Discover Lady Elliot Island: A Pristine Eco Resort on the Great Barrier Reef, Australia

I pray every single day that I get to go back to this AMAZING tiny island. Lady Eliot Island is the most incredible place on this planet and it has so much life on land and in the water. From the birds to the turtles to the manta rays and tree frogs, this is the place to be. I'm in love and I hope after reading this y'all will be too... We stayed for a week and I just have SO many pictures. 

Getting There

If you're wondering how I got from mainland Australia to Lady Eliot Island, wonder no more! I have linked a separate blog post about Sea Air explaining exactly how to get to and from the island! Click the button below to read about it!

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click for Sea Air

Arrival

Upon arrival, grab all your personal items and carry them where they will begin a short tour of the island. Wear some shoes (even if these are sandals) you are comfortable walking in and I do not recommend bringing a rolling bag on the tour. Any items you bring that are not strictly personal will be delivered to your room (assuming you are an overnight guest). 
The tour begins with the sign of the snorkeling trails. They explain all the boards and what they mean. Pay attention to these because they tell you if the other side of the island is closed for snorkeling. They do actually close it so check these out before you walk all the way over there. 
Next they show you the check in area, tell you about your luggage, and walk you over to the eating area. By this time its around 9 am and breakfast closes at 9. If you're lucky and you hurry you can grab some breakfast which is really nice because I was so hungry. 
We signed some papers about snorkeling and saying that we can swim. After that, we were free. We went to check in and go to the dive shop. I couldn't dive because I had a horrible sinus infection but thank goodness my mom came to the rescue with antibiotics. Also luckily, I was on the end of it so I would be fine soon. I left my personal belongings behind the front desk and the people are very accommodating to this. I went snorkeling to work on my sinuses. I also went to the bathroom and PLEASE look at the signs before going into the bathroom. I walked into the mens bathroom way too many times. How embarrassing. 

Here is my picture from my tour!

Exploring

My mom and I went off exploring the island. It takes about an hour to walk really slow picking up shells around it. We explored the cabin area and found the exact same tent she stayed in 20 years before. They were just about to tear it down and some had already been torn down and rebuilt but we got so lucky!! Here's some pictures from the first exploration of so many to come!

This is when I went and bought the hat that I'm wearing in the 9th picture. A bird pooped on my head so I went to the ocean to wash it out since I was on the other side of island with no showers. While I was walking through the water, I broke my flip flop. The only pair of shoes I brought to Australia - broke. Yikes... I got stuck wearing my dive booties and my feet were sweltering and had nasty tan lines by the time I left. You cannot buy any shoes on the island. 
However, they do have a shoe exchange program of crocs. You take some while you are there and return them before you leave!! I got some of these and it saved my feet actually!!

Snorkeling

This is some of the best snorkeling in the entire world. It is the best I have ever experienced. It is almost better than the diving. The reef is so healthy and is unlike anywhere I have ever seen. Coral is in excess, fish are thriving, corals are vibrant blues and greens (which yes is a reaction to prevent coral bleaching its like their sunscreen but it's beautiful). I saw black-tip sharks and a wobbegong shark which I did not see diving. People also saw a Tiger Shark that they didn't see diving but some things just don't compare to diving. 

There are two places to snorkel-
The lagoon- This place is huge and open and great for beginners. It has a turtle cleaning station by a white buoy in the left where many famous instagram videos have been filmed. 

The lighthouse- This is a snorkel area and a dive site. It is on the West side and takes a little bit of walking. It is so well worth it and is a really good place to snorkel and hangout. 
The people will explain how to get there (you have to cross the runway but if the lights are on you cannot cross because a plane is landing) and then take a path. You enter and exit by the buoys (there is another buoy by a place called the coral gardens).

