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If you're looking for a travel destination that encapsulates everything a trip to experience the wonders of the Great Barrier Reef is all about - and one that comes at a far more reasonable price while providing world-class diving experiences along with it - then it's hard to look past Queensland's highly-acclaimed Lady Elliot Island. It's a stunning coral cay at the southern end of the Great Barrier Reef.
Why it's special: more affordable reef-island getaway; one of the world's best diving spots renowned for its Manta rays;
As the southernmost island in the Great Barrier Reef, Lady Elliot Island is a spot that's renowned for the quality of its diving experiences having recently been named the top spot in the entire world to go scuba diving with manta rays by international regulator PADI – no small feat, given some of the more famous international destinations it's put up against.
Featuring fringing reefs that are both protected and preserved in immaculate condition, Lady Elliot Island is a spot that is a true “diver's paradise” in every sense of the term. Typically great levels of visibility and pristine clear waters make for immaculate underwater viewing conditions, and as a result you'd be hard pressed to find a better diving environment within reasonable travel distance from any other point of origin in Australia.
Turtles and manta rays can likewise be found in abundance during this season making their graceful paths through the water, and Lady Elliot has been the site of some of the most impressive examples of underwater photography for each of these species in Australian waters. Whale watching season is also in full swing during the colder months, and it's not uncommon to spot Humpbacks, Southern Wrights and various other species of whale off the shore of the island as they make their way on their annual migration from the Antarctic.
Lady Elliot lies roughly 85km to the north-east of the Queensland town of Bundaberg and is accessible by air from four convenient departure points; Gold Coast, Brisbane, Hervey bay and Bundaberg. Situated in the highest-protected zone of the Great Barrier Reef makes it a haven for marine life of all kinds, and therefore serves as a microcosm of what has given the greater Reef as a whole its label as one of the “Seven Wonders of the Natural World”.
Glass-bottom boat tours as are a popular activitiy and a must for those who may not feel confident in the water. Tthe staff from Lady Elliot provide plenty of information on all the marine life passing below while also offering guests the chance for close encounters with friendly sea turtles. Turtles are also a prominent attraction on land during the annual nesting and hatching season, which takes place from November through April each year – they perform their hatching rituals in a strictly-regulated section of Lady Elliot Island known as the “green zone” where torches are banned as they can throw off the calibration of the newborn turtle's built-in “GPS” systems. The baby turtles then use the light of the moon to instinctively navigate their way into the awaiting ocean which makes for a captivating spectacle.
Add all these things to do to the ability to simply kick back and laze in the sunshine of a pristine and relatively uncrowded island environment, and it's no wonder why Lady Elliot Island is one of the most highly-regarded – yet still relatively untouched – tropical destinations not just in Australia, but the world as a whole.
What Lady Elliot Island has to offer:
Highlights that set Lady Elliot Island apart include:
Outstanding reef environment renowned for visibility and water clarity
Some of the world's best diving with Manta rays
Easily accessible from the Queensland mainland makes day trips possible
Turtle nesting and birthing spectacle a wonderful natural phenomenon
Top Things to Do
LooLady Elliot to pay a visit to Lady Elliot Island but not sure what to do? Here are some of its most essential experiences.
Showcasing a strong eco-focus, the island is currently operating on 80% renewable energy and its goal is to be 100% renewable by 2020
The island's staff have implemented a ban on plastic water bottles and plastic straws and have planted over 4,000 trees for a ‘re-Greening’ Revegetation/Eradication program to restore the Island back to its original state
Is Lady Elliot Island Australia's Top Island Destination to Experience for 2017? Vote now for the chance to WIN an epic trip to one of Australia's top destinations!
