A guide to choosing your dream island reception venue

Daydream wedding reception setup

AFTER you walk down the aisle, your wedding reception is the first opportunity to relax after months of planning.

Whether your dream reception is an intimate dinner with your nearest and dearest, or a large poolside party where you can dance all night, it’s important that you choose a venue that feels ‘right’ to you.

Once you pick the right spot, everything else will fall into place.

Some important things to consider on your hunt for the perfect reception venue:  How many people do I need to cater for? Do you want your reception to be more formal or relaxed?  Do you want a formal or casual feel? Do you want a view?  Do you need space for dancing? Do you want a private venue?

Daydream Island Resort and Spa – one of the premier destination wedding venues in the country – has an option to suit all tastes. Located in the Whitsundays near the Great Barrier Reef, it’s a beautiful resort featuring white coral beaches and lush rainforests.

Here are some of the reception venues on the island:

Lovers Cove (up to 80 guests)
Lovers Cove, one of our most exclusive locations on the island, is a private sheltered inlet with a white coral beach, large deck and the Whitsunday Passage as a backdrop. This little piece of paradise is romantically lined with flares and fairy lights in the trees.

Sunlovers Terrace (up to 140 guests)
Sunlovers Terrace offers the perfect indoor/outdoor venue experience. The Terrace is on the third level of the resort, with expansive views of the Whitsunday Passage and Daydream’s tropical rainforest. With its own bar facility and dance-floor, Sunlovers Terrace is the perfect venue for your Daydream wedding reception.

Daydream's spectacular Endeavour wedding chapel

Mermaids Beach (up to 250 guests)
This coral beach is decorated with flame torches and is perfect for larger weddings. You can choose to host your reception right on the coral beach, poolside or on a grassed area along the coral beach. Whichever you prefer, Mermaids Beach is great venue to relax and unwind at the end of your wedding day.

Daydream Island Room (up to 150 guests)
Daydream’s premier indoor location, the Daydream Island Room has floor to ceiling windows overlooking a private terrace and the beautiful Sunlovers Lookout. It is the perfect venue to host a formal dinner, cocktail party or a more casual wedding reception. The tiled terrace area is great for pre-dinner canapés and beverages.

Sunlovers Lookout (up to 20 guests)
This is one of Daydream’s most beautiful outdoor locations with picturesque views of the Whitsunday Passage. It’s the ideal venue for smaller weddings or elopements.

The Great Barrier Reef Room (up to 160 guests).
For a stunning view over the scenic Molle Channel and the Molle group of islands, the Great Barrier Reef Room is where you can celebrate in the privacy of this quiet part of the resort, and where your intimate reception will be forever remembered for its welcoming atmosphere and exceptional setting.

South End Cinema (up to 150 guests)
With views over the ocean to the mainland, this stunning outside location is perfect for your dream wedding. Make your day even more memorable by showing your own movie of how you both met!

Spa Balcony (up to 15 guests)
Celebrate your wedding at this intimate venue with spectacular views over the Whitsunday passage. This venue will make your wedding day truly memorable.

There’s a range of wedding reception venues on Daydream Island to suit every occasion. So why not cross off another thing on your to do list and take a look?

For all wedding enquiries please contact Daydream Island’s wedding executive on (07) 3259 2310 or email weddings@daydream.net.au.

Living Reef unveils amazing hidden creatures

Redheaded Gobi

Daydream Island’s Living Reef has become home to some fascinating creatures, which are rarely seen without close investigation and shows the diversity of life in the resort’s iconic lagoon system.

Living Reef manager John Gaskell has recently uncovered creatures in the lagoons including the Redheaded Goby, Brittle Star, Snapping Shrimp, Squat Lobster and the Orange Spot Mantis Shrimp.

“As we continue to develop and maintain the lagoons we often discover new species we didn’t know we had,” Mr Gaskell said.

“Many of these are found living in the live rock and corals and most likely came in as juveniles and have managed to thrive. This shows the health of the lagoon system.”

Live rock has been collected under permit and transferred to the Living Reef over a number of years. Live rock is generally made up of the calcium carbonate skeleton of previously living coral. When the coral dies hundreds of microorganisms inhabit the structure, many of which are juveniles or in their larval stage.

