Under the Sea

For the second leg of our honeymoon, Alex swept me away to paradise. We traveled to Queensland for a stay at a luxurious resort right on the Great Barrier Reef on Orpheus Island.

Only 28 guests max stay at the resort at a time so it felt extremely private. The only way to get to the island from the airport is by chartered helicopter. There are no cars and no locks on the door. It was like living in a dream.

Breakfast included a board of deliciousness, a main course, and as many beverages as you'd like. Lunch was served with a bunch of plates brought out at once around a regional theme (we were lucky enough to have Mediterranean, Filipino, Peruvian, and Thai lunches during our stay). Dinner was a four course tasting menu with the exception of a special night that Alex planned where we dined on a private terrace and dinner consisted of a six course tasting menu paired with wine.

The highlight of the trip for me was snorkeling on the reef. It was just me and Alex with a snorkel guide and the captain of the boat who drove us around and also served us food between each snorkel. We ran into a pod of dolphins, swam with tropical fish of all colors, and encountered sharks, eels, and a humphead wrasse. It was magical.

We did so much during our stay. We hiked the island's stunning trails to Picnic Bay and Hazard Bay during the early morning hours before the sun got hot. We got massages in a hut by the ocean. We swam in an infinity pool and sipped wine. We sailed around a small portion of the island on a hobie cat. We kayaked in the mangroves. We snorkeled twice more - once with most of the guests on the island off of a beautiful beach and once when we took a dingy out by ourselves to a jetty where we jumped off the dock and snorkeled on our own. We'd never been so carefree and adventurous and happy!

It was unforgettable. I'll treasure these memories forever.