What a Day for a Daydream Island

After being invited by my friends Paul and Brittany to Daydream Island Resort in Australia for their wedding,
I researched its location, and I had to take a flight from my home in LA to Brisbane (a 14-hour flight) and another from Brisbane to Hamilton Island. From Hamilton Island, I had to take a $50, 20-minute ferry to Daydream Island. It’s pricey and remote, but well worth it.

Daydream Island is part of the Great Barrier Reef cluster of islands. It’s ideal for beach lovers who have families and young children. While the island has many things to offer, it is not a good choice for those who are traveling alone. It’s more geared toward a group of friends or families who enjoy traveling together. Upon arrival from the ferry, there is a briefing for all the arriving guests. It felt like I was on a cruise ship. Everyone was informed about the map of the island, activities, dining options and the variety of excursions available —exactly the way you’re treated on a cruise ship.

The island is small but big enough for a resort, and activities abound. The hotel is geared towards families and weddings with a friendly staff and accommodations are nice but nothing luxurious. However, the wild animals on the island compensates for the 250-thread count sheets in the bedrooms and outdated bathrooms. In the morning, we were awakened by lovely wild birds on our veranda. Because they are used to people, they were quite friendly, too. There are also dozens and dozens of kangaroos roaming about the island especially near the coastline and right outside our hotel rooms. It was incredible. Right along the lobby, a manmade stream provided a good place to watch several species of Australian marine life. It was fascinating to watch.

We also watched the sunrise from one side of the island, and headed to the opposite side of the island for the sunset. For the grown ups, we signed up for several actives including snorkeling and island hopping around Great Barrier Reef. One thing you’ll notice for sure, and that is the Aussies are some of the friendliest people on Earth. So it was both picturesque and warm and friendly, with the memories of new friends made to bring home along with my photographs. And those do not weigh a thing.

Enjoy new highlights of travel photographer Edwin Santiago’s journeys each week.