Looking for a special Queensland coast location for a honeymoon
 

My husband and I never had time for a honeymoon but I'd like to make up for that when I visit Australia (Sydney) for a business meeting at the end of July. I've heard wonderful things about luxury resorts along the northern Queensland coast where we could do some swimming/snorkelling etc. Does anyone have any recommendations for a lovely peaceful coastal or island resort to spend a few days (we have about 5 days) either at the end of July of the beginning of August?
Thanks

Noosa would always be my pick but that's a very personal choice.
Hamilton Island sounds great but that entails further distances.

www.hayman.com
Huge luxury yacht collects you from Hamilton and whisks you off to this island populated only by resort guests and staff.
A wide variety of celebrities are regular guests.
The newer rooms are a must. The old wing rooms are small and dated.
Lizard Island is also worth looking into.
These are the two best private resorts in Australia.

Noosa would be too cold in July as its far too south to get nice weather.
You would be better at Hayman for your Honeymoon or Lizard, Long Island at the Club Med or perhaps on a cruise from Cairns to Townsville on one of the small boats which go to the coral cays and other islands and take about 3 days.
The Whitsundays are too cool for me to swim in July so perhaps further north around Cairns is best.

check out lizard and Bedarra islands at

www.poresorts.com.au

If it doesn't work out with Hayman and the others, still check out Noosa. I was there in July and the weather was great-in the 70s as I wore shorts and a t-shirt. In fact, the weather was like that from Cairns until Byron Bay down south. Maybe it was a particularly warm winter that year but I didn't mind it! Noosa was great-very much like a California seaside town.

I agree, Noosa is warm enough for me any time of the year and beautiful.
The nights can be cold but it's still lovely during the day.

Sorry if I have to disagree with the last 2 posters. I live in Queensland and have done for the best part of my life. Noosa is NOT warm enough to swim at in July. Nor do I think that Noosa is in any way a good place for a honeymoon as there is not that much to do, no reef, no hinterland to speak of and the water temperature will be about 18deg celcius.....ok with a wet suit. Normal nice water temps is about 23 deg at the very least.
There is a 2,000 klm distance between Cairns and Byron Bay so I will leave it to you to decide if they have the same temps in July. Daytime temps in Byron will be about 18deg celcius and night time down to about 4 deg celcuis compared with about 29 deg c tops in Cairns and 20 - 22 minimum and it can be a tad colder.
Please people from other countries leave the suggestions of certain places at certain times of the year to those who live there. It may be that we know the area a little better than you do and have been many times to alternative areas at different times of the year too. The reason Noosa is in the off season in July must then be obvious and Cairns is in the peak season.
New Zealanders do come over to Noosa to get away from the extra cold winters though I must admit but if you are used to chipping ice off your windows perhaps you don't mind doing it lying on the beach.

PS
As far as distance go.
You would fly to Hamilton Island about 1 hour but to get to Noosa you would have to drive 2 hours. It is also a 2 hours flight from Brisbane to Cairns which is the stop off place for the far northern islands and areas.

I find it a bit disturbing to get slammed for an innocuous post when I was only trying to help based on my past experience. This board, from what I understand, is to be used for everyone from everywhere. I certainly would not be offended if Liz wanted to relay her experiences in the US even if she doesn't live here. I think we ALL can learn from each other based on our own experiences, not just from the people who happen to live in that particular country about which a question is asked. I know that lizF has provided a lot of valuable information to people on this site, and that is appreciated. However,I have to say it is completely rude to ask those of us who do not live in Australia to keep our mouths shut. I had a wonderful experience there and was just happy to share that time with someone who asked for help.

