Basking under the warm tropical sunshine and doused in heavenly blue, Long Island melts into the smooth skin of the sea surrounded by a further 73 Whitsunday islands, forming what is reputed to be one of the world's most scenic playgrounds. Long Island offers three distinctly different holiday adventures and manages to cater for budget travellers, families, luxury and ecotourism guests.

SOUTH LONG ISLAND, Australia–The kayak glides over a sea of silver silk. The only sounds are the twittering of tropical birds in the hoop pines and the gentle splash of water against the island's rocky shore. Occasionally, a speckled head breaks the surface as a green turtle takes a gulp of fresh air.

Susan Gough Henly finds a wilderness that comes with lashings of luxury. We are gliding over a sea of silver silk. The clouds arc from puce on the horizon to baby pink above us to mauve over the jungle-green hills. A white-breasted sea eagle rides the airwaves. The only sound is the twittering of tropical birds in the hoop pines and the gentle splash of water against the island's rocky shore. That and an occasional whoosh/plop as a speckled head breaks the surface and a large green turtle grabs a gulp of fresh air before swimming beneath our double kayak, its enormous carapace easily visible.

This lodge was designed to show off the Whitsundays' natural beauty. Tucked in a cove under towering hoop pines and palms, it is an environmentally sensitive establishment on a national park island. It appeals to people who want to explore the wilderness in comfort, without the crowds, noisy watersports, or artificial atmosphere of a resort. It's also a great place to meet other travelers. A maximum of 16 guests stay in simple but smart cabins facing the sea, each with a double bed, modern bathroom, and private deck facing the sea. Solar power rules, so there is no air-conditioning or TVs, hair dryers, irons, or other appliances. There is one public phone. Social life centers on an open-sided gazebo by the beach, equipped with a natural-history library and CDs, where everyone dines together at slab tables under the Milky Way on fabulous buffet-style campfire meals. Access is only by a short but stunning helicopter flight from Hamilton Island. Daily excursions include sailing away on the lodge's gleaming 10m (33-ft.) catamaran, a helicopter flight to the Outer Reef and Whitehaven Beach, sea kayaking the mangroves to spot giant green sea turtles (which are common around the lodge), snorkeling the fringing reef on uninhabited islands, or bushwalking to a magical milkwood grove no one else knows about. Or you may prefer to just laze in a hammock or head off with a free sea kayak and snorkel gear. The beach is more tidal flat than sand, but clean and firm enough to sunbathe on. Wildlife abounds, including Myrtle, the lodge's pet kangaroo. Those who stay on this 1,215-hectare (3,001-acre) island consider it a plus that no ferries or cruise boats stop here and that the lodge is inaccessible to day-trippers.