ORPHEUS ISLAND
Orpheus Island lies 15 miles off the coast of northeastern Australia. It's quiet, rustic, 7 mile long, and comprises 3,380 acres. Surprisingly, it's not named directly after the Greek mythological figure, but rather the Royal Navy Ship "Orpheus" that wrecked off the coast of New Zealand in 1863. The majority of the island has been designated a National Park, while the surrounding waters are part of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. The only resort on the island (also called Orpheus Island) is for adults-only (15 and over). There are just 17 small -- but comfortable and stylish � rooms, as well as 4 large suites. All 21 rooms have been refurbished, and boast spotless bathrooms and Molton Brown toiletries. You won't find any telephones, televisions or other outside distractions in your room. People come here to relax and get away from the real world (many guests are on honeymoons, or celebrating significant birthdays or anniversaries). The closest communication systems are the free computer and the single telephone found in the internet kiosk. But you seldom see anyone using them.
ARRIVAL
There are 16 eager (and mostly young) staff members for just 42 guests. You won't hear them using power tools, and the maids won't disturb you -- they clean your room only when you are at breakfast or on an excursion, then a second time during dinner. There are plenty of things to do, which guests are briefed about by general manager Ann Anderson. She greets everyone upon arrival, then escorts them into the open-air living room for the usual hotel paperwork -- and an unusual welcome of cool, refreshing towels and colorful tropical fruit drinks.
WHAT TO DO
There are two swimming pools, a tennis court, billiards table, workout room and two bars. At the latter I met a Johnny Jet reader (how cool is that?) from Colorado. He loved the island, and has been a return guest for many years. I learned that he and most other guests can be found either in the dining room, on the beach or taking part in one of the complimentary activities. These include feeding the mullets (carp-like fish) in the morning, hiking with Jenny (the head gardener), and taking out a catamaran, canoe, kayak or even Orpheus 1 to a deserted island, and snorkeling to a variety of nearby reefs (one is full of giant clams). You should've heard my reaction when a friend pointed out a lion fish just below me on our reef trip. Snorkeling was a little uneasy for me because as you see in the video below, while walking along the beach I spotted all kinds of baby sharks and manta rays. Out in the open water, I realized that if there was a baby shark nearby, a big mama had to lurk around the corner. Then the theme music from "Jaws" popped in my head. Soon I had no choice but to swim as fast as I could back to the boat. What a wuss! Do you think it's too late to sue Steven Spielberg for his 1975 movie?
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