Dunk Island

An Oasis of Calm

And he's right, in a way. Dunk really is a treasure trove for families;  one of the few destinations where adults are indulged as much as their offspring and where style and sophistication  aren't sacrificed for fun and entertainment .

Once we settle into our beautiful rooms, an oasis of calm   (well, most of the time)  in cool, polished stone, the children are eager to explore. First the playground and tennis courts, then the cascading pool, the Farm animals, the hammocks on the beach, Dunk is ticking all their boxes.

In the mornings, we open the ceiling-to-floor glass doors and slip through the trees onto the beach to watch the world awake, while the children collect driftwood to make a den. After  a buffet breakfast that almost bewilders them with choice, the children are pleading to be taken to the Kids' Club, which caters for ages 2 to 10, so that they can start socialising. A daily diet of games, water sports, treasure hunts and horse-riding ensure that my 4 and 2-year-old are never bored — and usually have to be dragged away after a morning in the caring and capable hands of the team.

My husband and I, almost delirious at the free time we've been granted, head off to the sports hut on Brammo Bay to hire a small boat and explore some of the pristine, deserted beaches elsewhere on the island. Other mornings we hire jet skis and race around like teenagers  or have an indulgent therapy massage at the exquisite spa, whose rooms overlook languid green pools teaming with wildlife.

Dunk is the kind of island where you can easily get back to nature, criss-crossed as it is by trails. One morning, with the children, we follow signs to the wonderfully named Muggy Muggy beach where we can snorkel straight from the beach. A lengthier trip up to Mount Kootaloo we make on our own, visiting the bohemian Artist's colony on the way.

An essential trip to the Great Barrier Reef is easily arranged from Dunk — an unforgettable experience, especially  to watch Theo's amazement  at  seeing this underwater world for the first time. Ava doesn't miss out either as we take them sea-kayaking hoping to spot rays and seals close to the shore.

And as the sun sinks and the sky turns scarlet, we gravitate to the beach in front of the main restaurant  where cocktails are being served. For one night the children are safe with the babysitter so that we can enjoy a relaxing meal, just the two of us, at Dunk's gourmet Italian restaurant . The "Isle of Peace and Plenty" as the aborigines named it, offers rich reward for those prepared to seek it out.

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