Australia

• New Here? No Worries Mate - Beginners Guide
• Daydreamer Believer - Daydream Island, Great Barrier Reef
• Wonders of Wilderness Island - Fraser Island, Great Barrier Reef
• The Lizard of Oz - Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef
• 700-mile hop on Kangeroo Highway - Melbourne to Sydney
• Bush Tucker... without the trial - Outback
• Primeval Pamering - Queensland
• Sydney is Supreme - Sydney
• It's simply the best, Mate! - Sydney
• Continent Please Carol - Top End
• Whirlybird Wine Tours - Victoria

THE FERRY CURVED ROUND the tip of Daydream Island and steered towards the jetty, several male passengers, drinking coffee and staring at the beautiful view, froze in mid-sip. I followed their gaze to the rocks at the western point of the island where, in the hazy morning sun, three large breasted females appeared to be lounging seductively, sirens of the sea if ever you saw them.

As the boat drew nearer, we all clocked the tails and glossy bronze skin and the men looked a little crestfallen. The life-size mermaids are an emblem of Daydream resort – rumour has it they are modelled on the ex-wife of the island’s owner, eccentric multi-millionaire Vaughan Bullivant.

The natural beauty of Daydream far outweighs its more artificial charms, however. As the boat neared the dock, the tropical forest hinterland towered over us while large, silver fish massed in the clear waters close to the long strip of beach.

Daydream is part of the Whitsunday Islands, perhaps the most idyllic archipelago in Australia. Certainly the white silica sand makes them the most photographed in Queensland. These largely uninhabited islands are a Mecca for sailing enthusiasts and appeal to anyone, like me, keen to have a deserted beach to themselves for a day.

But first there was Daydream to explore and if my children, Theo, four and Ava, two, had had their way we would never have left.

One of the biggest draws was the outdoor aquarium with sea life from the Great Barrier Reef. Two huge, shallow lagoons, with seawater constantly pumping through them, are full of coral, anemones, jewel coloured fish, small sharks and large stingrays.

Following breakfast, we would hurry to feed the barramundi while learning more about the fish from one of the curators. The children were even able to touch the rays that nose up to the shore.

If it all sounds a little theme-parkish, it doesn’t look it. And the youngsters, especially those not old enough to swim or snorkel, love seeing the fish up close.

In fact, the wildlife is all around you. A colony of wallabies roams freely around the resort and, if you follow the well-marked trail up into the wooded interior, it’s not unusual to spot a snake or colourful bird or two.

Mermaids on the beach

At dusk one evening we were stopped in our tracks on our way to the island’s outdoor cinema by the sight of a mass migration of thousands of fruit bats. I don’t know if the children were more impressed by them or by watching Star Wars under the stars.

As time went on, we slipped easily into a routine, spilling out of our bright and airy rooms on to a lawn that sloped down to the sea where the children would go beachcombing while I watched from a hammock.

After a huge buffet breakfast, it was off to the swimming pools amid lush, tropical gardens. The children would swim around happily until lunchtime, after which they would often demand to spend an afternoon at the excellent children’s club with its spacious rooms, lovely gardens, great equipment and involved, caring staff.

My husband and I set aside one afternoon to go diving. You can snorkel or scuba-dive right off the shore, as a small coral reef lies to the west side of the island. We spotted starfish, anemones and eels amid a large variety of coral.

Another day, I slipped away to the spa for a Daydream Delight, a ‘sensory journey’ including a steam shower and relaxing massage.

Evenings proved relaxing too, even dining out with the children in one of the resort’s three restaurants. This was largely down to the staff, who genuinely enjoyed having children around rather than merely tolerating them.

My favourite was the terrace restaurant, inevitably called Mermaids on the Beach. As the sun set, flaming torches were lit around the perimeter, bathing the pools and sea in flickering light.

Daydream is within striking distance of some sites that are well worth visiting. We took the children on a day-long guided boat trip to see the sacred aboriginal cave paintings at Nara inlet and on to a pristine reef in the lee of Border Island where Theo, kitted out in an overlarge wetsuit and small life-jacket, went snorkelling hand in hand with dad – an experience neither of them will forget.

Own piece of paradise

The day finished at the breathtaking Whitehaven beach with a picnic on the talcum-powder sand and a dip in crystal clear sea. ‘Can we live here, Mum?’ Theo asked.

The success of Daydream for families is a tribute to owner Vaughan Bullivant, who surely must be a child at heart. The resort, conceived and largely designed by him, has his personality shot through it from the giant, tropical fish suspended from the cavernous ceiling of the main lounge to the mini-golf course styled around Australian icons.

This is his baby. Indeed, when he visits, it’s not unusual to find him with a paintbrush in hand, touching up the miniature Sydney Harbour Bridge on the course.

Nor would it surprise me if he prefers to dine in the pirate-themed restaurant. It is designed to resemble a galleon. You cross a gangplank to enter and, once inside, the theme continues with tables surrounded by treasure chests and skeletons.

While Daydream’s appeal to children is obvious, what’s remarkable is that it’s done without sacrificing quality and comfort you look for as an adult.

Bullivant always knew exactly what he wanted, he bought his own piece of Paradise in 2000 following a career as a water-skiing champion during the Sixties. After somehow surviving when he accidentally water skied backwards into a steel tower at more than 55mph, he retired and went on to make a fortune out of vitamin pills.

His reward to himself (he has a house here) was to buy Daydream and build a resort that, as he says, ‘isn’t a Ritzy five-star place but is fun and has really good food and staff who are really happy, and treat you well’.

That’s exactly what he has achieved, mermaids and all.