Well we landed back in wintery Adelaide yesterday after a sunny, warm week on Dunk Island. At this time of year the island is warm and generally free of clouds although we had one wet morning, it didn't interfere with our plans!

I'd recommend Dunk for families or couples prepared to have time with kids running about at any rate! Average age of kids would be between 18 mths and 6 yrs. My boys are 7 yrs and 5 yrs and we made the most of the kids club ... excellent service, good value and whilst not available all day it suited us as we could have adult dinners while kids explored/played & relaxed.

We stayed in a Beachfront Suite which contained a made up bed which would probably have been a sofa had we not had children with us and then we had a roll out bed as well for 2nd child. Rooms are big enough to cope!

I didn't look into or at other rooms but ours was perfect. I could lie in bed and see the sea or sit on balcony and watch the tide come in ... amazing. Well built enough to not hear neighbours or people downstairs.

Resort included loads of free activities which we made the most of, including tennis, golf (small fee), kayaks, catamarans, ping pong, park equipment, croquet, swimming pools x2 (too cold, sea warmer at this time of year), puzzle games in main bar, you name it ...

What else can I mention ... there is a tiny threat of jelly fish, which meant we encouraged kids stayed out of sea but at this time of year a) it's unlikely to be stung and b) it's quite cool in sea so not for everybody.

Best bits ... we took a trip out to reef, available to book through the resort and whilst the more child friendly one wasn't available as boat broken down the alternative was still good. To snorkel the Great Barrier Reef with my children was amazing, it doesn't matter if they can't swim as noodles or life jackets are available. Food all provided and some drinks. It's an excellent day and although quite expensive I'd recommend it highly!

I could go on on ... haven't touched on the fabluous rainforest, butterflies etc .. so please email for more info!

We recently returned from Dunk Island Resort after a 6-night stay as a couple with our 6-year-old daughter.

Dunk Island was not our first choice, but after looking around, the options for families in this neck of the reef are fairly slim (especially if you are unable to fly in an un-pressurized cabin, as I am, due to pregnancy). Dunk was a recommendation by our travel agent (Zoe from Globenet Travel, who was extremely helpful - even with last minute change requests).

So, here it goes - the good and the bad...

The good:
- The resort facilities themselves are very nice. It is designed in such a way that you walk along on lovely paths rimmed by lush vegetation and flittering butterflies. The main restaurant and bar are positioned nicely with a fabulous view out over the ocean. Also available are a variety of activities such as golf, tennis, etc.
- Dunk is a beautiful island and there are a number of great walking tracks through the rainforest as well as several options for beaches.
- The two pools are good because one tended to attract adults, while the other was more of a kids/family spot.
- We found the Kids Club to be excellent. In other resorts (Cuba, Mexico), this has never been the case and we've never been comfortable leaving our daughter. However, she loved the Club and the staff seemed engaged and happy to be there. The hours are wonky though - we had hoped to go as adults alone on a snorkel trip but the Club is only open from 9am-noon and then again from 5pm-9pm.
- We found the food really good at the Terrace restaurant and although the servers were generally clueless at their job, they were at least trying.
- The grounds, as noted, were lovely and we especially appreciated the little extra touches the gardeners would leave, such as a flower arrangement in a statue or a large shell.
- The beachfront rooms are definitely the only way to go. Don't do the "garden" room. Beachfront rooms are about $20 more and worth it for the view.
- As for extras: my husband did the Calypso Dive trip ($260 including 2 dives) and loved it, I did a butterfly/bird walk and found it interesting (free), and we also had a staff drop us by boat to another island and we really enjoyed that experience too ($20).

