Playtimes HK Magazine February 2018 Issue | Page 50

features
Underwater World
Ever heard of Lady Elliot Island? No? Don’t worry,
you are not the only one, but if you like snorkelling
you should definitely look it up, recommends
Louise Drake
I
f you were to write a wish list of
places to go snorkelling, the chances
are Australia’s Great Barrier Reef
would be pretty high up the list, quite
possibly at the top. It certainly was for
us. Our children have been desperate to
snorkel on the Great Barrier Reef ever
since watching Planet Earth a couple of
years ago. Travelling with six-year-old
Charlotte, eight-year-old Thomas and
grandparents of undisclosed age, one of
whom gets VERY seasick, we decided
that the boat journey from Port Douglas
or Cairns to the reef wasn’t ideal for us.
We really wanted a reef closer to home.
We wanted it on our doorstep.
Our research led us to Lady Elliot
Island Eco Resort, a small 100-acre
coral cay at the southern tip of the
Great Barrier Reef and within a green
zone (the highest-possible classification
designated by the Great Barrier Reef
Marine Park Authority). The closest Great
Barrier Reef island to Brisbane, Lady
Elliot is reached by a 40-minute flight
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on a small prop plane out of Hervey
Bay (famous for its seasonal humpback
whale visits) a 30-minute prop flight from
Bundaberg, or a two-hour flight from
Coolangatta, a suburb of Queensland’s
Gold Coast.
Before boarding the flight we
downloaded the Lady Elliot Island app,
which enabled us to track our approach
to the island. It also has the weather
forecast, a map of the island and a
stunning image gallery that will have
you chomping at the bit to arrive. The
chances are your eyes will be glued
to the window throughout the flight,
though. Look carefully and you may see
dolphins or, depending on the time of
year, humpback whales. Thomas and
Charlotte were enthralled, although
watching the pilot in the cockpit was
also pretty exciting. More than just
getting from A to B, the flight is part of
the adventure.
Upon touching down on the grass
runway we were taken to the dive
shop for an orientation of the island. A
member of staff introduces the areas of
interest, snorkelling sites, explains tide
times and tells us things we should avoid
touching – like the cone shell.
After a tour around the facilities and
a welcome drink, we eagerly headed
back to the dive shop to pick up
some snorkelling gear. We borrowed
a mask, snorkel and fins for the whole
family (yes, grandparents too) and
also wetsuits. We visited at the end
of October so the water, compared
to Hong Kong, was a bit chilly – and I
confess to being a massive wimp when