“We’ve discovered the amazing Orange Spot Mantis Shrimp, one of the most incredible species of the marine world and something very colourful to look at which is now on display in the Living Reef Centre.”

Some of the recently discovered inhabitants found in the Living Reef include:

Redheaded Goby - Rarely seen species of goby that hides within coral reef habitats.

Coral (Trapezia) Crabs - These crabs are from the same crab family which includes species that live within Stony Corals. They feed on the tissue of the coral that they live within and with defend their coral home from other predators.

Porcelain Crab - Tiny crab with relatively unknown life history, found within coral reefs.

Brittle Star

Brittle Star - A relative of star fishes and sea urchins that can move arms independently and walk relatively fast along the ocean floor. Rarely seen during the day as they are nocturnal.

Squat Lobster - A relative of hermit crabs that does not use a sea snail shell for protection. Instead squat lobsters are excellent at hiding and can move in extremely fast bursts when threatened.

Snapping Shrimp – An amazing little shrimp with a large ‘snapping’ claw that can be opened and shut with incredible force creating a loud snapping sound. The force of the claw snapping shut generates acoustic pressures that can be heard throughout the coral reef habitat it lives in.

Orange Spot Mantis Shrimp

Orange Spot Mantis Shrimp - Mantis shrimp have the most complex eyes known to science. They have two rotating eyes that are the equivalent of six human eyes and can even see in ultra violet. Human eyes can detect a combination of three colours (red, green and blue), whereas the mantis shrimp’s eyes can detect 12, nine of which humans cannot even comprehend. To catch its prey the Orange Spot Mantis Shrimp has two smashing clubs that replace a regular shrimp’s claws. The speed at which a mantis shrimp punches out its smashing club is thought to be the fastest mechanical acceleration of any animal. It is so fast, that the impact produces cavitation bubbles - creating even more pressure.

The Living Reef is one of the world's largest man-made living coral reef lagoons. It is home to more than 140 species of colourful marine fish, 82 species of coral and 15 species of invertebrates such as starfish, sea cucumbers and crabs.

Comprising a north and south lagoon and holding more than 1.5 million litres of water, the Living Reef lets visitors learn about and get up close to the fascinating inhabitants of the Great Barrier Reef.

ENDS media enquiries to Brenton Gibbs 0419 828440 brenton@rgcommunications.com.au 

Pictures: John Gaskell

New chef cooks up changes at Daydream

Daydream Island Resort and Spa’s new Executive Chef Ashley Duff is cooking up some changes at the tropical Whitsundays getaway.

After spending almost a decade working on cruise ships around the world, Ashley brings a wealth of international experience to Daydream where he will be delivering a menu predominantly seafood-based complemented by tapas-style dining options.

“This perfectly suits our alfresco dining setting with the backdrop of the Whitsunday islands,” he said.

“I am incorporating more seafood into the menus and modernising them for the tropical climate we are in by steering away from gravies and jus and using more vinaigrettes.

“There is also more focus on locally produced food, from seafood such as Queensland scallops and tiger prawns, to fruit and veggies, beef, chicken and lamb. I’ll be working hard to source wonderful food from as close to Daydream as possible.”

Ashley kicked off his culinary career in Victoria where he cooked for Melbourne’s elite at various venues including five star hotels and at the exclusive Mornington Peninsula before moving to London to develop his skills.

For the past seven years he has worked with Royal Caribbean on numerous liners where he was responsible for catering for up to 3600 passengers, 24 hour a days, seven days a week.

Ashley is in charge of all food production on Daydream, from Splashes Pool Bar to signature restaurant Mermaid’s, and has already begun implementing some delicious new changes.

“In Fishbowl Tavern, we’ve introduced some of the best baby back ribs you can have. It’s a three day process to produce our ribs which are slowly caramelised on our char grill,” he said.

“In Mermaids, we will soon be introducing signature dishes like a Bouillabaisse-style seafood soup with lobster, mud crab and prawns, using some of the fantastic product we have in Queensland to really show off the restaurant.”

Mermaids a la carte restaurant offers a unique culinary experience where guests can feast on the freshest fish of the day caught straight from the sea to your plate.

Daydream also offers more relaxed dining options including the Fishbowl Tavern, Waterfalls Restaurant, Boat House Bakery, Lagoons Bar, Splashes and Gilligan’s Health Hut.

