Hayman Island
| Hayman Island | ||
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| Waters | Coral sea | |
| Archipelago | Whitsunday Islands | |
| Geographical location | 20 ° 3 ′ 0 ″ S , 148 ° 53 ′ 0 ″ E | |
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| length | 3.3 km | |
| width | 2 km | |
| surface | 4 km² | |
Hayman Island is the northernmost island of the Cumberland Islands , thus part of the Whitsunday Islands of Queensland , Australia . The approximately 4 km² large island was discovered by the HMS Salamander in 1866 when searching for the northern passage through the Whitsunday Islands. It is one of the most luxurious hotel islands in this archipelago .
Flora and fauna
Hayman Island has spruce forests, tropical rainforests and eucalyptus trees, as well as coconut palms growing on the beach . There are sea turtles , coral fish, stingrays, and dolphins in the waters around the island . Between June and September, humpback whales come to the region to calve.
Cyclone Debbie caused massive damage to the island and the hotel resort in 2017.
Tourist information
The island can be reached daily by boat from Hamilton Island or from Shute Harbor on the Queensland coast . Helicopter transfers or travel by seaplane are also offered. On it is a luxury hotel with extensive facilities. Today the hotel is managed by the British InterContinental Hotels Group. The company invested A $ 135 million in renovating the facility after Cyclone Debbie in 2017.
The air temperature averages 27 ° C, that of the water all year round over 20 ° C, which is why Hayman Island is visited by tourists all year round.
Diving, water and fishing are practiced on the island, as well as tennis, squash, badminton and beach volleyball. Excursions can be made to other islands or the Great Barrier Reef . When the whales calve in the bays, whale watching can be done from June to September . There are various signposted hiking trails with viewpoints.