Three awards for Daydream Island and entry into Hall of Fame

Daydream Island Resort and Spa was one of the big winners at the Whitsunday Tourism & Business Awards 2014 after winning three awards at the gala event which was held on Saturday evening in Proserpine

The resort took out the Best Tourist Attraction for the Living Reef - one of the world’s largest man-made living lagoons, Best Deluxe Accommodation and the People’s Choice categories.

It is the third year in a row Daydream Island has taken out the Deluxe Accommodation category and as a result was also enshrined into the Hall of Fame.

“The Daydream experience is always evolving and we are very excited to be recognised in three categories of the Whitsundays Tourism Awards,” Daydream Island Resort and Spa CEO Scott Wilkinson said.

“These awards reflect the hard work resort manager Warren McCorriston and the entire team put in to ensure we offer the very best experiences, from our Living Reef lagoon to our pampering Rejuvenation Spa, extensive list of activities and more.

“We are particularly thrilled to again win the Deluxe Accommodation category and to be included into the Hall of Fame.

'Stingray Splash' in the Living Reef

“Winning the People’s Choice category is especially pleasing as it’s voted on by members of the public.

“I’d also like to acknowledge our owner Mr Vaughan Bullivant for his vision for the resort and congratulate Living Reef manager John Gaskell and his team for the advances made this year.”

Located in Queensland’s tropical Whitsundays in the heart of the Great Barrier Reef, the award-winning resort features 296 rooms and suites, a great selection of restaurants and bars, lagoon swimming pools and a fringing coral reef to explore.

Daydream’s award-winning 2,650sqm Living Reef is one of the world’s largest man-made living lagoons - home to more than 115 species of fish and 80 coral species native to the Great Barrier Reef.

Its star attractions include brother and sister leopard rays Hansel and Gretel, brown stingrays Pikelet and Pancake, female black tip reef sharks Cookie and Nibble, white spot mangrove rays Bill and Barb and black shovelnose ray, Jack.

Guided by Living Reef biologists, visitors can take part in fish and shark feeding shows or programs like the Stingray Splash, where guests walk knee-deep into the Living Reef and hand-feed and pat de-barbed stingrays.

Daydream also offers the Rejuvenation Spa with 16 treatment rooms, which offers health and beauty treatments designed to pamper and reinvigorate the mind, body and soul; along with over 20 free guest activities such as kayaks, stand-up paddle boards, mini-golf and an open air cinema.

The Whitsunday Tourism & Business Awards aim to recognise growth in tourism products and services as well as sustainable economic and social benefits that flow from a booming tourism industry.

Daydream Island Resort and Spa was recently awarded fourth place in the ‘Australia, Over 4 Stars’ category of the Holidays with Kids Readers Choice Top 10 Awards 2014.

Daydream’s Rejuvenation Spa was also named a finalist in the Hotel/Resort Spa of the Year category in the annual Pevonia Awards.

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

ENDS Media enquiries to Brenton Gibbs

Aussie urban/pop group Justice Crew on Daydream Island

HOLIDAYMAKERS at Daydream Island Resort and Spa would have got the surprise of a lifetime last week when they spotted Australian chart-toppers Justice Crew enjoying a working holiday on the island.

The six-member all-male urban/pop group has been filming the video clip for its latest single Rise and Fall on the picturesque Whitsunday Island.

The winner of the fourth season of Australia’s Got Talent, Justice Crew has already achieved two number one singles with Boom Boom and Que Sera.

Justice Crew member Solo Tohi said the group had been busy jet skiing, snorkelling, taking a rainforest walk, fish feeding at the Living Reef and a enjoying a bonfire at Lover’s Cove.

“It’s been an amazing experience out here on Daydream Island,” he said.

“It makes me realise and appreciate how beautiful our country is. Being around nature is calming and it's such a beautiful place to wake up in and step away from the city madness. Can't wait to come back for a holiday!”

Daydream Island Resort and Spa chief executive officer Scott Wilkinson said, “We’re pleased that Daydream Island offered the perfect tropical backdrop for Justice Crew’s new single Rise and Fall and that we could provide them with a wonderful island experience in the stunning Whitsunday Islands,” he said.

Daydream Island Resort and Spa is located in Queensland’s tropical Whitsundays in the heart of the Great Barrier Reef, only a 30 minute boat ride from Great Barrier Reef Airport (HTI) and a 30 minute ferry ride from Airlie Beach.

The award-winning resort features 296 rooms and suites, a great selection of restaurants and bars, lagoon swimming pools, a fringing coral reef to explore and a Rejuvenation Spa offering health and beauty treatments.

There are over 20 free guest activities which include kayaks, catamarans, stand-up paddle boards, a stingray and shark feeding show and an open air cinema.

Romance in the Whitsundays

ENJOY a special picnic on a remote coral beach in the Whitsundays as part of a romantic holiday offer for couples from Daydream Island Resort and Spa.

