GO CLUBBING

We arrive at Club Med Lindeman by ten-seater plane after a five-minute flight from Hamilton Island, off the Queensland coast. We could have come by boat ('half an hour and sometimes rough', we were told by some other guests later) but you get the feeling that the welcome would have been the same. Rapturous hellos, a swift transfer to the reception area via one of the island's many electric buses, a tropical welcome drink that looks like it should bear fruit of its own any moment, and a bunch of keys and cards and an info pack to help us settle in asap.

There are seventy steps to the dining area – and we breathe a sigh of relief that our accommodation is down here, at water level too. No strenuous post-dinner clamberings to our rooms, it seems, which suits me just fine as my agenda for the next few days includes little more than eating and sleeping.

Our view is of water and islands and yachts and wind surfers, so we do what is expected, and dig out the digital and snap a few pics. This seems to have been the response too of one of the first white people known to sight this jumbled group of wooded islands in 1770. There were no digital cameras in those days, so Sydney Parkinson, an artist on HMS Endeavour, sketched it as part of his official record of the voyage.

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This article continues with details of the history and background of Lindeman as well as what is available on the island and  includes information on accommodation provided, the food,and activities for all ages.

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(finishes…)

The mix of guests here is broad. One day we share lunch at one of the large tables with a Gold Coast professional couple and their two preschoolers. They had carefully researched the options, looking for something for both themselves and their children, and felt they'd found the perfect combination.

Beside the pool, a rowdy group of senior execs from a major car brand, dressed in equally loud crimson T-shirts, seemed just as happy with the place.

As I go back for another plate of sushi and salad and spaghetti, I figured that maybe this is what gets people in. In ways it's one-size-fits-all, and it has its detractors for that.  But for others, there is – just like the endless buffet options – enough to keep almost anyone happy for the duration of their stay.

©Sally Hammond 2006

Picture Credits: ©Gordon Hammond 2006

(Sally and Gordon Hammond travelled as guests of Club Med )

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