I am not asking those of you who live outside of Australia to shut your mouth ( as you put it Abby)
I am suggesting that you and KathyNZ (who lives in New Zealand) to be a tad careful of suggesting a venue in Australia for someone who has specifically asked for something special for a belated honeymoon and who lives in LA - a city which is somewhat warmer than most others in the USA and certainly a lot warmer than all of NZ.
I have spend many winters in Queensland and would NOT spend a holiday south of the Whitsundays and even then I would prefer to spend it further to the north because it can be COLD and the beginning of August is usually the time we get nasty westerly WINDS which is around the time of the ECCA.
I am sorry PatfromLA that your post has degenerated into a slinging match but if I was from LA I sure would not be wanting a nice swimming/snorkelling holiday in the middle of winter in and around Noosa - there is nowhere to snorkle there either. Noosa is not that peaceful and its not an island.
I try to suggest areas which are within the terms of the poster's request and if people are thin skinned enough to not like it then so be it - I would rather that than have someone pay so much and get a second rate and not what they wanted holiday.

The fact of the matter Lizf is that what is warm for some people is cold for others and if you don't mind it could be that july in Noosa is plenty warm enough for Abby and myself. Especially when in the 70's. And incidentally we are into may, right, well I am still in summer clothes and short sleeves so how's that for cold New Zealand!! We did not say that swimming was possible in july in Noosa either, of course I know it's not, we were suggesting an attractive coastal resort style place which is what the question was asking in the first place.
Not much to do, no hinterland, Lizf, just how much of that area have you really covered? The hinterland is beautiful, from the markets at Eumundi to Maleny and Montville.

KathyNZ, you ask how much I really covered around Noosa?
I was brought up not far North from Noosa ( say about 18 years worth) and lived south of Noosa on the Sunshine Coast in 3 localities over a period of 10 years. What did I cover - all of it at all times of the year for about 25 years.
I spent a lot of time in the Hinterland of that area, summer, winter, spring and autumn. It does not come close, in my opinion, to the area around Port Douglas and Cairns and it has no reef and no infrastructure.
My sister still lives on the Sunshine Coast and I still have property there.
If I didn't know what I was talking about I wouldn't talk about it! I have absolutely nothing to gain where a person has a holiday. I don't get cheesed off if someone likes a place that I do not. Noosa is, as I said before, not the desired location, in this instance, for what the poster wants i.e. swimming and snorkelling even if it is a nice seaside location at other times of the year for other reasons. Pat did specify swimming and snorkling as well as a nice seaside place.

This really isn't about the weather in Noosa, or if it is an appropriate location for a honeymoon. What I"d like to know is this: lizF-who made you the queen of the Fodors forum so that you feel you have the right to dictate who can and cannot reply to a posting? Just because I don't live in Australia doesn't mean I don't have the right to express my opinion or tell about my experience. As I stated earlier, I would not mind at all if you had replied to a posting about the US even though you don't live here. We can all learn from each other through our individual experiences. We don't all have to agree with each other, but it is rude to bluntly try to discredit someone when we are only trying to help. For the record, liz, I am not thin skinned, just offended that you are trying to tell those of us who don't live in an area about which a question has been asked to not reply. Also, LA does get chilly and is not necessarily one of the warmest areas in the US. Maybe you should visit more often before making statements about the US.

Abby you are a pain in the arse.
Pat asked for ideas - some of us suggested the northern area of Queensland and you, from the US and Kathy from New Zealand suggested Noosa. I have pointed out why Noosa is not appropriate for that time of year and you keep nit picking away with Noosa for some reason or another.
For your information I had lived in North America for 2 years - UK for one Year and most of the Australian States with the exception of Tasmania and South Australia.
I have travelled to NZ 5 times and I would never make a statement on the weather based on any one visit to a place to someone who is interested in an important vacation. Otherwise I would be writing suggestions saying that people should not go to NZ most of the year because of its cold, rainy, windy weather. I leave the local information on conditions to the locals, as you will see in any of my posts I have written in the past I only make suggestions either based on my location in Australlia or because I have been to a place many times and at different times of the year. I did not even buy into the question of "Perth in August" although I lived there for 7 years.
I try not to look at things through rose tinted glasses, I try and give an unbiased, and when it comes to weather conditions, a scientific outlook so that people can make up their own minds on the conditions at any given time of year.
I and the rest of the Australians who write on this board do so because we have an interest in people who come to Australia getting the absolute best out of their holiday here. It is not about egos and its not about being King pin on the board either - its just about seeing that people enjoy their time here to the fullest and get the most out of their $. If for some reason I suggest a place other than one that has been suggested by someone else it does not follow that I am "trying to discredit" them. Perhaps it may mean that I know the area better than they do because I live here.