Daydream is offering couples four nights of accommodation in an Ocean Balcony Room from just $1,450 per person (room upgrades available).

The offer also includes a helicopter flight to Whitehaven Beach with a one-hour stopover plus a gourmet picnic basket, a three-course dinner at Mermaids Restaurant, a scrumptious full buffet breakfast daily, a 60-minute massage per adult per stay, return luxury transfers from Great Barrier Reef Airport or Whitsunday Coast Airport and chocolates and sparkling wine in room on arrival.

Terms and conditions apply – please enquire for more details.

Daydream offers fine dining options including your choice of dining in Mermaids Restaurant or indulging in a private dining experience overlooking Mermaids Beach or alternatively, romantic Lovers Cove.

Whether you’re on your honeymoon or just looking to put some romance back into your relationship, an intimate tropical island escape at Daydream Island is the perfect escape for any couple.

Daydream Island is located in Queensland’s tropical Whitsundays in the heart of the Great Barrier Reef, only a 30 minute boat ride from Great Barrier Reef Airport (HTI) and a 30-minute ferry ride from Airlie Beach.

The multi-award winning resort features 296 rooms and suites, a great selection of dining experiences, bars and lagoon swimming pools.

Guests can also unwind at Daydream’s renowned Rejuvenation Spa which offers a range of health and beauty treatments and breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean. The Spa offers a holistic approach to wellbeing, offering the health benefits of naturopathy, aromatherapy, hydrotherapy and massage, along with beauty therapies using products such as Pevonia Botanica and Eles Mineral Make up.

There are also more than 20 free activities to enjoy including kayaks, catamarans, stand-up paddle boards, a stingray and shark feeding show at The Living Reef lagoon and an open air cinema.

For bookings please call our Wedding Sales Executive on (07) 3259 2310, email weddings@daydreamisland.com or contact your local travel agent or visit www.daydreamisland.com.

ENDS   Media enquiries to Brenton Gibbs  brenton@rgcommunications.com.au

Daydream Island – A Snorkelling Haven

John Gaskell snorkelling at Daydream Island

Snorkelling on Daydream Island’s fringing coral reef is fast becoming one of the ‘must do’ activities for guests at the Whitsunday resort.

Daydream is located very close to Airlie Beach on the Whitsunday coast and about a two-hour boat ride away from the world-renowned Great Barrier Reef.

Daydream Island’s resident marine biologist and Living Reef manager John Gaskell says that many people aren’t aware that Daydream has such a rich diversity of marine life immediately off the island.

“Many people assume the marine life density and diversity is nothing special,” Mr Gaskell said. “At least not until they get in.

“The health of this fringing reef habitat is actually comparable to the best and most dense parts of the Great Barrier Reef.

Honeycomb Moray Eel

“It may not have the consistently clear water of the outer reef, but there is no shortage of fascinating animals.”

Over the past three months, Daydream’s Living Reef biologists have taken the opportunity to investigate the coral reef habitats that surround Daydream Island and document their findings.

“Spending every opportunity in the water has certainly changed our view of the fringing reef health around Daydream Island,” Mr Gaskell said.

Stony Corals such as Staghorn and Brain Corals dominate the south-eastern side, whereas up at Lovers Cove on the north-west, colourful soft corals use the island as protection from the current. In amongst these corals lives a surprising diversity of marine animals.

Daydream is set in the Molle Channel providing good nutrient flow and plenty of opportunity for species recruitment. Colourful corals, reef fish, turtles, eels, octopuses, small sharks, rays, shrimps and colourful nudibranchs are just some of the animals that are commonly observed while snorkelling there.

Flowerpot coral at Daydream

It was not until recently that the Daydream team decided to grab their torches and snorkels to venture out at night. It is well known in the marine world that the ocean comes alive at night as many species prefer to hunt with the cover of darkness. Daydream Island is no exception. Octopuses, squids, huge crayfish, “friendly” sharks, rays and a range of invertebrates all contribute to the busy nightlife throughout the fringing reef.

Although night snorkelling is not recommended without experience, Daydream Island’s Lovers Cove provides a safe haven to view many of the animals. And for those who want to experience the local wild fish and prefer not to get too wet, this is where wild fish feeding takes place.

John Gaskell has also developed an iPhone app called Sea Life Australia, which identifies and provides information on over 950 species of marine life in Australia’s waters.

“I’m very impressed with the number and variety of species found right here on Daydream’s fringing reef itself,” he said.

Fish feeding at Lovers Cove

“You do not need to venture out to the heart of the Great Barrier Reef to get an amazing tropical reef experience.”

Guests can either bring their own snorkelling gear or else hire it from the water sports centre.

Daydream’s on-island Living Reef attraction is one of the world's largest man-made living coral reef lagoons, home to more than 140 species of 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.