Where We Be
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| Lady Elliot Island is located right on the Great Barrier Reef. It's a scenic 40-minute flight from the mainland to get here. |
| Lady Elliot Island -- Great Barrier Reef |
Our visit to Lady Elliot Island was one of the
highlights of our trip to Australia. The Great
Barrier Reef has long been on our bucket list,
as it is for so many others, and there are few
places better situated to see it at its best than
Lady Elliot Island. Located at the southernmost
end of the Great Barrier Reef, this tiny island
has been less affected by global warming than
some other parts of the reef further north. It's a
haven for manta rays, sea turtles, fish, and sea
birds. You can even see dolphins and whales
here if you come in season (e.g. July & August).
Can you imagine going for a snorkel and seeing
a whale underwater and hearing it sing?
Well, we weren't quite that lucky in our timing,
but we did see turtles, rays, and fish aplenty --
and even an octopus in the shallow lagoon. We
snorkeled several times each day during our
three days on the island and took advantage of
all it had to offer, including a glass-bottom boat
tour, guided snorkel, and land-based activities
like a nocturnal animals tour. Lady Elliot Island
was the splurge of our Australia trip, costing
$550 per couple per night if you factor in airfare
(you can't get there by boat). But for a once in a
lifetime experience it was worth it to snorkel
the Great Barrier Reef straight off the beach.
highlights of our trip to Australia. The Great
Barrier Reef has long been on our bucket list,
as it is for so many others, and there are few
places better situated to see it at its best than
Lady Elliot Island. Located at the southernmost
end of the Great Barrier Reef, this tiny island
has been less affected by global warming than
some other parts of the reef further north. It's a
haven for manta rays, sea turtles, fish, and sea
birds. You can even see dolphins and whales
here if you come in season (e.g. July & August).
Can you imagine going for a snorkel and seeing
a whale underwater and hearing it sing?
Well, we weren't quite that lucky in our timing,
but we did see turtles, rays, and fish aplenty --
and even an octopus in the shallow lagoon. We
snorkeled several times each day during our
three days on the island and took advantage of
all it had to offer, including a glass-bottom boat
tour, guided snorkel, and land-based activities
like a nocturnal animals tour. Lady Elliot Island
was the splurge of our Australia trip, costing
$550 per couple per night if you factor in airfare
(you can't get there by boat). But for a once in a
lifetime experience it was worth it to snorkel
the Great Barrier Reef straight off the beach.
| Since we don't have an underwater camera we've added a few photos from the Lady Elliot website showing some of the amazing sights you can see -- intact and colorful coral gardens, loads of sea turtles and rays, the occasional reef or nurse shark, and fish galore. We even saw an octopus! |
| Our starting point was the town of Hervey Bay, a 3½ hour drive north of Brisbane. Round-trip airfare cost us ~$250 each. By plane is the only way to reach Lady Elliot. |
| As we took off we could see Hervey Bay spread out below us. The town's super-long pier juts out into the ocean at top right. |
| Getting to see the Great Barrier Reef from above is a real treat -- and landing on a grass airstrip is a fun adventure in its own right |
| Our first activity after orientation was the included glass-bottom boat and snorkel tour. This started from the Lighthouse area. |
| We snorkeled numerous times over the next few days. A fun one is the drift snorkel from Lighthouse Bommie (above) to Coral Gardens (to the right) some 30 minutes away. |
| From the boat we saw a stingray and a loggerhead turtle -- then we dove into the water for our first snorkel |
| Looking back we could see people getting ready to snorkel independently. That white sign marks a fin changing station where you can put your snorkel fins on. |
| During our visit in April the island was crowded with fledgling white-capped noddies. You could see them roosting in every branch of every tree -- which is a bit surprising since they have webbed feet! |
| So many birds all at once can be both noisy and smelly, so if that's not your thing then you may want to plan your visit for a different month. If we had it to do over again we'd pick July or August (Australia's winter) when there are more whales and manta rays -- and less birds. |
| So let's get oriented. The eco-resort itself is near the Lagoon. The airstrip bisects the island and the path perpendicular to it leads to the Lighthouse and sunset views. There are three different snorkeling areas to explore: the Lagoon on the east side and Lighthouse Bommies and Coral Gardens on the west side. |
| The Reef Education Centre offers a great way to learn more about the Reef's flora and fauna |
| A highlight of each day was happy hour at sunset on the west side of the island near the lighthouse |
| The sunsets can be pretty spectacular |
| The island itself is small -- you can walk around it in about an hour. It's landscaped with palm trees and well-marked walking paths. |
| After each snorkel we returned to our private Eco-Cabin to regroup. (We were the only two occupants despite the bunks for four). The Eco-Cabin with shared bath is the most affordable option available on Lady Elliot at ~$300 US per night (for two) including breakfast and dinner. We found it quite comfortable. |
| After sunset it was time for dinner -- and just about everyone was starving after a full day of snorkeling or diving. We thought the food and selection were great. |
| There was plenty of seating and lots of comfortable spots to relax |
| Other than cone shells Lady Elliot is pretty safe and pleasant. One nice benefit: there are no stingers (jellyfish) to worry about here. |
| The shallow Lagoon is straight ahead. You can't get much closer to amazing snorkeling than this! |
| On the Island Discovery Tour we learned that octopus trees spread via sea water and are the first to colonize a new coral cay. To deal with all the salt a "sacrificial leaf" is "chosen." That leaf soon yellows and dies. |
| As we departed we got one final view of the island. We would certainly love to come back. |
| We made it all the way to the end. Some days you can see rays or dolphins from here. |
| Hervey Bay |
| Our namesake Charlton Esplanade stretches for some 10 miles (16 km) along the beach at Hervey Bay and makes for great walking or biking |
| A rest day was welcome after all that exhausting fun at Lady Elliot, but we still mixed in a little sightseeing at Hervey Bay. That's Urangan Pier up ahead. |
| The pier is about half a mile long! |
| The owners at Emeraldene Inn gave us a good tip: they said if we wanted to see kangaroo we should visit Fraser Coast Anglican College near sunset. Lo and behold, there they were, about twenty of them feeding on the lush grass of the soccer pitch. Our first kangaroo sighting in Australia! |
| On the drive back to the inn we saw even more kangaroo in a nearby field. What with seeing the Great Barrier Reef AND kangaroo, it really feels like we've been to Australia now! |
| We bracketed our Lady Elliot adventure with a stay at both ends at Emeraldene Inn in Hervey Bay. We loved the tropical setting and comfortable digs. |
| Touchdown! |
| Each day the Activities Board shows when you can snorkel in the Lagoon (2 hours either side of high tide) |
| Don't miss the Lagoon which offers some of the best snorkeling you'll ever experience. This is where we saw our octopus and a sea turtle being cleaned by other fish. You'll have to time your visit with high tide -- otherwise it's too shallow to swim. |
| Coral Gardens was one of our favorite areas -- lots of "bommies" (coral outcrops) to swim around |
| Not my photo |
| Not my photo |
| Not my photo |
| [Not my photos] |
| Muttonbirds (aka wedge-tailed shearwaters) also mate in April and make the eeriest mating call. It was like a maternity ward full of babies wailing from beneath our cabin at night! Click here for a sample (starting around the 10-second mark). |
| You must wear water shoes at Lady Elliot (free ones are provided) because if you step on a cone shell you can get stung with a venomous barb with no antidote that's extremely painful and can even be fatal -- yikes! |
| Fish feeding is just one of the many included daily activities |
| Not my photo |
| Not my photo |
| We saw loads of people fishing off the pier |
| The view of the beach isn't half bad either |
