Playtimes HK Magazine February 2018 Issue | Page 53

features
What you’ll see and when
Manta ray and turtle
sightings happen year
‘round, although obviously
this is never guaranteed.
Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort is the
lack of phone and Internet connection.
Satellite phone facilities are available in
the departure lounge alongside some
Wi-Fi connection, but cards must
be purchased for this, and it’s very
slow. You’re far better relishing the
opportunity to disconnect from the rest
of the world and its pressures. Lock
the iPhone in the safe and rejoice!
The resort’s beachfront café
offers buffet-style breakfast, lunch
and dinner. For lunch there is also
the option of á la carte. We opted
for á la carte in order to keep
it a bit lighter. The food was a
pleasant surprise and exceeded
expectations. Enjoying a tasty
lunch with a glass of wine in hand
and looking out across the reef
was a real treat. Although, there
are rather a lot of birds eagerly
waiting for you to drop a chip …
Onto the birds … there are
a lot of seabirds at Lady Elliot
Island, and I do mean a lot
(Lady Elliot Island was first
inhabited by guano – bird
excrement – miners back
in 1863, which gives some
insight to the amount of
birds!). Our stay fell during mating
season so there were even more than
usual, and they are loud … so loud that
you are provided with earplugs to help
you sleep. You do get used to the noise,
and birds sitting in nests everywhere,
but it is definitely best to be aware of
this before you arrive so that it doesn't
come as a shock. Almost as many
ornithologists as snorkellers and divers
frequent the island.
When a good holiday draws to
an end, there is an inevitable air of
sadness. When the time came to leave
Lady Elliott Island, my daughter was in
tears. She was so sad. Both children
had “the best time ever” swimming
amongst the incredibly diverse sea life.
The impact just three days had on them
is incredible; their appreciation of nature
and the environment has intensified.
Rather than ticking the box of swimming
in the Great Barrier Reef, a trip to Lady
Elliot Island has whet their appetite.
They are desperate to return for more;
after all there are still humpback whales
to see.
For information on packages to
Lady Elliot Island, visit
www.ladyelliot-island.com
November – February
Turtle nesting
February – April
Turtle hatching
May – August
Peak manta season
June – October
Humpback whale migration season
September – April
Seabird season
Eco credentials
Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort was
awarded a gold level in the ‘Steve
Irwin Award for Ecotourism’ at
the annual Queensland Tourism
Awards in November 2017. The
award recognises ecologically
sustainable tourism with a
primary focus on experiencing
natural areas that foster
environmental and cultural
understanding, appreciation and
conservation.
February 2018
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