Lady Elliot Island is a nature lover’s sanctuary and regardless of what time of the year you visit, there is always so much to see. We often get asked “What time of the year is best to visit the Island”, this may seem like an easy question to answer but it really depends on what type of interaction you are hoping for, the information below and nature’s calendar may help you to decide.

RECENT RARE SIGHTINGS 

RENOVATION UPDATE 

We are excited to unveil our newly renovated 2-bedroom Beachfront Units. Boasting beautiful new interiors and soft furnishings, the units offer absolute beach frontage and accommodate up to four people.

The units feature a separate air-conditioned lounge room and private bathroom. In season, Red-tailed Tropicbirds and Green and Loggerhead turtles nest (at your doorstep) providing an immersive nature-based experience.

As part of our refurbishment plan, all Reef Units have now been renovated and the Eco Cabins have been replaced with low impact cabins with louvers for maximum air-flow, large glass sliding doors and now elevated views.

The last of our units to undergo renovations will be the Garden Units, to be completed by mid-2022.

A huge shoutout to our team who have transformed the units. Check out some of our amazing team below!

RACQ PEOPLES CHOICE CATEGORY FOR THE 2021 QUEENSLAND TOURISM AWARDS

Show your support for Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort! It's time to vote for your favourite nominee from the 2021 Queensland Tourism Awards Peoples choice category!

Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort is in the "Experience or Service" category, voting has just opened and closes at 5pm, October 1st 2021. 

ISLAND BLOG

There are four new instalments of our Island Blog, including a look at the island from the perspective of an underwater photographer, tips to help the environment, a day-in-the-life of a dive instructor, and an explanation as to why we are the "Home of the Manta Ray".

Head over to our website to have a read! 

RED-TAILED TROPICBIRD UPDATE

Our colony of Red-Tailed Tropicbirds have been very busy this year with four new chicks!  Pictured below is the first chick of 2021 "Oscar" vocalising.  This is very exciting news for Lady Elliot as there is still relatively little known about this breeding colony. The Leaf to Reef team will be visiting Lady Elliot again in October, during which time they will be collecting information for their studies on this species. 

MEET JIM AND ANNIE FROM THE REVEGETATION TEAM

This extremely knowledgeable duo have been working on Lady Elliot Island for the last fifteen years. Jim and Annie are very passionate about the Lady Elliot environment and are the powerhouse couple behind our revegetation team.  If you visit the island and are hoping to learn more about our revegetation work, feel free to join an island ecology tour, or you will usually find Annie in the nursery working on the latest batch of seedlings. Jim is often out with the remainder of the team, planning the next move for the program. Recent work has included management of invasive weeds on the island tracks, removal of introduced species and planting countless Pisonia trees. 

This is our second installment of "Reef Tales" in which guests share their fondest memories from Lady Elliot Island!

"I saw manta rays and turtles from the get-go and the most breath-taking sunset and sunrise with birds flying on the horizon. I walked along the beach under the full moon to see nesting turtles and woke up for an early morning snorkel and was rewarded with a huge sleeping turtle, moray eel, blacktip reef shark, and abundant schools of reef fish!" - Joy Locsin

"Sitting around with great people in the evening, singing along with someone playing guitar, and a very long relaxed drift dive with Kym from Spiders Ledge to Sunset" - Jen Krapex

"Sitting on the deck at sunrise with a coffee watching whales beach just beyond the lagoon" - Tania Rossiter 

"This was my first dive at Lady Elliot Island and it blew my mind. No current and 40m + visibility" - Mel Wu (Image featured below) 

Photo Credit : Mel Wu - Dive Site 'The Blow Hole' 

LADY ELLIOT ISLAND HAS BEEN SELECTED AS A TOURISM REEF OPERATOR FOR THE GREAT BARRIER REEF EDUCATION EXPERIENCE PROGRAM!

The Queensland Government is investing $1 million over three years to support Queensland schools to undertake place-based educational experiences in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area. 

The Great Barrier Reef offers a unique educational opportunity for students to immerse themselves in an authentic live classroom and to learn more about the rich biodiversity of the reef.

Schools can apply now for subsidies of up to $150 per student for excursions taken to the Great Barrier Reef. Details on the subsidy include;

• A school excursion to include a reef experience with one of the registered tourism reef operators
• A flat rate subsidy of $40 per student for eligible day excursions
• Subsidies from $55 up to a total of $150 per student will be available for overnight itineraries depending on the distance traveled.
• Applications for the education subsidy are open to schools for excursions undertaken from Term 3, 2021 to June 2024 or until funding is exhausted.

To be eligible for the subsidy the school excursion itinerary must include at least one curriculum-related reef activity, facilitated by a commercial reef tourism operator registered with the program, operating within the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and World Heritage boundaries.

For further information about this exciting program delivered by DTIS with program partners the Department of Education, Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, and Tourism and Events Queensland click the link below.

AVAILABILITY CALENDAR 

Our basic but comfortable 44 room eco-resort will offer you an opportunity to immerse yourself in nature and explore the pristine Southern Great Barrier Reef.  With international borders remaining closed we continue to see a very high number of locals wishing to #holidayherethisyear

  The resort is heavily booked over the next 6 months with very limited availability and high demand. To secure your stay at Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort we highly recommend you check our online availability calendar on our website first.  

If your intended travel dates are available on the calendar and you are ready to make a booking, we recommend you contact our reservations team via phone on 1800 072 200 to confirm the dates are still available as availability can change rapidly at this time.  

Alternatively, once you have checked the availability calendar and you would like to arrange a booking or would like a quote, please email our friendly reservations team on [email protected]

Escape to the Southern Great Barrier Reef for the day and immerse yourself in the island surrounds.  Be sure to keep your eyes peeled from the second you take off as there is much to see on the flight, especially as you approach Lady Elliot Island. If you have been wanting to experience the reef, this is the perfect opportunity! 

VALID UNTIL 17TH DECEMBER 2021

Package includes: 

• Return scenic flight to Lady Elliot Island (approx. 100 mins*)
• Island orientation tour
• Glass bottom boat/guided snorkel tour
• Snorkel equipment (mask, snorkel & fins) and wetsuits
• Buffet lunch
• Towels, sunscreen and reef walking shoes provided
• Use of day guest facilities
• Island tours & activities

PLEASE SEE OUR WEBSITE FOR FULL TERMS AND CONDITIONS

2022 OUTBACK TOURS  

Travelling in a Seair Touring Cessna Caravan Aircraft, your group will be flown to some of the most iconic places in Queensland and Australia. Guided by your knowledgable pilot, expert commentary and local knowledge will bring Outback Australia and its rich history to life. 

Click below for more information or contact the Seair Touring reservations team via email [email protected] or call +61 7 5599 4509 to reserve your seat now!

TRIPADVISOR REVIEW

3-day Outback 2 Reef Tour 

"We just did the 4-day, 3-night trip from Gold Coast out to Birdsville, Longreach, and back via Lady Elliott Island. It was a fantastic trip which we would recommend to anyone. The service, hospitality was faultless!! The pilots' Sam & Brandon were amazing!!!" - June 2021 Euli58