Ninemsn travel writer Kim Wildman tracks down Queensland's best beachside retreats that offer sun, sea, sand and style on your doorstep.
When it comes to luxurious fun in the sun, Queensland is the state where it's at. So for an ocean-front villa that's a "shore" thing, here are the state's top spots.
Alinghi
Where: Agnes Water, Sunshine Coast
When it comes to five-star beach houses, Alinghi is just the sort of place that dream holidays are made of. With a gob-smacking location on the southern tip of the Great Barrier Reef, this exotic, eco-designed hideaway proves that being environmentally sensitive doesn't necessarily mean scrimping on luxury. The house features state-of-the-art-facilities, a full-sized tennis court, a 30-metre pool and spectacular sunset views from every room — even the showers!
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Alinghi
Altitude ONE40
Where: Mission Beach, Tropical North Queensland
A private helipad and views to die for only hint at the luxury to be savoured at Altitude ONE40. Taking its name from its breathtaking location, every aspect of this award-winning haven near Mission Beach has been designed to help you unwind. With seamless ease, its open-plan living area gives way to an 18-metre pool and entertainment area from where you drink in the 270-degree views as the sunset melts into the sapphire sea.
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Altitude ONE40
Bedarra Beach House
Where: Bedarra Island, Tropical North Queensland
Modern day Robinson Crusoes will simply love Bedarra Beach House — it's the kind of place that's perfect if you don't want to be found. Combining the best of Queensland with a hint of Asian zen, the pavilion-style house nestles high in the rainforest on Bedarra Island. Its two generous pavilions (one housing the main bedroom, the other the kitchen and living areas) are built around large granite boulders with expansive interconnecting decks allowing for fabulous views.
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Bedarra Beach House
Fraser Island Beach Houses
Where: Fraser Island, Fraser Coast
Boasting luxury, fun and family appeal, Fraser Island Beach Houses are a wonderful place to stay while discovering this World Heritage-listed sand island. Located on a 1.3 hectare, beachfront property just metres from Eurong, the complex consists of 21 separate houses. As well as fabulous ocean views and fresh sea breezes, there's also a swimming pool, water slide, wading pool and spa.
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Fraser Island Beach Houses
Mali Mali
Where: Port Douglas, Tropical North Queensland
From its commanding 40-acre hilltop location with panoramic views of the Daintree, the peaceful Balinese-themed Mali Mali will have you believing you've found your own Bali Ha'i. One of the newest additions to the exclusive Executive Retreats portfolio, this heavenly hideaway features a tranquil open plan design of tropical pavilions surrounded by cascading water gardens. If that's not enough to have you floating away, there's also a heli-pad, world-class tennis court, infinity pool, gourmet kitchen and massage pavilion.
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Qualia beach house
Where: Hamilton Island, Whitsundays
This indulgent holiday hangout is the ideal romantic retreat. Tucked away from the throng of Hamilton Island, the private beach house offers absolute beachfront location with picture-postcard views of the Coral Sea amid a setting of lush tropical gardens. With a large saltwater swimming pool, ample indoor and outdoor dining and entertaining area, as well as a separate guesthouse, you'll never want to leave.
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The Retreat beach houses
Where: Peregian Beach, Sunshine Coast
Experience the feeling of serenity at one of these deliciously peaceful Retreat beach houses. Nestled among sand dunes on Peregian Beach, each of the two-storey houses has been designed to complement the natural surroundings. All feature large north-east facing sun decks and private beach access. If you need more entertainment there's a tennis court and a freshwater pool as well as the bustling international flavours of nearby Noosa.
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Thirty-one degrees
Where: Port Douglas, Tropical North Queensland
If you're looking for a beach hideaway where you can entertain friends or simply relax under a palm canopy after a swim on a pristine beach, this is the spot. Located just a stone's throw from the edge of the Coral Sea at Oak Beach, Thirty-one degrees offers an intoxicating blend of tropical ambiance mixed with ultra-modern appeal. This revamped 1970s fisherman's house has a private pool, roof deck and an abundance of lounging areas.
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Trinity Beach Palace
Where: Trinity Beach, Tropical North Queensland
Fancy your own private concierge and personal chef? Then indulge your every fantasy at the unashamedly decadent Trinity Beach Palace, just north of Cairns. Behind its imposing "palace" gates awaits a tropical paradise where the only guests you'll meet are the ones you invite. The house can accommodate up to 12 people in six private retreats, each lavishly decorated with rich English velvet, silk and screen-printed fabrics with gold-woven coverings.
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Woodwark Bay
Where: North of Airlie Beach, Whitsundays
If you're looking for a luxurious private retreat, look no further than Woodwark Bay. Set on 4000 acres of coastal plain and rainforest on the edge of the Great Barrier Reef, this luxurious private retreat accommodates up to 14 guests in a cluster of grass-thatched huts with quaint names such as Island Hut and Dream House. With its own private beach and lake (on which you can water-ski and fish), a pool and meditation tower, as well as waterfalls and untracked national parkland to explore, there's plenty to keep everyone entertained.
Find out more: Woodwark Bay
Do you know any other beach houses in Queensland? Let us know by using the below comments form.
