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The adults-only winter island getaway just four hours from Sydney


Winter is well and truly here, and while many people are spending their days at work browsing the web, desperately searching for cheap European flights to escape the cold, we’ve found an adults-only sun-drenched resort just four hours from Sydney.

Qamea Spa and Resort, located in northern Fiji, is the definition of the perfect romantic winter escape – think yoga by the sea in the morning, leisurely lunches indulging in traditional Fijian food, paddleboarding at sunset and a champagne picnic for dinner.

And the best part is that the ‘no kids’ policy means there’s never more than 34 adult guests on the island at any one time.

We were lucky enough to be whisked away by The Travel Project to experience everything the authentic Fijian resort has to offer.

Qamea Resort and Spa is located just four hours from Sydney. Photo: Supplied
Qamea Resort and Spa is located just four hours from Sydney. Photo: Supplied
Best of all is that there is a ‘no kids’ policy. Photo: Supplied
Best of all is that there is a ‘no kids’ policy. Photo: Supplied

The resort
Qamea is located about a 20-minute boat ride from the island of Taveuni in northern Fiji.

From the minute you step off the speedboat into the water outside the resort and take off your shoes, you really feel like you’re on Fiji time and totally off the grid.

How can you be stressed when you’ve just arrived at a crystal-clear water island paradise, with staff welcoming you with the traditional Bula song and ‘barefoot luxury’ being the motto?

The resort is made up of 17 bures, including the beachfront bures (about $1,000 per night), honeymoon bures (about $1,200 per night) and the incredibly romantic royal beach houses (about $1,400 per night).

Each one is beautifully decorated with mahogany floors, a massive four-poster bed and an outdoor showering area.

We stayed in one of the beautiful beachfront bures. Photo: Supplied
We stayed in one of the beautiful beachfront bures. Photo: Supplied
Yes, that’s out hammock. Photo: Supplied
Yes, that’s out hammock. Photo: Supplied

We stayed in the beachfront bure, which was right on the water and featured a swinging hammock on the deck.

When you’re not lounging in your beautiful bure, you’ll more than likely be swimming in the turquoise water, chatting with the extremely friendly staff or playing beachside volleyball.

Not forgetting the amount of time you’ll spend eating the fresh food at the main bure restaurant, drinking kava at the bar and taking part in a meke (cultural show) with locals from the nearby village.

The activities
If spending your days eating, drinking and lounging on the beach isn’t really your thing, Qamea also caters for the biggest thrillseekers out there.

Take out your own snorkeling gear and wonder at the incredible fish right off the beach, wade on the tranquil water atop a paddleboard, or kayak your way around the island.

Surfers will also get the chance to go out on the world-famous waves or go scuba diving on the beautiful reef.

Make your way to the local village. Photo: Supplied
Make your way to the local village. Photo: Supplied
Snorkel or scuba dive in the crystal-clear water. Photo: Supplied
Snorkel or scuba dive in the crystal-clear water. Photo: Supplied
Practice yoga by the sea. Photo: Supplied
Practice yoga by the sea. Photo: Supplied
The incredibly friendly staff are one of the most unforgettable parts of the trip. Photo: Supplied
The incredibly friendly staff are one of the most unforgettable parts of the trip. Photo: Supplied

And if you’re feeling a bit jetlagged after your four-hour flight, then head to the Jungle Spa, which offers hour-long massages as you listen to the sounds of jungle birds and water in the background.

After that, you can take a trip to the local village, where you’ll be schooled in how they make kava and listen to them sing and dance.

Finish off your barefoot luxury escape with a trip to Bouma Falls on Taveuni island, where you’ll hike to the waterfalls and even swim in the refreshing water.

But at the end of the day, there’s not many places that will deliver your dinner to you as you sit on the beach watching the sunset, just seconds from your luxurious bure.

And that’s why we are already dreaming of returning to Qamea for our own romantic winter retreat.

This writer was invited to Fiji as a guest of The Travel Project.

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