An ideal family getaway at Fitzroy Island in Australia

“This year Sameena and I decided to spend our annual jaunt under wide open skies with dramatic landscapes,” says designer Azeem Khan. “We wanted to spend our vacation involved in adventurous activities that we had so far not indulged in.” So it was destination Australia for the couple’s annual family holiday.

Landscapes there shift from saffron to ochre beneath a seamless canopy of deep indigo. “Sure it’s got deadly spiders, snakes and sharks, but that didn’t stop us from visiting the land Down Under!” he recalls. “Australia is a big country and one can kick back on a beach or lose oneself in the labyrinthine laneways of culture-rich Melbourne. Or be humbled by red desert sunsets or catch one’s wild side in the forests of Tasmania or take on a heady mix of surf and sun in Sydney.” Azeem and Sameena  did this and more and realised in the process that Australia is a place waiting to be discovered.

And while most tourists to Australia talk of Sydney, Melbourne, Cairns, Gold Coast, Bondi Beach etc., the couple and their kids thoroughly enjoyed their visit to a steep mountain-top island with coral-littered beaches — Fitzroy Island in The Great Barrier Reef. “One can’t help but slow down and relax in this peaceful, natural paradise,” says the designer.

A 45-minute ferry ride from Cairns in Queensland to the Great Barrier Reef, Fitzroy Island has idyllic beaches. A World Heritage Listed coral reef system, the island is all about rainforest, beaches and high reaches, with just as much to explore on land as in the sea. “At times we lazed on the white sandy coral laden beach lined with coconut trees sloping gently into the calm, clear Coral Sea while at other times we explored and enjoyed the island’s safe, sheltered waters and pristine natural environment,” says Azeem.

The turquoise ocean waters there offer a tantalising invitation to explore their depths, which were alive with vibrant corals and marine life. “My daughters Saara and Asiyah had an amazing time watching fishes in the pristine waters atop a trampoline in the middle of the sea. We also spotted the humpback whales from the lighthouse,” he reminisces.

The most popular snorkelling spot, as they discovered, was around the rocks at Nudey Beach, which was once a nude bathing beach, with some coral available for snorkelers. Fitzroy Island also turned out to have great walking opportunities. “We discovered a walking track that starts at the northern end of the island with the lighthouse on the north-west point overlooking the island’s peak, which offers stunning 360 degree views over the surrounding reefs and Cape Grafton,” he says.

Home to a prolific endemic population of forest birds, butterflies and the startling white sulphur-crested cockatoos, the emeralds of the ancient tropical rainforest were remarkable. “We realised that the walks vary in difficulty. The 20-minute Secret Garden Walk, with major skinks basking on rocks, is a leisurely stroll, whereas the Lighthouse & Summit Trail is a steep, two-hour climb.” Several small eating establishments with fresh Australian produce line Fitzroy Island.

They even did fishing and whale watching. “Fitzroy Island is one of the most unspoilt islands. Given an opportunity we would definitely like to take the time to escape everyday life and revive our senses again at this castaway’s playground!” he concludes.