Bedarra Island Resort

The all-inclusive model here is unusually generous and refreshingly free of asterisks. Daily-changing gourmet menus built around the freshest local produce, an open bar running from champagne to craft cocktails, fully stocked villa minibars, and a full suite of water activities are all folded into the rate. The standout inclusion, and one that genuinely sets Bedarra apart, is the fleet of motorised guest dinghies: take a chef-prepared gourmet hamper loaded with champagne, pilot your own boat to a deserted neighbouring island, and spend the afternoon on a beach with nobody else in sight. It is the kind of experience that sounds like marketing copy until you are actually standing on an empty stretch of sand with a glass in your hand.

The twelve villas range from the entry-level Beachfront Villas, charming two-storey timber designs just steps from the sand, through to The Point, a split-level villa at the northernmost headland with a seventy-eight-square-metre deck, private plunge pool, and panoramic views that justify its premium. Between these sit some genuinely distinctive options: The Treehouse, perched on granite boulders high in the rainforest canopy with an outdoor shower and views down to the Coral Sea; the Beachfront Deluxe Villas with their cathedral ceilings and extraordinary open-air rainforest bathrooms; and The Beach House, the largest villa, positioned directly on the sand with a wet-edge plunge pool. None are ostentatiously appointed. The aesthetic is refined timber, natural stone, and generous decks that blur the line between indoors and out. Every villa includes a king bed, espresso machine, LED TV, iPad, work desk, bar and air conditioning.

Dining punches well above what you might expect from a twelve-villa island. Executive chef Heath Weber and his dedicated team produce daily-changing menus that lean into tropical Queensland produce, served in an open-air restaurant overlooking the pool area, a magnificent 300-year-old Calophyllum tree and Hernandia Bay. Shoes are genuinely optional. The nightly pre-dinner cocktail hour at the legendary open bar is the island's social hub, a chance to share stories of the day's adventures with fellow guests.

Private candlelit dinners on the beach or nestled into the rainforest can be arranged for special occasions, and the gourmet picnic hampers are a meal in themselves. The bar and lounge area also features an extensive library and board games for quieter evenings.

Bedarra's philosophy is centred on relaxation, but there is plenty to fill active days. Complimentary activities include sea kayaks, stand-up paddleboards, motorised dinghies, snorkelling equipment, fishing gear, tennis, gym and self-guided rainforest walks leading to spectacular lookouts and private beaches. The beachfront spa pavilion offers massages with the sound of waves as soundtrack.

For the more adventurous, outer Great Barrier Reef snorkelling or SCUBA trips can be arranged, with the reef approximately 20 nautical miles offshore. Deep sea fishing charters and scenic helicopter flights are also available. Guests can be transferred to nearby Dunk Island for longer National Park rainforest walking tracks.

Bedarra takes its environmental responsibilities seriously. An off-grid hybrid solar system coupled with a battery bank has replaced three diesel generators, reducing diesel consumption by 97%. The resort's water comes from perennial granite-filtered freshwater springs and collected rainwater, eliminating a former diesel-powered desalination plant. A glass-crushing machine converts all glass waste to sand for use in landscaping, cardboard and organic waste are composted to fertilise the island vegetable gardens, and a bio-cycle septic system ensures no treated effluent reaches the ocean or fringing reefs.

Arrival is by private launch from Mission Beach (30 minutes, departing 12:30pm daily) or helicopter from Mission Beach (15 minutes) or direct from Cairns Airport (approximately 1 hour). All transfers depart from The Elandra at South Mission Beach, which has parking, a lobby and restaurant. Cairns Airport is roughly two hours' drive south.

The honest caveats are worth noting: this is a serious financial commitment, even by Australian luxury standards. The island terrain involves plenty of steps, which will not suit everyone. Mobile reception is non-existent, and the on-island reef, while perfectly enjoyable, does not compare to the outer barrier reef. But for couples seeking genuine seclusion, the kind where your nearest neighbours are honeymooners you may never actually see, Bedarra delivers something that virtually no other Australian resort can match. It is not trying to be a Maldivian overwater villa or a Fijian mega-resort. It is trying to be a wild, beautiful, impeccably fed escape on a private island, and it succeeds completely.