Qualia's meaning, according to its cashed-up owners, the Oatley family, (They sold Rosemount Wines to Southcorp in the mid-90s with perfect timing, wine sales have dropped out the bottom of the proverbial spit bucket since then.) derives from the Latin, ‘quality of conscious experience’, implying that Qualia’s discerning guests should know the difference between humdrum and bespoke.

When I last visited Hamilton Island, in the Whitsunday group of islands midway up Queensland’s Great Barrier Reef between Townsville and Mackay, it looked like a small version of the Gold Coast, or Miami or worse. Three high rises poke up like concrete sticks beside the island’s single accessible beach. Another monstrosity overlooks the airport, not exactly indicating a quality conscious experience unless you were blind, deaf and dumb. The Oatleys haven't wrecked the towers (yet) but they have worked hard to change the complete picture. Reticulated drip feed irrigation systems have been installed. Extensive re-planting of indigenous vegetation has rid the island's tourist areas of its previous faux-Bali look. Now there's a uniformity of style. No longer is there a tatty hodge-podge of 'family-friendly' restaurants littering the tiny township's single main laneway. Instead there's a wide variety of above average diners serving the thousands of budget conscious visitors keen to experience a holiday that won't send them to a financial advisor upon their return home.

But post-Oatley takeover and after a $300 million investment on infrastructure and a very green all round tidy up, old Hamilton is looking decidedly better. Gone is ex-white Shoe Brigade (or brigand depending on political persuasion) Captain Developer Keith Williams, (reportedly living out his dotage further north near Cardwell, focused on building another marina for big boats plying the Hinchinbrook Island passage) and his dream of creating a lagoon for a humpback whale just off Hamilton’s only beach. Yes, I kid you not. Good Old Keith Williams intended to show his greenie stripes by corralling a large migratory whale into a small space for the education of the ignorant masses.

Years later, the Oatley family's investment has proven to be much smarter and greener. Unlike many people with excess cash, they also have taste. And they have created Qualia, the world away from the world of Hamilton Island, itself a world away from daily drudgery and its demands.

Qualia resort provides singularly excellent accommodation. It’s low-keyed in all the right places. No kids. No noise. No planned activities and no jet-skies. Woo Hoo!

There are no rooms either. There are instead, 'Pavilions', lovely little houses decorated in subtle Australian colours and earth tones, soft aspects done with sophisticated taste. Half of the pavilions are on the leeward side and have no pools. The other half of the slightly larger pavilions are positioned on a hillside facing the windward side, each having its own infinity pool. Either choice is a good one. I spent all of ten minutes in my little pool. Though it was lovely to have one, I didn't use it much. Had the temperature been over 30C each day, perhaps I would have drowned myself in it, but my visit coincided with early winter. Not necessary to immmerse oneself to cool off pre-dinner cocktails. Summer may be different when a dip in the pool becomes an obligatory option.

Guests are appointed their own revved up golf buggy to get around the resort and the island. Service is of the sort that is so subtle and yet so efficient that I forgot that I was in Queensland. My golf buggy was recharged overnight by a special buggy man who patrols the pavilions in the dead of night ensuring that the buggies are plugged in and ready to zoom the next morning, hooning guests down for breakfast to either of two dining rooms, one overlooking a drop dead gorgeous beachside pool, the other overlooking the drop-dead gorgeous Whitsunday Passage. Tough choice. Breakfast is incidentally the best resort breakfast I’ve ever eaten in Australia. A small buffet presents bowls of fresh passionfruit, raspberries, figs, sweet strawberries and whatever fruit is in season that actually tastes real. Freshly baked pastries from smiling chefs happily whisking eggs in copper bowls in open kitchens. I trust that the pastries were baked at dawn. My croissant was as good as any I've eaten in France. Here the coffee was better too. Waiters offer freshly squeezed orange juice or the house blend of freshly squeezed mixed fruits. No 'Hi, my name is Kylie and I'll be your server today.' nonsense at Qualia. Discretion is the guiding modus operandi when it comes to service. Celebrities prefer not to be noticed or bothered. Real coffee out of an espresso machine operated by well trained staff, or real leaf tea in a heated pot, two absolutely compulsory breakfast drinks are part of Qualia's early am routine. Real Eggs Benedict or real omelettes with imaginative ingredients. I shouldn’t have to list these necessities but so often it’s done so badly in 99% of resorts that I feel I should call attention to the difference.

Dinners and lunches are of equal standard. The Long Pavilion's (the resort's main dining room) executive chef, Jane-Therese Mulry, worked with Marco Pierre White in London. She was the only female allowed into White’s misogynistic realm, quite an achievement actually and surprising as Jane-Therese is petite, though obviously feisty. I took to her infectious energy infused attitude instantly. And she’s a damned fine chef.

After a few day's hard yakka at Qualia I needed to spend more time in my windward pavilion in order to drink the Rothschild '06 Rose Champagne left chilling in an ice bucket (all Qualia guests are served a complimentary bottle of Champagne upon arrival) while watching one of over 200 films available on the high-def widescreen television in my lounge room facing Whitsunday Island and the occasional sea turtle swimming by. Jane-Therese sent via a waiter in a speedy golf buggy a 3-course meal so I could plop myself in front of the Champagne, the turtles and the 2nd part of the Twilight film series. Deadened, wooden acting never looked so good. A kingfish sashimi with citrus reduction, scattered with crisp fried slivers of the same kingfish started me off in the right direction. Following was a tender veal dish with wild mushrooms. I finished with a series of organic chocolate truffles infused with various fruit flavours. In one’s own pavilion no one can hear nasty comments about Robert Pattinson’s perfect hair, see one lick the plates clean, or drain the entire contents of a lovely bottle of Champagne. Some aspects of character are best left in private (as if). I waddled back to my dream sleep bed, feet pointing in the direction of heaven and sighed my contented self into the most peaceful slumber I’ve had in years.

If the stress of avoiding the occasional child on a scooter or obese tourist on a very slow buggy heading up Hamilton’s steep hills becomes too onerous, a visit to Spa Qualia is in order. Using Li’Tya products, made from all Australian ingredients derived from nature (I read the press material), my masseuse rubbed me luxuriously into another long nap state. I enjoyed a signature Qualia massage using a Li’Tya oil that I chose from an array of four bespoke oils made specially for people whose noses are not out of joint. After my massage I had a Vichy shower in an outside garden filled with native plants. I think my buggy began to drive itself after that experience; my feet didn’t touch the pedals and steering appeared to happen without guidance from me, though I did sideswipe another guest.

Once past the silly gigantic Jurassic Park-like entrance gates, Qualia is a world away from good old daggy Hamilton Island. I swear I didn’t want to remember that Keith Williams and his gang of white shoed thugs straight from destroying Queensland’s Gold Coast had ever laid a heavy hand on Hamilton, such is the effect that Qualia has on me.

Now there is a logical reason to re-visit Hamilton Island, to get away from it all. Never did I imagine I would utter those words in reference to Hamilton Island but Qualia made me do it.