I never knew what paradise was till I visited Lady Elliot Island. But as one of the lucky people who have been all the way there, I now have a mental image of water- clear and blue, teeming with fish and corals that fits my description of paradise. 90 minutes away from Gold Coast, 40 minutes away from Hervey Bay, this little bit of paradise is at the southern tip of the Great Barrier Reef. Formed from corals and hardened bird droppings the Lady Elliot Island is a geographical marvel.
Going under water here is indescribably beautiful – a world of its own. You see marine life all busy with their own daily business – fish of different sizes, swimming at their own pace. The small fish race toward the corals to get their share. The large fish catch the smaller ones. A sea turtle swimming lazily, slowly enough for you to go pat its back. A manta-ray coming toward you with its mouth eerily resembling divers’ glasses. And a huge (but safe) reef shark that just passes by you nonchalantly, not realizing he just made you have your heart in your mouth. Life under the water is incredible, beautiful, wondrous, busy and best of all, uninterrupted and unspoiled by man.
TO DO
Snorkeling and diving are allowed all around the island, and given that fishing and even taking dead coral is prohibited, the ever increasing marine life is all there to explore. There are a couple of staying options at the largely solar powered resort ranging from staying a few days, to volunteering and working on the island, allowing you to stay for months. We chose the day trip which only allowed snorkeling.
We landed like royalty right onto the island, and we were in the water all of 10 minutes later.
The glass bottom boat was a fun way to start. The boat took us in fairly deep where we saw colourful coral below. After that we jumped off the boat for some deep sea snorkeling and saw a number of fish, manta ray, turtles & even the shark. Snorkeling can be done at the shore as well as deeper in the water after the glass bottom boat ride.
With snorkeling doing such justice to the exquisite marine life, we could only imagine how incredible diving would have been.
TO KNOW
The only way to reach the island is by flight. In collaboration with private airline Seair, the company operates 14 and 9 seater planes back and forth from the beautiful island. Flying and diving are not allowed in the same day. So if you’re looking at diving, you must stay overnight at the island. Day guests are only allowed to snorkel.
Morning is the best time to visit. For a day trip from the Gold Coast we left our hotel by 6am, and left the island by 2.30pm. We were back at our hotel before 6pm on the same day.
TO SPEND
Getting here is expensive, but that’s expected when you take a private plane. It’s approximately 600 AUD per person for a day trip, which includes transport – to and from the airport, as well as the flight. Your lunch and snacks, snorkeling gear and a tour guide through the day are also included.
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