilton, Daydream and Hayman - all privately owned.

On Hamilton, we stayed at the Reef View Hotel, which gave us a magnificent view of the reef and the beach. Dinner was a five-course affair at the luxurious Qualia resort with pre-dinner cocktails, canapés and red wine.

Clockwise from top left: A musical welcome and rainforest walk await visitors to Daydream Island. Take a dip in the huge Hayman pool and soak in luxury at the Qualia resort on Hamilton Island. (Photos: Karon Ng, Hayman, Tourism Whitsundays)

Wine drinking is a way of life for the Aussies. They plied us with wine and champagne from morning till night. We had it at meal times. We sipped the tipple at the beautiful white silica sand beach of Whitehaven after a seaplane ride to see the Heart Reef, a natural coral formation that is very popular with honeymooners and couples in love.

We landed with at least four bumps in the sea and taxied to Whitehaven beach.

I wriggled out of my slippers and peeked at the red blisters on my foot.

The open wounds would surely sting in the seawater, I thought, but I soon forgot about the searing pain on the sparkling beach with drinks, fruits and good company.

At the Rejuvenation Spa on Daydream Island Resort and Spa, a 30-minute massage was followed by more alcohol - champagne, strawberries and finger food.

It seemed apt that the resort manager of Hayman Island, Mr Graham Grant, welcomed us with a bottle of sparkling wine each in our room fridge.

Another thing that stood out, besides the lovely beaches, clear waters and booze, was the top-notch service.

Ms Merryn Weeding, the regional sales manager of Daydream Island, clearly frazzled by the thousand and one problems to be attended to, brought me to see the nurse who passed me tea tree oil, sterile cotton balls and plasters for my foot after cautioning me to keep the blisters covered to prevent infection in the humid air.

Despite a no-sea-sports order because of the rain, the staff of Hayman Island went the extra mile to check that it was safe to jump into the water at Blue Pearl Bay, a sheltered and popular snorkeling spot.

So there we were in the bay, a few of us with pool noodles (a flotation device).

We spotted a huge Napoleon Wrasse, schools of fishes, a baby giant clam, hard nudibranches and corals in the water.

The visibility wasn't good but I could imagine how crystal clear it would be on a sunny day.

Back at the award-winning resort Hayman, I jumped into the huge pool, the size of seven Olympic pools, and got a good workout by swimming around it once.

I didn't mind getting the blisters wet again, soaking in the quiet waters of luxury.

This trip was sponsored by Tourism Queensland (www.queenslandholidays.com.au).

This article was first published in The Straits Times Special. It is produced by the Special Projects Unit, Marketing Division, SPH.