T he bed at the Reef View hotel on Hamilton Island is so large that I can't resist executing several flamboyant somersaults across its width, after which I unpack, flinging my belongings about the gigantic room in wild abandon. Used to the confines of life in Tokyo, I'm feeling a little giddy at being allowed such voluminous amounts of personal space. This is living large,I think to myself as I step out onto the balcony and gaze out at the picture-perfect panorama.

The sea is tinted a deep turquoise, the poinsettia trees flame with brilliant orange blossoms and the white sand on Catseye Beach is so dazzling it almost sears your retinas; it's as if you've been transported to an alternate Technicolor universe.

I'm here for a short stay in the Whitsunday Islands, starting on Hamilton Island and finishing up on Hayman Island. Located on the doorstep of the Great Barrier Reef, both are upmarket destinations, impeccably maintained for the pleasure of their well-heeled clientele. In Hamilton, the edges between manicured lawns and wild bush are so flawlessly smooth that one suspects a secret army of gloved butlers are hiding in the gum trees with pruning shears and bin bags, ready to leap out at a moment's notice to discreetly lop off an offending branch or remove an unsightly tissue.