Reef and rain forest

Lizard Island

On the hour-long flight from Cairns, I saw navy blue atolls emerge from the turquoise ocean as we flew low into Lizard, the northernmost inhabited Great Barrier Reef island. On the ground, young men in long blue linen shirts with mandarin collars swooped in with vanilla-spiked iced tea and canapes as the general manager, ý la Mr. Roarke of Fantasy Island, welcomed us to the 40-room resort. He anticipated most of our questions--no, cell phones wouldn't work here--but virtually in his shadow, on the sloping green lawn behind him, our unspoken question was answered: Yes, there are lizards. One was standing on its haunches, bobbing its head as if offering the approbation of the second in command.

My suite had high ceilings and wall-size sliding glass doors. There was a pillow menu offering seven varieties, and the platform bed was set against a bright blue wall. My deck had a shaded, pillow-strewn outdoor couch, where I read an Australian novel, lazily ate pieces of mango, and listened to the ocean just behind the trees. I was alone, except for a gardener who came to refill my foot bath, a stone bowl where I washed off the sand before coming back in from the beach. But I saw him only once. My heaven is designed like this.

While other guests took motorized dinghies with picnic hampers to some of the islands' 24 private beaches, I went to the Azure Spa. Once I was on the table, my therapist approached with beautifully arranged sushi dishes filled with products, then slathered my feet in a lemony balm and slicked my hair back with conditioner into a taut ponytail. I left it in and wore my hair to dinner like one of the women in Robert Palmer's "Simply Irresistible" video. The fringe-like needles of casuarina pines stirred by the ocean breezes swept the air around me as I sauntered down the winding wooden boardwalk lit with tiny blue lights.

There were meals at Osprey's I'd eat twice, although nothing made a second appearance during my stay. I detected a theme to each day's table d'hýte menu, however: something fresh, something sweet, and something to set it all alight. Main courses included seared kangaroo and medallions of crocodile tail. This was Mod Oz cuisine, defined by its local ingredients, Asian influences, and French techniques. "I've never been big on jus or sauces. It's so hot up here, the spicy flavors give guests a little kick," said chef Mark Long, who after my first meal here, revealed he'd learned my piscatorian (fish, but no meat) eating habits. "I think you'll really like the barramundi tonight. It's not cooked in duck fat."

I'd saved snorkeling for Lizard Island, since everyone had said that it's best place for it on the reef, that I'd even see wildlife right off the beach. I took a half-day snorkeling trip on the stylish 55-foot MV Serranidae dive vessel. The crew, equally stylish in matching blue and white striped shirts, paired off with divers and snorkelers when we boarded. I braced myself on the rocky trip, sipping ginger ale, sucking on a cold piece of fruit, and finding some solace in the calm expressions of a couple in their 80s who'd come along simply for the ride.

In the water, small waves flashed iridescent light, then dissolved around me. The water was sparkling on the surface and incredibly clear below. At first I thought my equipment had distorted the coral's proximity. Are objects in mask closer than they appear? But then I saw snorkelers ahead, without much clearance between them and the ocean floor. We had maybe four feet. It was startling: Just beneath me were clams the size of shopping carts, slow-moving parrot fish, and coral, coral everywhere. I was on the other side of the world, down under while Down Under, floating, observing, mesmerized.

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