Read your postings again Liz and you will know where the arse's pain is. And it is not Abby.
I can beat you na ne na ne na na, I have been to the Sunshine Coast six times, that beats your five to warm, unwindy, non rainy NZ.
I had a letter today from a friend in Queensland and she said it rained the last few days, oh dear oh dear.
Get a sense of hunour for goodness sake.
We really don't give a monkey's toss how long you lived anywhere. Just go with the flow and let people have their say as well as you.

Just for the record, Kathy suggested Noosa and said it was a personal favorite, and I simply backed her up. At no other time did we "nitpick" and continue to recommend it to Pat or push the thought on her or anyone else. It is you, lizF, who decided to push it with by throwing temperatures and whatnot in our faces.

Kathy-it is wonderful to know that Kiwis seems to be more laid back and accommodating, esp. since I will be in your area this summer (your winter).

I have learned a great many things on this board to prepare me for my upcoming trip, and not necessarily all from Kiwis! I have made new friends and gotten lots of valuable information from different types of people. Isn't that what this is all about? I don't particularly want information from just people who live in NZ-I want it from everyone!

Focusing back on the original poster's question ...

PatfromLA -- I suggest Lizard simply for the weather reasons (further north the better ) and if you like to scuba then its your best bet.

A related question if you do not mind. We are also coming to the GBR in July.
Wish to mostly snorkle/scuba. Family of four.
Cannot afford Lizard. Would people recommend the Sheraton or Penninsula in Port Douglas with day trips or someplace like Hayman (may be able to get a somewhat reasonable package) or Dunk.

after reading all the ridiculous responses to this post one would not blame patfromLA from vetoing the whole idea of going to Queensland all together. Have you though of a holiday in Broome WA (lol).

PatfromLA - it is quite true that the further north you go the warmer it will be. Noosa temps will sit around the low 20's so if swimming and snorkling is your thing Port Douglas might be the go (preference over Cairns which is a bit more touristy). You could hire a lovely beach house (Tali for example) and spend an idyllic holiday with lovely restaurants and gorgeous beaches and you could even do a day trip to Cairns (1 hour drive north) and you could explore the rainforest another day.

I have a holiday Apt in Noosa and I would have to agree that it is not the place for a swimming and snorkling holiday in July. I rent it out to New Zealanders for that time of year and stay near a nice warm fire. It can be windy and cold then.
Go further north if possible and both air and water temps will be much better.
Liz gave you the right answer, she usually does. I can never understand why other people think that if she disagrees with them it is a personal insult.
Unfortunately this is a joint/country board between Australia and NZ with some of the South Pacific thrown in so you are always going to get inaccurate information from people who are used to a cold climate if they talk about Queensland. Kiwis come over in droves during the winter here and love it as they are getting away from their ice,wind and snow. I note that Abby is from the north east of USA which is even worse. We who are used to it here find it cold.
Liz provides the most constant and helpful information on this board and we are lucky that she bothers to spare the time in doing so.

Well, well, Gertrude it's okay for you to do a bit of kiwi bashing and okay also for you to take their money. Haven't you got two sets of principles?
Get a handle on it woman and read properly and you will find it is your mate that takes everything so personally.
And Pat, please feel free to drop your 5 cents worth in here.
I'm sitting here laughing so much. Pat, please do make the journey, you will love it and 99.9% of aussies do have a sense of humour.

