From the air, the view of Hamilton Island with Qualia Resort in the foreground of this pic. Inside the HTI terminal, there is a Qualia transfer desk where reps greet Qualia guests and transport them to the resort. They would even collect any checked bags on your behalf and then deliver them to your bungalow (pavilion) a short while later. Since we didn't have any checked bags, we were driven promptly to Qualia in a nice van which we shared with the Japanese couple from across the aisle on our inbound flight.
About 7 minutes later, we arrived at Qualia.
First stop was the Long Pavilion, where checked in.
Since it was just a little after noon, our pavilion was not quite ready. Each pavilion has its own golf cart for unlimited guest use during your stay. We hopped into our cart and drove down to Pebble Beach Pavilion for lunch.
A cocktail to start.
Mrs. SFO777's prawn and pasta salad was delicious.
My reef trout was amazing.
By the time we finished lunch, our pavilion was ready.
Oh yeah, this will do.
We relaxed the rest of the afternoon enjoying our pavilion and the view.
At around 7:15pm, we headed back to Pebble Beach and a special New Years Dinner.
Our 6 course tasting menu was amazing. Even better with sommelier Ben's wonderful wine pairings.
Our amuse bouche.
Hiramasu kingfish with tomato, kiwi, jalapeno and capsicum. Paired nicely with Piper-Heidsieck Essentiel.
Marron with green mango, nam prik and squid ink crisp. Paired with 2015 Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay from Margaret River.
OMG, the bread was incredible.
Next was our favorite dish of the night, the fabulous Duck, with swede, horseradish, celery and cinnamon jus. Paired with the 2015 Willian Downie Pinot from Mornington Peninsula.
The Wagyu, with beetroot, bone marrow and burnt onion. Paired with the 2015 John Duval Eligo Shiraz from Barossa Valley.
Yuzu sorbet with apple and sesame. Paired with 2017 Frogmore Creek Iced Riesling from Coal Valley, Tasmania.
And the finale: Mint aero, chocolate sorbet, mint ice cream. Paired with a glass of amazing 2015 Chateau d'Yquem.
What a wonderful meal and treat, and one of the best meals anywhere in the past year.
