19th April 2017
Tropical Cyclone Debbie hit Tropical North Queensland hard and unfortunately the Whitsundays were not spared from her destructive force. Some islands were hit worse than others, with some having to close down while others were able to continue operating almost immediately. Hamilton Island received some damage, however this was mainly to vegetation and the façade of the island. Due to its construction to the highest cyclone safety ratings, the impact on Hamilton has been fairly minimal, with no significant structural damage to any of the island’s hotels or resorts. Following a concerted clean-up effort, the Whitsundays are looking forward to welcoming back guests now and into the future. The sun is still shining, the water is still beautiful and you will still enjoy a wonderful Whitsundays holiday.
Unfortunately Daydream Island received a lot of damage from Tropical Cyclone Debbie and as such, the island resort will be closed until end of September 2018 for extensive refurbishments.
Hayman Island also sustained damage due to Cyclone Debbie and has made the decision to undergo a complete refurbishment, with the luxury resort expected to reopen late 2018 - early 2019.
Thankfully Hamilton Island Resort was spared from much of the damage that lashed the Whitsundays and are looking forward to welcoming guests back to the island. Most hotels, services and facilities are operating at normal capacity and on regular schedules. However, the Wildlife Park is currently closed. While all animals in the park are safe and wildlife keepers will continue to care for them, the koalas have been temporarily relocated to Australia Zoo until there is an adequate food source for them on Hamilton Island.
Your safety and the health of the Reef is paramount. As such, tour operators have assessed the impact on the reef pontoon and moorings at various snorkelling and dive sites on the fringing and outer reef. Following this detailed assessment, tours are up and running as normal.
Tours to Whitehaven Beach are currently operating as normal. We can assist you with tour availability on specific dates if you are interested in booking a tour.
• Buggies: Available at the regular price of $87 for 24 hours.
• Green Shuttle: Resort to Marina (complimentary) - running every 15 minutes from 7am to 11pm
• Sunset Express: To One Tree Hill at sunset (complimentary) - running from 4.30pm to 7pm
• Resort Link ($8pp per trip) - running from 7.45am to 3.45pm
The Clownfish Club is open at its regular hours and child minding services are available as normal.
All shops and restaurants are operational including IGA online deliveries.
Mariners and Romano’s Restaurants will be re-opened by 1 June.
• Hamilton Island Golf
• Hamilton Island Air Scenic Flights
• Spa Wumurdaylin (operating out of Reef View Hotel)
• Go-Karts
• Quad Bikes for Kids
• Climbing Wall
• Beach Sports including catamarans, windsurfers, kayaks, stand up paddleboards and snorkelling equipment
• Jet Ski Tours
• Dinghy Hire
• Tour Desk
• Buggy Hire
• Hamilton Island Watersports including fishing, jet boating, parasailing, water-skiing, tubing and Reef Ryder
• Renegade Fishing Charters
• Ricochet Sailing
• Explore Hamilton Star - Dinner Cruise
• Explore On The Edge - Full and Half Day to Whitehaven Beach
• Explore On The Edge - Sunset Cruise
