Why we’re going gaga for Bedarra
The allure of this adults-only hideaway continues to endure.
No man is an island – unless you’re an Australian traveller plotting his or her winter jaunt to tropical Queensland. Then all bets are off.
Many of us equate paradise with a secluded getaway on the Great Barrier Reef. One of the most enduringly alluring spots is Bedarra Island Resort.
A 45-minute helicopter flight from Cairns deposits guests at this adults-only haven with 12 villas. Surrounded by the cerulean Coral Sea, ringed in pandanus palms and granite boulders, it is achingly beautiful, and with enough flourishes to impress Thurston Howell III from Gilligan’s Island.
Explore the local reef with a kayak or stand-up paddle board, island hop in one of its motorised dinghies, or venture further afield with a charter.
Owners Sam and Kerri-Ann Charlton used last year’s fallow period to spiff up the villas, adding another one, and gild the gardens. “We’ve always run on high occupancy, but it’s crazy right now,” says Kerri-Ann.
“We’re making hay while the sun shines.”
This story appears in the second issue of Travel + Luxury.