Something Special: Qualia resort's private yacht tour of Queensland's Whitehaven Beach

From Uluru to the 12 Apostles limestone stacks to the Great Barrier Reef, there is no shortage of natural wonders in Australia. Chief among them, however, are the nation’s legendary beaches, and perhaps the most beautiful strand of all is Queenland’s Whitehaven Beach, a seven-mile spread of pure white sand in the castaway Whitsunday Islands. Its most famed stretch, Hill Inlet, is an Instagram sensation that has seen Whitehaven regularly ranked as one of the world's best beaches.

Unsurprisingly, it's a crowd-puller. Day trips by catamaran or helicopter are legion, but few can match the languid finesse of my visit today on a Palm Beach 55. Hand-crafted by Palm Beach yacht manufacturers in New South Wales, these motor boats are elegant, slick and (as per the company's philosophy) "as close to perfection as humanly possible."

Palm Beach is one of Australia’s true luxury brands, so it’s fitting that this yacht is now available for private sailing trips from one of Australia’s best resorts. I'm staying at Qualia, an exclusive retreat on Hamilton Island in Queensland for whose discerning guests this Palm Beach 55 can be chartered exclusively.

This is the only Palm Beach 55 to be surveyed for commercial use, so it’s fair to say that this is a singular way in which to explore the Whitsundays.

The yacht accommodates up to 12 guests, but today it's just my partner and me alongside a two-strong crew. As we depart from Hamilton Island's marina, the skipper, Jason, points out the yacht's facilities and runs us through a safety briefing.

"If you fall overboard, I'll toss you a life ring and turn the boat around," he says. "Hopefully before the sharks get you." And with that, we're on our way.

Whitehaven Beach lies on the far side of adjacent Whitsunday Island, the largest in the archipelago. It would ordinarily be a straightforward 45-minute dash to get there, but today's choppy swell and persistent breeze are sending us around the longer leeward route. This is fine by me, as circumnavigating scenic Whitsunday Island allows extra time on board to appreciate this vessel's finer details.

The 55ft yacht is beautifully finished in leather, polished wood and stainless steel. The craftsmanship is impeccable and I notice that the hull is so perfectly streamlined that we're barely leaving a wake in the deep blue waters of the channel.

As we motor along, Jason tells us that the pristine-looking islands we are passing were once extensively logged for their valuable timber. The regenerating forests are now protected within the Whitsunday Islands National Park, which itself falls under the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area.

Being only 20-odd miles from the Reef, the Whitsundays have their own fringes of coral - but although the yacht comes with masks and snorkels, the conditions today do not suit diving. Instead, we sit at the controls while Jason explains the basics of driving a boat, then head outside to catch some sun and watch the scenery glide by.

Soon enough, we find ourselves steering into choppier waters as we pass around the furthest tip of the island. Jason finds a quiet spot to anchor in Tongue Bay, where dozens of other boats are sheltering from the wind. It's the first indication of just how popular this place has become.

As we tender ashore, a large tour boat arrives and disgorges its passengers. We follow the crowd uphill on a well-trodden trail through untamed bush until the canopy opens up and we find ourselves at Tongue Point Lookout.

The vista from here is sensational. We're looking directly down on Hill Inlet, a deep slash of dazzling turquoise sea cutting into a forested hinterland. Its colourful swirls and arabesques are the work of powerful currents that endlessly shift and deposit the sand with every movement of the tide. Beyond the inlet, Whitehaven Beach stretches unspoiled into the distance.

I take in every detail, wanting to burn the ocean blues, green vegetation and blinding white sand to my memory. I may have seen the scene many times in brochures and on Instagram, but those filtered images aren't a patch on reality. No wonder so many people want to visit.

The catch, of course, is having to share the moment with boatloads of people, all queuing up to take the exact same photo. We drink in the view but don't linger, preferring to swap selfie sticks for a walk on the beach. We descend past another tour group on their way up to the lookout and follow a path that turns from compacted earth to that super-fine sand underfoot.

Emerging onto the sunlit strand, I note that the beach is so large that it doesn't feel crowded, despite all the tour groups. But it's not exactly the castaway escape I had envisaged, so we soon head back to where Jason is waiting with the tender.

Back on our Palm Beach 55, a lunch of seafood, crunchy salads and chilled champagne awaits. We tuck in as Jason fires up the engine and motors along the length of Whitehaven. As we pass, I count five helicopters spread out on the beach, their passengers picnicking on the sand.

It makes me reflect all the more on how peaceful our own visit is. We’ll soon be back in the comfort of Qualia and exclusive use of its yacht has made our Whitehaven excursion a one-of-a-kind experience - with the journey no less memorable than the beach itself.

Chartering Qualia's Palm Beach 55 costs $4,500 (£2,500) per half-day, or $6,500 (£3,600) for a full day (up to 12 guests; includes skipper and host; catering costs extra). Pavilions at Qualia start from $1,500 (£815) per night. 

Original Travel's tailor-made Queensland itinerary pairs five nights at Qualia with four nights in the Daintree Rainforest, two nights glamping and one night in Brisbane from £6,580 per person (two sharing), including flights and transfers.

For more information on the region, visit hamiltonisland.com.au and australia.com.

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