As the anchor drops into the seabed, I give it a gentle tug to ensure it’s secure enough to keep my boat from drifting into the rocks. While shredding the underside of a borrowed dinghy at a luxury resort would make a great story, it’s not the one I have come to Orpheus Island to tell.
Instead, I’ve come to experience extreme barefoot luxury at Orpheus Island Lodge, which reopened in July after a six-month, $10-million upgrade. But this was no casual lick of paint; Melbourne firm Dubois (Portsea Hotel, Daintree Ecolodge) was enlisted to give half the lodge’s 14 rooms an overhaul that includes motorised blinds and pergolas to control both shade and privacy, and outdoor bathrooms in some suites.
Rising early to the sound of gently rustling palm trees and having my pick of three showers – indoor, outdoor and on the deck – is definitely not how a day normally starts at my house, but it’s something I could get used to. Instead of the daily white-knuckle ride from waking to pre-school drop-off to work, I pad through the suite slowly and purposefully, turning the simple task of making a coffee from an act of resistance into a ritual.
From the moment I arrive at Orpheus by helicopter (from Townsville Airport, Orpheus is a 30-minute hop; between May and September, you may even spot a migrating humpback whale en route), small gestures by the staff help to peel the layers of mental load from my weary body; they remember my preference for sparkling water, and how I take my coffee.
Such personalised attention comes at a price, but is also achievable when there’s a maximum of 28 guests at any time. Shortly after my arrival, the chef comes to ask if there is anything I can’t eat, don’t like or want more of, and I kick myself for not requesting my preferred non-alcoholic beverages ahead of time; for everyone else, beer and wine are included, as are three meals a day.
Being sober comes with one distinct advantage: maximal use of the island’s water sports, which include paddleboarding in the mangroves, kayaking with stingrays, and snorkelling among vibrant, healthy coral in dazzling shades of blue and yellow.
It takes me two days, but I work up the courage to step outside my comfort zone and skipper one of the dinghies for a cruise around the surrounding coves.
After my breakfast of matcha-and-kaffir-lime chia pudding, instructor Sarah grabs me for a safety briefing before I can skive off back to my suite. With my head full of information, and an esky full of drinks, I wave goodbye to my fellow guests as I putter along the narrow channel out to the Coral Sea.
When I find Sandy Bay, about 10 minutes away, it’s deserted. I find a safe spot to kill the engine, and load a dry bag with a cold drink and my camera. I spend about an hour on the small beach, collecting shells for my five-year-old daughter and staring at the clear-blue sea from my towel.
Days at Orpheus take on an easy rhythm, punctuated only by the optional group activity and yet another delicious meal. After returning from my voyage, I am treated to a Japanese feast of sushi, sashimi and salads, as well as a pile of karaage chicken big enough for two, or three. Dessert, I am pleased to hear, is a gluten-free matcha tiramisu.
Most guests who visit Orpheus make a beeline from their home port, stopping only to change aircraft. But more visitors, myself included, are taking the opportunity to stop first in Townsville, which, thanks to the five-star Ardo Hotel (owned by the same group as Orpheus) and proximity to Magnetic Island, is growing in popularity as a tourist destination.
A two-night stopover helps me ease into north Queensland life (and time), and allows me to maximise my days on Orpheus without losing precious hours in transit. After stepping off my flight from Brisbane, I am dropped at The Strand, Townsville’s waterfront district. There’s excellent coffee at Freelance Roasters and boutiques selling Australian designer labels. That night, I dine at the Ardo’s rooftop Marmor restaurant, where I treat myself to a wagyu steak and a mocktail while I read my book and people-watch.
The following morning, I hop aboard a boat with Poseidon Adventure to Magnetic Island, where I try to spot koalas (there are 800 on the island, the largest wild population in northern Australia) and sea turtles in the calm waters.
In the afternoon, my vessel goes from runabout to regal as I board the 18-metre luxury yacht Pilgrim for an entirely different on-water experience. For 90 minutes, we sail around the island under the expert captaincy of Clayton while crew member Jaspa fixes drinks and cheese platters below deck.
Midway through our voyage, Clayton invites me to have a turn at steering the boat. I nervously take the wheel, following his instruction to keep my eye fixed on one spot to stop the boat from veering too far left or right and throwing us off course, or my fellow passengers overboard. He disables the autopilot and for a few minutes, I am really sailing.
The writer was a guest of Townsville Enterprise and Orpheus Island Lodge.
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