Scuba Diving

Every area around the island is basically one big dive site. We were only allowed to dive on one side though and it was a lot of the same thing. We did see a lot of incredible animals though and the diving we did was amazing. 
The first day my sinuses were all messed up and my mom saw a leopard shark and a manta ray. I got to see more manta rays but I never got to see a leopard shark the whole rest of the trip and I was really sad about it. 
Here's a picture of my mom’s manta ray. We sent it to project manta and it's name is Heron, after the island it was first seen on. Heron is a female and she has been around since 2008. 

The diving overall was great. It was crowded at times but really nice. I saw bull rays and a peacock mantis shrimp. I also saw TWO guitar sharks which I had been wanting to see for a long time. I saw plenty of manta rays and I really want to go back in July when they have humpback whales in. I would also LOVE to visit Kingdom of Tonga to see that. I just think that would be incredible.
As far as the diving has changed since my mom was last there, she unfortunately was not impressed. The reef is still great but we never dove any different dive sights. She also didn't see any whip rays like she used to or as many manta rays or bull rays. She was there in march 20 years ago and we were there in December which are different seasons but if the animals weren't there because they migrated then that is one explanation. But the bull rays were there and she said she didn't see near as many or as big. I can only help but think this is attributed to fishing. It is illegal around this island but illegal things happen all over the world. Animals move also so if they moved into an area that allows fishing and that is being overfished, they would not be able to come back and that is really sad to see.
​**This however is not a reason not to visit. The staff cannot help it, nor can the little island and it is still an amazing place to be!

Here's some photos that MY MOM took using her new camera. I'll do a product description and rate of her camera and my camera in a separate post. She likes it so far and is getting a few good pictures! For once I'm off the hook for taking all the pictures even though I love photography.

Exploring as a Daily Activity

There was just so much to see that everyday you found yourself exploring. I'm going to break down everything there was to see in different categories below. A lot of these were pure National Geographic moments.

The Crabs

There were crabs of all kinds. From big beautiful hermit crabs (I think they're the strawberry ones) that are actually nocturnal and you can see in the morning to the crabs on the rocks to tiny little crabs in the coral, the crab life here is super abundant!

The Birds

The amount of birds on this island is crazy. I mean it's just so difficult to describe the amount of birds and how noisy they are but I do have a really good video I'll throw in. 

The Turtles Nesting!!

This was really special to see. Come back around March to see the turtle nests hatching!! These turtles were giant and had come back from all around the world just to nest. It was not uncommon to see a turtle on the beach digging a nest but you have to stay very still, very quit, and 15 feet away until it is laying the eggs. Once it starts it cannot stop so you can come close to observe the eggs. 
Here are some raw photos of a turtle during the afternoon hours of the day. Most of the time it's too dark to photograph them without flash (which is not good for them) so I got super lucky with these!

The Frogs

The green tree frogs we had to ask to see. Many of them live inside a house behind the dive shop and I got to take some pictures. I went to look for them in the plant nursery but there were none there and a whole lot of angry birds. 

The Lighthouse

One of my favorite things in the world is a lighthouse!! It's like a tall mystical house by the sea. The keepers always have cool stories and I just think they're so cool looking. Lady Eliot has their very own lighthouse and the graves of the lighthouse keepers on the island, in plain sight. They do lighthouse tours and I really wanted to go on one but they only did one while I was there and I missed it :((

These are the graves. They're located along the walking path to the lighthouse. Theres a white fence around them and I never even noticed them for days. They're so old! They're from the old lighthouse keepers.

The Beach

HOLYYYY stunning!!! 
​The beach is so gorgeous heres some raw pictures I took of it.

Other Things We Didn't Get to See

They have whales there during July and baby turtles during different times of the year. Right around this time though, they are spotting the pink manta ray. This is the only one in the world and it is found here on this island. While I was there, other people also got to see a tiger shark and a hammerhead shark but I was not so lucky. 

Alright so we spent all our time outside, now what?

Let's get down to talking about what you need to know about staying there (more domestic things) like the food, the rooms, my room, what's offered, internet, etc. 