I thought that you, kathyNZ, were doing a really good job of Kiwi bashing yourself by showing how silly you are. Particularly your outrageous remarks under the topic of George Bush when, because NZ wasn't mentioned, you stated that it was all anti Kiwi when I think that you were the only person here who thought that NZ had anything to do with the post at all.

Anyway Kathy you know its past your bedtime and that Mommy said not to play with the 'puta

Dear Gertrude-obviously you also did not see my point. I could care less if someone does not agree with me. As I also stated previously, we don't always all have to agree with one another. I just was very offended to be told to keep my comments to myself and not reply to a post just because I don't happen to live in that part of the world. I have met some great people on this board who have given me terrific advice about my upcoming trip, and not all of them are from where I am going. I was in no way in the beginning INSISTING Pat go to Noosa, just saying if it didn't work out in Hayman/Lizard than think about it. lizF did not have to bash me to the ground because I said that-so I believe she and you are the ones to get bent out of shape when people don't agree with you. I really thought Aussies were laid-back people but evidently not all of them are. What a shame.

handbags at dawn ...it is then!!!

And once again returning to the posted question....

We spent 5 days of our honeymoon (October last year) in Cairnes and Port Douglas and we loved it.
We flew into Cairnes, stayed there 2 nights in the International (beautiful classy hotel with great balcony views at the right price - request a high floor). Did the skytram up to Karundu (sp?) park and took the train down - touristy but interesting. There are scuba and snorkeling boats that leave from Cairnes but we heard they weren't great.
We rented a car (an Astra convertible - not too pricey and it made all the difference) and drove up the coast to Port Douglas. On the way, we stopped at the Crocodile Center (can't remember the name but it's in the tourbooks) which was lots of fun.
We stayed at the Peninsula Port Douglas and we loved it. It's small and the owners are very nice, breakfast is included and the rooms are large and air conditioned with a balcony and huge bathroom. The pool is romantic and intimate and is open until late at night (when no one's around it's a romantic swim). The hotel is right on the beach and 2 blocks from downtown. The beach is long and beautiful. Ask for an upper level room facing the ocean.
I heard there were some good day cruises that left from Port Douglas but we spent our time driving up the coast to the Daintree National Forest.
There are also boats that will take you up the river to see crocodile's etc. Plenty to do. I wish we'd had more time there. It was VERY warm when we were there (almost uncomfortable), so July would probably be the time to go.
I actually planned this part of the trip based on the postings I read here (from EVERYONE on here) so I want to thank everyone for posting and their comments. Keep 'em coming!! Mindy

I would suggest coming north to Cairns and surrounds,you are sure to find a great place in Port Douglas or on one of the islands near by.The further north the better.
Regards, Lyle
Kuranda Bed & Breakfast

Gee - what a fracas my request for a honeymoon spot in Queensland caused! It was a very entertaining start to my Fodorite membership. I thank you all for your suggestions, especially "mustardmindy" who has me sold on Port Douglas. I'll let you know how it worked out!

LOL


Muck

Hi Pat
We've you bin? You missed all the action ! Have a great time.
Likewise Mucky, LOL.

My experience: Palm Cove, between Port Douglas and Cairns was wonderful. Secluded, relatively quiet, great restaurants, close enough to Cairns to see the sights. Courtyard Marriott Resort was relatively inexpensive. If possible, don't take a one-day reef boat. Too many people and not enough time. We spent three days and two nights on a bare-bones dive boat (bunk beds, etc.) for $210 per person, but the nights offshore (60 miles) and the intimate surroundings were incredible.

I'm leaving tomorrow for Australia and staying part of the time in Port Douglas, at the Thala Beach Lodge and Hibiscus Gardens. I will post soon to let you know how things are! Pat, I'm from Central California and only I, of all these crazy posters, will be able to tell you accurately if its too damn cold (or not) to snorkel! :)