The bad:
- The staff (with the exception of the Kids Club staff as noted above, and perhaps Holly from activities, the Porters, and the hostess at the Italian/Terrace restaurant) are either incompetent, disengaged, or rude - or a combination of the above.
- You can expect the worst service at the Main Restaurant: these kids have no clue how to serve a table! Dishes don't get cleared between servings, water doesn't get refilled, and your coffee will certainly arrive (if it does at all) well after you've already eaten your dessert. The restaurant is marketed as "gourmet" but the food is unremarkable and overpriced.
- If you are having a short stay, it is not worth having your room cleaned by the staff. Simply bring your towels over to one of the cleaners and ask to exchange them for clean ones (they do this gladly and mark you off their to-do list for the day). It is a bit of a hassle to wait around for the room to be cleaned, plus I wouldn't trust them not to nik items. (I know that sounds terrible, but I did have a bag from the gift shop disappear on me from the room.)
- Basically, don't expect the staff to know anything. For example, in the giftshop, "Is this watch waterproof?" "Um, I don't know." At activities, "What kind of visibility can you expect on the reef trip?" "Um, hard to say."

Now, having said all this, you might think we didn't enjoy our stay. Quite the contrary! We had a wonderful time and you can too if you are a family going with "eyes wide open" and managed expectations. The facilities and location are excellent and it is quite a good price per room/per night in comparison to other islands.

So, here's the basic tips to limit any possible frustrations:
- On day one, book all your dinner reservations at once and book them at the Terrace restaurant.
- Same applies for any other "extras" you might like to do - book them early, you can always cancel if you change your mind. This includes the Kids Club.
- Don't expect anything from the staff except for the very basics of service.
- Simply enjoy the lovely location and great facilities.

I hope this review has been helpful to you. All the best for your trip!

We stayed four nights on Dunk and have to say we were unlucky with the weather. When we arrived (by plane) we were taken on a short tour of the facilities, then given our room, opposite reception. It was a rather small and dark middle-terrace , with a tiny, exposed sitting-out area, practically on the road. We immediately asked to change it, went and looked at some different rooms, and swapped it for an end-room, which was much larger, had a long terrace and looked out on 'jungle' - much better. I would always advise asking to change a room straight away if you are not happy - don't wait to unpack, you'll never change!

The resort was attractive, the grounds well-kept and the beach pristine - until the storms! At first, the pools were much too warm, not at all refreshing (they are not shaded at all), but that, too, changed. We had a nice walk to Muggy Muggy beach, which we had to ourselves - the place was obviously not full. Despite this, we had to ask on several occasions to have our room serviced.

The Italian restaurant was not open for the first two days, so we ate in the main restaurant. The food was fine, no problems, but the staff were not good. They were mostly young Australians who had no interest in the job and no idea of service. The women in charge were large and stroppy. It was difficult to get water or bread on table d'hote nights. We asked if they could turn off the music in the restaurant, as the singer in the bar could be heard as well, but they said it was impossible! Reception staff were fine.

We played golf, hiring clubs and trolleys and buying a pack with balls etc. for a very reasonsble sum. The internet there was the slowest I have ever used. The bar was a bit past its best and not well used, though 'Dave', who played each evening, was very good and the barman was lovely.

After the storm, there was debris everywhere, but it didn't get cleared up while we were there.

A decent resort, but the older rooms were a bit tatty and the staff could do with some training. I wouldn't return.

Well let me start by saying this is no where near a three star resort and the service is the worst I have ever experienced. I will try to sum it up in a short paragraph. When I was getting poor service or lack of service or a bad attitude.... I would ask the following question: Do you like your job? The responses were incredable as most said they did NOT like the job and it was only about having a job! Talk about attitude adjustment and find another job! I had to call everyday, 5 nights, to have my room made up by the time we returned from dinner (6 pm.) and yet there were two nights when we returned from dinner (typically after 10 pm.) and the room was still not made up! Asked for extra towels and finally the last night...we received them. Aunts everyday in my room. My sliding door lock /latch was broken and when asked to repair it they said that's the way it is! The food was very marginal and extremely expensive if you are not on their eat all plan you will mpay an average of $200 more per day. Lack of anytype of service and/or attitude was the ultimate worse! A place I would NEVER reccommend....including back pakers!