IN THE end, I took the plunge. It was a big, blond, blue-eyed boy who did it for me. Noting my hesitancy, he signed me up anyway and the next thing I knew, I was zipping up for the occasion. Except that I got my wetsuit on back to front - and it was designed for the very Plus size. Likewise, the flippers were meant for Big Foot.

Nevertheless, breathing really hard, I clutched my dive instructor's hand, lowered myself onto the platform below the water - and took off.

Ta-daaah! Who said scuba diving was tough?

Okay, this was only the introductory lesson but I don't think many novices start classes at the Great Barrier Reef.

We had come from Hayman Island, the much acclaimed resort that is closest to the biggest living structure on earth.

Reef and resort are simply breathtaking. Think of the corals as a gigantic fruit bowl with over-large oranges and all sorts of spiky fruit, submerged in a fish tank.

And if you are old enough to remember the television series, Fantasy Island, Hayman is it. Yes, there are seaplanes and choppers, too, if you want to take a look at the reef from overhead.

At more than A$100 (S$121) for 10 minutes, I gave the chopper ride a miss, although two elderly Caucasian women declared later it was worth every cent especially for a sight of a heart-shaped reef known as, well, Heart Reef.

Because I am Singaporean and cannot stand to lose, I replied sourly that watching the corals underwater for less than A$100 for 40 minutes was more value for money.

Aah, but they said they saw that too underwater. They had climbed on board a submersible that allowed them a panoramic view in air-con comfort, and for free.

Okay, if you are into figures, the full-day trip to Nugget Reef is A$205 - a bit on the expensive side considering there are much cheaper options from other cruise companies.

Then again, being captive on Hayman Island means being captive to the company that runs the fun sea stuff, a very efficient outfit known as Cruise Whitsundays.

For the geographically challenged, Whitsundays is a group of 74 islands, of which Hayman is one, off the coast of Queensland in Australia.

You fly to Sydney, Brisbane, Cairns or Melbourne and catch one of the daily flights to Hamilton Island, before getting on a cruiser for Hayman.

Yes, it is a pretty long trip, so it might be better if you did the usual frenetic Gold Coast jaunt before setting off for Hayman for R&R.

The green paradise surrounded by the azure Coral Sea is actually pretty much man-made or manicured. More than 900 coconut palms, 600,000 plants and several species of birds were brought in to populate the 14ha of resort gardens.

You will be sharing your pool with ducks, waking up to cockatoo calls and hoping that the seagulls will refrain from leaving guano on you as you lie on the beach.

The Hayman landmark feature is its gigantic salt-water pool, seven times the Olympic size. It is useful if - like me - you don't swim very well, don't like sand in your swim suit and don't want to bump into swimmers who don't know pool etiquette.

Price?

Think Banyan Tree or Four Seasons for a range of accommodation, from a chalet to a penthouse or a villa. Prices start from about A$800 a night. Spa Chakra is an added incentive to pay top dollar.

But don't expect the young Australian staff to serve you hand and foot. Which would be okay by me if the resort also operated a smooth system.

The staff forget your welcome fruit platter, get your check-out dates wrong and don't screen the promised in-house movie that you have stayed in your room to catch. No apologies either. Guess it's just too bad, mate.

Captivity also means you have to eat what they serve in their restaurants. Among them are a so-so French fine-dining room, a so-called Oriental restaurant and an oh-so-sumptuous seafood grille with prawns, oysters and Moreton Bay bugs (think small lobsters) that are to die for. Oh, actress Nicole Kidman holidays here, by the way.

Unless you like sweet tom yam soup and watery green curry, give the Oriental restaurant a wide berth. It serves to confirm the stereotype that the Australians are best at barbecuing.

Whatever the service shortcomings, the scenery more than makes up for them.

Hayman is popular with honeymooners who like sun, sea and sand. Great sailing, snorkelling, kayaking and windsurfing (free) gets the endorphins kicking - and hormones raging.

Which is why, increasingly, couples are taking a plunge of a different kind there, too. They weigh themselves down with a ball and chain.

5 DOs and 2 DONT'S

1 Do try the 'power' facial at Spa Chakra. It takes an hour of Guerlain's skincare products - and A$150 (S$181) - for your sunkissed face to come alive.

2 Do stuff yourself. The half kilo of prawns available at the Beach Pavillion restaurant for less than A$20 comes with lemon and various dips. I went through 1kg's worth in one sitting.

3 Do rent a motorised dinghy. Rev yourself to one of the pristine island beaches or sand spits around Hayman. Borrow snorkel gear for free and pack a picnic basket.

4 Do try the amazing water slide on the pontoon. That's if you are paying the A$205 for a full-day cruise and snorkelling.

5 Do dive. You'll see a whole new world open before you.

1 DON'T feed the birds. Otherwise, they'll be winging their way into your room for food raids.

2 DON'T expect service to be first-class. Your empty glass of water doesn't get refilled unless you hail a waiter.

bertha@sph.com.sg

This feature was first published in Life! Travel, The Straits Times on December 12, 2006.