Lady Musgrave Island

Lady Musgrave Island and Lagoon is a coral cay with a 405-hectare coral lagoon, some say the Great Barrier Reef's most beautiful. It is just 32 nautical miles from the Town of 1770 and is the second southernmost island of the Reef.

Its 14 hectares are beautifully pristine, with pisonia forests, plenty of resident birdlife, around 1300 varieties of brilliant fish and 350 species of hard and soft coral.

Lady Musgrave is a very important nesting site for loggerhead and the more common green turtles. Nesting usually happens at night during high tide and the main season is from late November to January. Hatchlings emerge from the sand nests from mid-January until late March, mostly from late afternoon to midnight.

Green turtles are under threat throughout the world and the Queensland rookeries are some of the few protected areas remaining for the gentle creatures to nest. They and their nests are fully protected by law.

Lady Musgrave Cruises is a family-owned business providing day trips to the Reef on three vessels out of 1770. One of their six-hour cruises involves snorkelling the lagoon at two sites and viewing coral gardens through a large glass-bottom boat. You will be provided with good-quality snorkelling and fishing gear, flotation vests, optical masks and sunscreen. Wetsuits are available for hire.

Enjoy a guided island walk with informative commentary and feed the colourful marine life. Year round you will discover turtles and manta rays and humpback whales in season.

All of that is topped off with a tropical buffet luncheon, morning and afternoon tea.

Your craft moors alongside Reef Sanctuary, a floating pontoon just 300 metres from the island which is your base for the day. It has a covered seating area, change rooms, shower and waterline platforms for easy snorkelling access.

There is no accommodation on the island but camping is permitted and Lady Musgrave Cruises can arrange that. Those wishing to camp must load most of their gear the day before departure.

Portable gas stoves are recommended and orders can be taken ahead for ice, bread and milk. There is no fresh water on the island, so campers should take enough to get them through. Aluminium dinghies of 3.7 metres with 6hp outboard motor are available for hire.

Location

Cost

Virgin Blue has fares to the Sunshine Coast.

There are limited seats which may not be available at peak times or on all flights. Fares are one-way on the Net. An extra $15 will be charged for phone bookings. A credit card surcharge of an additional $2 per person per one-way flight is applicable.

Fares are correct at October 4, 2007, and are subject to change.

For more information

Sunlover Holidays
Ph: 13 88 33
Website: www.queenslandholidays.com.au

Virgin Blue
Ph: 13 6789
Website: www.virginblue.com.au