A gorgeous, secluded island in the Whitsundays. Pristine beaches, the bluest water...peace and quiet. The perfect getaway to relax and unwind. And the food was magnificent.

Brampton Island was sold to my Husband and I by a travel agent marketing it as a honeymooners paradise. Both looking forward to the trip greatly, my husband rang the resort before hand to inquire about a few things. He asked about
1.) Cigatrettes (as we are both smokers)
2.) Stores (to buy anything we forgot)
3.) Food (As we are both snackers)
and 4.) Internet connection (as we both have Iphones)
The staff assured us that they have an abundance of cigarettes and they are replenished daily, that there are many stores to shop at, that there are a selection of restaraunts and that Brampton Island internet connection is second to none. These were all deceites.

When we flew into Mackay airport we were told that due to "bad weather" a transfer to the island would not be possible. It was 2pm in the afternoon and just a little cloudy. We had a sneaking suspicion that the pilot had just finished for the day and couldn't be bothered. There was no alternatives offered to us and a stay in Mackay was the only option. (which we had to pay for)

When we finally got to the island at 10am the next day, the first real shock was our room. We had spared no expense since this was our honeymoon and we were under the impression that we were paying for a 5 star resort! What bollocks! The rooms at motel formula 1 are better! We had an infestation of small insects all over the room, our shower head was broken and their were only two channels on the tv. The bathroom was filthy and the "minibar" was pathetic! If only this was as bad as it got. We then discovered our mobile phones were useless! No coveraged whatsever! We were then told only some telstra phones had coverage. That wouldn't of been so bad except our phone in our room, didn't work! We couldn't even call reception!

It was then time for lunch and we thought at least the food might be good. Boy, were we wrong! As we walked into the dining room, we were confronted by the look of pained anguish by the other poor souls being force fed caferteria slop! Every time we went for a meal there was less and less food. At breakfast, we had the sneaking suspicion that they were reheating, food that was left over from the previous day!

Dinner was an event!!! As we arrived the dining room was full of people with no food in sight. We ordered and proceeded to wait an hour and a half for our entree which was garlic bread! Our mains arrived two and a half hours into the dinner and my husband sent his steak back as he asked for it well done and it was still mooing on the plate! My chicken tasted as though it had a shampoo sauce and was inedible!!!! That was the last dinner we had in our 10 night stay!!! The people on the table next to us had bigger problems as someone had food allergies and they only had seafood left on the menu. When the head chef was brought out, the people on the next table asked for an apology and he refused. He proceeded to say bad luck, you go hungry! (In his broken english)!!!
The entertainment or should i say lack there of. There was nothing to do!!! All the board games were missing pieces and the sound system or "dj" (ipod into speakers) didn't work. Not that we had the energy to dance without food! The add on's for this resort were ridiculously over prices. Ummm $190 for a massage!! Get out of here!! $200 for jetskiing was a ripoff!

The pools were run down but the highlight of the "resort" but this was dampened by the constant disbelief of people both new and returning that we all paid so much and got so little.

Paying $300 a night you expect small things to be taken care of. When we returned from a day of sunbaking and swimming at about three in the afternoon, we found our room had not been made up and I had to request this everyday! Also when they did make up the room, they never restocked the "mini bar" We found their attititude too relaxed and it had the feel of a summer camp!

After 4 days we realised that we couldnt take it anymore and needed to escape!! This was not a honeymoon location. This was a concentration camp. You had to survive, not enjoy! Now you think that getting off the island would be easy but no phones, their "business centre" (One computer that was out of date 10 years ago with dial up internet that was pay per use: insert coins) So we went to the front desk and told them we wanted to leave. They were not shocked by this. They said that it was usual and that many people found this resort "wasn't for them" which angered us further because of their lack of concern!

We finally ($30 dollars of pay per use internet later and "borrowing" the reception phone) booked a flight out.

This whole experience was an ordeal that we don't want anyone else to have to go through. All up we spent $4000 booking others places to get off Brampton Island whilst forfeiting 6 days and losing up to $2000. Would we of done that if it wasn't a horrible place? Please do your self a favour and be glad that it is shut down for refurbishment after the cyclone.

This was our second trip in two years to Brampton. Unfortunately, Voyages had badly neglected the resort and were in the process of selling. We stayed in a beachfront unit which apart from the sensational views and quick access to the water was waiting for the bulldozer's to move in. At the time we were there, meals were still acceptable and breakfast was top class.

We knew that the resort was being run down, but we were there for the snorkelling and the running/walking tracks. We snorkelled in the "Fishbowl" daily and were rewarded with amazing swim's with turtles, reef sharks, large cods and a stunning variety of fish. Unfortunately, the coral is colourless and has been damaged by storms & discharge from the resort. We were unable to snorkel elsewhere on the Island as all trips were cancelled due to high tides? An excuse offered by the very unhelpful staff at the beach-hut.

Brampton offer's excellent running/walking tracks. There is an 8 km track around the island with some steep climbs and offers a good workout for the experienced runner. There is also a gutbusting track to the top of Brampton Peak which really gets the heart pumping, plenty of seats and shady spots along the way for those who want to take their time.

I would not recommend Brampton until the new owners renovate/refurbish the accommodation, restaurants, bars and swimming pools. They also need to address the negative attitude of some of their staff.

If they can get this right, it really would be an island paradise.

Brampton Island is an absolute stunning location; unfortunately the hotel and resort are a little tired and run down. But as from January 2011 it will be closed for 11 months for an entire redevelopment, so it’s pointless me talking about the hotel/resort.

The Island it's self though is truly stunning, with its warm blue waters and stunning white sandy beaches, just like a typical pacific desert island. The wildlife on the island is also amazing, with monitor lizards, snakes, kangaroos, lorikeets right inside the resort complex and sea turtles, loads of tropical fish and huge rays in the ocean close to the beaches.

I would recommend a hike up to the peak of the island, where you can enjoy spectacular views of the nearby Carlisle Island, be carful of the spiders on the way up though, as there are plenty of webs across the paths. There are a few different bays and beaches on the island which can be found by walking to them.

I’m sure once the new resort opens at the end of 2011, it will be an awesome destination.