Orpheus Island Resort

THIS TO-DIE-FOR ISLAND ESCAPE  on the Great Barrier Reef is a jewel. Guests arrive at Orpheus – one of the world’s last privately owned island retreats – by seaplane, flying over the islands of the Coral Sea.

Just 42 lucky guests come here to recharge and relax in utterly indulgent style, and you could well rub shoulders with some A-list celebs. Luxury beachfront quarters are surrounded by lush tropical gardens, and with no telephones, TVs, day trippers, nightclubbers or kids, seclusion is guaranteed.

Before you, palm-fringed bays and glass-clear seas teeming with marine life. Behind you, 1,300 acres of pristine national park. And in your private beachfront abode, everything from a double spa bath and CD player to robes, choccies and Molton Brown toiletries. Dining is a real high point, with sumptuous seven-course degustation menus each evening. The chef will also rustle up a gourmet seafood hamper for you to explore the many secluded bays dotting the island. This Eden doesn’t come cheap, of course – but  do we care?

Starlit showers, seashore dinners

Dining with the Tides is the biz here. After a starlit shower, wander down to the sea for al fresco dinner on the island’s private jetty as waves lap the shore and the sun goes down. 

Be as lazy  or as active as you like on Orpheus. You’ll probably just snorkel, eat and laze in a hammock – but you could also zip off in a dinghy, play tennis, go game fishing, or learn to dive.

© Room for Romance