The Rooms

They offer many different styles of rooms.
There are basic tents that are actually really nice and have just been remodeled. They have have community bathrooms but no worries even fully booked it's not crowded and the showers are hot.
Then there's the garden units. This is what we stayed in and I really liked it. They're kind of in the middle of the land. I'll put pictures of our room below. Its a trailer style with a double bed and bunk beds and theres three rooms in one building. These have their own bathrooms.
Next is the reef units. These are structured just like garden units but closer to the water. 
Then theres the beachfront units. All of these are basically on the water looking at the lagoon and are structured like garden and reef units. 
*tents, garden, reef, and beachfront units are not air conditioned as far as I know. I know that my room and the tents are not air conditioned. This seems unwell but it's actually not that bad. I am an extremely picky sleeper and I had no problems. Maybe I was exhausted but also just leave the door open with the screen and leave the windows open. I made the mistake of closing them one night and it got so hot it was miserable. 

garden unit! Reef and beachfront units are structured the same in a different location

newly renovated tents!

Finally theres the glamping tents. As far as my knowledge goes the glamping tents have their own bathroom and they have air conditioning. 
I will say the only thing with the AC is after it rained and the air was really moist my mom's camera alarm (from her vacuum seal it goes off if theres water inside the housing) would not stop going off. We knew it was not from actual water from diving because she got the green light every time. I told her it was the rain so we had to put it in the reception area (which has AC) to dry it out and make it stop beeping. So I will say if you are a huge camera person and it rains either put it at the reception (it's totally safe) or go for the glamping tent!

glamping tents!

Inside My Room

Heres a look at the inside of my room and my bathroom. 

The Food

The food here is really really good! I don't recommend any fish on the lunch menu because they can't fish around the island so it's not fresh and it's not good. That was probably the only bad thing. Breakfast and dinner is included and lunch you pay for. Lunch either has a buffet or a menu (you choose) and the other two meals are buffet style.
The Christmas lunch they did was AMAZING!!! They had great fresh seafood and meat and just food going everywhere. I don't have any pictures of that right now but I might add some later if I find any. If you decide to go during Christmas and want to have the lunch, you must register for it beforehand and they will make you up a table!
You can eat inside or outside. I ate outside as much as possible but there were a few times when inside was the better option. 

Extras

There is a board by the library and education center where you can write what you saw. This is what was seen while we were there. PS. I doubt someone saw an orca like really doubt that.

There is also a huge support of project manta on the island and all I can say is keep your smiles out and eyes open because you never know who you will meet!

Internet and Laundry

Internet is only available by purchase in the departure lounge and around that area. I went the thole week with no internet. Seems hard for a teenage girl but it was actually really relaxing. It's hard to have no internet when you're sitting around but I was always so active that it hardly even mattered. I spent all my time walking, exploring, in the water, talking, eating, and taking pictures that I hardly had time to shower, brush my hair and teeth, let alone send a snapchat. If you work from home and need internet, they have it, but it costs you extra.

They also offer laundry. The machines are free of charge but the detergent costs money. We had our own tide small packs to hand wash clothes so we just threw them in the washer and dryer and it was lovely. We didn't have to pay since we brought our own and I would not have made it without bringing that and washing clothes at the halfway point of a multi-week trip. 
TIP: When packing for this trip bring a sweatshirt. Not a long sleeve, a sweatshirt. With the sea breeze and the sun going down and you're walking or eating or looking for turtles, you will want it TRUST ME!! I used the one I wore through the airport which is gross to me but then I gave it a good wash :)

Well guys, if you made it this far, this is where our journey ends here at Lady Eliot Island. Thanks for reading all of that, I know it was a lot and it was probably all over the place. I hope everyone was inspired to travel here by this post and to take care of where they are now to keep places like this and places all over the world clean and safe. Peace out LEI, I hope to see you again soon!