ENDS

Choosing your dream wedding ceremony location

Daydream is perfect for a tropical island wedding

THE diamond ring is on your finger and the wedding date has been set – now where on earth should you get married?

Choosing the venue for your wedding is one of the most important decisions that you will make during the wedding planning process.

Your wedding is a once-in-a-lifetime experience where all the people who mean the most to you are gathered together in one place. It makes sense that you choose a venue that will befit this special occasion.

Daydream Island Resort and Spa in the Whitsundays is one of the most popular island wedding destinations in Australia and has a range of amazing venues to suit every style of wedding, from intimate elopements to larger, more traditional affairs. From chapels to coral beaches, Daydream Island has you covered.

Here are some of the ceremony locations on offer:

Sunset at Endeavour Wedding Chapel

Endeavour Wedding Chapel – For a more traditional ceremony, the Endeavour Wedding Chapel isthe perfect venue. Located right at the water’s edge, the Chapel features a red carpet aisle, built in sound system and a floor-to-ceiling glass wall behind the altar, offering spectacular panoramic views of the Whitsunday Passage. The service can also be streamed out over the Internet for those who are not able to be there in person.

Lovers Cove

Lovers Cove – Lovers Cove is a private sheltered white coral beach that features a large wooden deck for ceremonies and receptions. It’s a truly outdoor setting with waves rolling in just metres away and the Whitsunday Passage as your backdrop.

Mermaid’s Beach – Mermaid’s Beach is a stunning expanse of coral beach with the picturesque blue waters of the Coral Sea offering a beautiful backdrop. Daydream Island’s resident three ‘mermaids’ are also a unique feature! If you’re looking at having a large wedding, Mermaid’s Beach is tailor made for your event.

Sunlover’s Lookout – This is one of the most beautiful outdoor locations on Daydream Island with expansive views over the Whitsunday Passage.  A romantic location that is perfect for more intimate services including elopements.

Sunset Beach Gazebo – Located on the south side of the island, The Sunset Beach Gazebo boasts stunning views over the ocean to the mainland. It’s ideal for more intimate services.

Whatever location you choose, romantic Daydream Island is the perfect way to celebrate your special day in your own individual way.

Please contact Daydream Island’s wedding executive on (07) 3259 2310 or email weddings@daydreamisland.com

Wedding at Mermaids Beach

Daydream’s Living Reef awarded 2014 Trip Advisor Certificate of Excellence

DAYDREAM Island’s Living Reef, one of the world’s largest man-made living coral reef lagoons, has been awarded a prestigious award from TripAdvisor.

The Living Reef was awarded the 2014 Certificate of Excellence, which recognises businesses that consistently earn outstanding traveller reviews on TripAdvisor.

TripAdvisor is one of the world’s top travel websites and provides directory information, reviews of travel-related content and travel forums.

Daydream Island CEO, Phil Casey said it was an honour to receive an award that was based solely on traveller feedback.

“It’s wonderful that the Living Reef was enjoyed by so many of our guests and it captured their imaginations – it’s a definite must see during any stay at Daydream Island,” he said.

“The Living Reef is simply amazing. It is home for more than 140 species of colourful marine fish and 83 species of coral and it holds more than 1.5 million litres of water.

“Guests can hand feed resident stingrays, baby sharks and barramundi, as well as learn about the marine-ecosystem.

“We believe it’s very important to protect our incredible marine environment and the Living Reef is a great way to raise awareness and educate the public.

“We’d like to thank our hard working staff for all of their efforts in maintaining the Living Reef and ensuring that it remains one of the top attractions in the Whitsundays.”

Daydream Island Resort and Spa is located in Queensland’s tropical Whitsundays in the heart of the magnificent Great Barrier Reef.

The multi award-winning resort is home to a great selection of restaurants and bars, a fringing coral reef and the award winning Rejuvenation Spa.

Daydream Island also boasts action-packed activities including jet skiing, parasailing, reef fishing and scuba diving, and day trips such as a helicopter ride to famous Whitehaven Beach for a private picnic and a sunset champagne cruise around the Whitsunday islands.

For bookings call 1800 075 040, contact your local travel agent or visit www.daydreamisland.com.

ENDS: Media enquiries to brenton@rgcommunications.com.au