Hamilton Island really does have it all. As one of the 74 tropical islands in the Whitsunday group, it sits just south of the brilliant white sands of Whitehaven Beach, with proximity to the Great Barrier Reef, palm trees by the dozen, wonderful weather, vibrant bars, and restaurants brimming with great seafood and exotic fruits. For weary families looking for a tropical escape, the direct flights, plethora of pools, bushwalks and slow buggies instead of cars make it one of the country’s best holiday spots.

Then, for a privileged few, there’s qualia, which sits in a league of its own. With spacious pavilions positioned across the hillside of the island’s northernmost tip, whale watching from your own plunge pool, the private Pebble Beach, strong restaurants on site (all supplied by the generous owner’s family wines, Robert Oatley Vineyards, and the labels they distribute, such as Charles and Piper-Heidsieck) and a new head chef in Doug Innes-Will, qualia has won a swag of awards and has a dedicated following. Chef and delicious. columnist Matt Moran is a devotee, calling it the “best resort in Australia”.

He should know. Moran descends on the island every year for Audi Hamilton Island Race Week, along with other Audi ambassadors and delicious. contributors such as Guillaume Brahimi, Shannon Bennett and GOMA’s Josue Lopez, for a festival of food, wine, culture, fashion and sailing. If it sounds like heaven, it is; qualia is the height of Australian luxury, and Race Week gives the resort the opportunity to really shine.

“I do it for a few reasons,” explains Moran. “I get to see my friends (actor Richard Roxburgh and artist Vincent Fantauzzo – actor Asher Keddie’s husband – are also Race Week ambassadors) and it’s a great match of brands – Aria, Audi and qualia. Also, there is great produce up here. At Aria we use burrata from Cairns, reef fish from the north coast of Queensland, and the best beans in Australia are grown in Gympie.”

For last year’s Race Week, Moran challenged his celebrity mates to a negroni-making contest in local hotspot coca chu (judged by Simon Baker, no less). No one can remember who won – I thought it was Roxburgh; Moran naturally thought it was himself. When we asked delicious. contributor Silvia Colloca about husband Richard’s negroni skills, she said: “His trick is to use Antica Formula and Gran Classico instead of Campari and red martini. He also ages it in a barrel! It’s amazing… That competition was rigged!”

Regardless, this is the fun to be had during Race Week, when everyone is welcome and the island is crawling with a beguiling mix of salty sailors, chefs, corporates, holidaymakers and celebrities. A Tanqueray bar pumps out cocktails and the island never sleeps. Oh, and there’s the racing – it’s Australia’s largest offshore sailing regatta and it’s not to be missed.

Audi Hamilton Island Race Week runs from 19 to 26 August. For further details, visit hamiltonislandraceweek.com.au