LADY ELLIOT ISLAND 3rd - 9th December

Lady Elliot Island sits at the southern tip of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef and is renowned for its crystal-clear waters, spectacular marine life and healthy coral reefs. Surrounded by a protected Marine National Park Green Zone, the island offers exceptional diving with visibility often 20 metres or more.

It is also the best place for snorkelling, where you can get up close and personal with turtles. The huge lagoon is shallow, making it perfect for novice snorkellers to explore prolific sea life, from trevally to octopus to Nemo turtles, while the deeper western side of the island provides more adventurous opportunities.

Known as the “Home of the Manta Ray,” Lady Elliot Island is one of the best places on the Great Barrier Reef to encounter these majestic animals. Divers can also spot green and loggerhead turtles, reef sharks, eagle rays and an incredible variety of tropical fish, with more than 1,200 species of marine life found in the surrounding waters.

Explore colourful coral gardens, dramatic drop-offs, swim-throughs and some of the island’s famous dive sites, including Lighthouse Bommie, Severance and the wreck of the S.S. Lady Elliot. From encounters with manta rays to turtles cruising across the reef, every dive offers the chance to experience the remarkable biodiversity of the southern Great Barrier Reef.

What makes this trip great?

• Stay right on Lady Elliot Island, at the southern tip of the Great Barrier Reef. Enjoy pristine waters less affected by climate change, with incredible diving right from shore.

• Lonely Planet #1 best place to snorkel in the world for snorkelling

• Scuba World tour leader to facilitate group camaraderie and ensure you have the safest, most enjoyable trip.

• Likelihood of double dives, avoiding the need to get in and out of dive gear and wet wetsuits multiple times a day.

• Known as the “Home of the Manta Ray” – one of the best places on the Great Barrier Reef to encounter manta rays.

• April is a fantastic time to visit, with warm water, generally excellent visibility, and plenty of marine life.

• Incredible manta ray encounters, plus green and loggerhead turtles that are super inquisitive and friendly, harmless reef sharks, eagle rays, and tropical fish.

• Explore a great variety of dive sites – coral gardens, bommies, walls, swim-throughs, and wrecks.

• The surrounding reef is a Marine National Park Green Zone, offering healthy coral and abundant marine life.

• Excellent visibility, often 20 metres+, with beautifully clear blue water.

• Eco-resort. Do a "Behind-the-scenes" tour to learn all about the inner workings and history of the island. Peaceful escape for rest and relaxation.

• Delicious and plentiful food, buffet breakfast and lunch. Affordable al-carte lunch options (or buffet).

• Chance to see turtles nesting and late-season hatchlings around this time of year, although unlikely.

• Perfect destination for both divers and non-divers, with snorkelling, glass-bottom boat tours, and island activities available – invite the whole family!

• A beautiful scenic flight including over Platypus Bay and Fraser Island.

Famous for reliable, year-round manta ray encounters, with graceful reef mantas frequently seen cruising over the coral gardens and cleaning stations.

Large schools of reef fish are a signature of Lady Elliot’s waters, with colourful aggregations moving across the reef alongside trevally, barracuda and reef sharks.

Shallow coral gardens and sandy reef slopes are alive with marine life, offering frequent encounters with green and loggerhead turtles, eagle rays, wobbegong sharks and an incredible variety of reef fish.

Stunning coral bommies, channels and drop-offs are covered in vibrant hard and soft corals, creating rich habitat for nudibranchs, anemonefish, moray eels and countless smaller reef critters.

And last but not least, the standout unique experience of Lady Elliot, the turtles! Plentiful, inquisitive and friendly. With a bit of luck one will ask you to scratch its back.

Just a short 50m stroll from the Lagoon, our newly upgraded Eco Cabins feature solid walls, louvres for refreshing airflow, and a spacious glass sliding door. Each cabin accommodates up to 4 adults, with options for twin bunk beds or a double bed (we’ll do our best to meet your bedding preferences, though they aren’t guaranteed). Lighting and power points are in every cabin, plus a ceiling fan for comfort. Relax on your deck with two cozy chairs. Guests have their own room with easy access to shared bathroom facilities, including showers and toilets, conveniently located nearby.

• Shared Bathroom Facilities

• Ceiling Fan

• Guest Laundry with Tea & Coffee Facilities

Located approximately 10 meters from the beautiful coral cay Lagoon, the Reef Units are the closest resort rooms to the Beachfront Dining Room. Arranged in blocks of three, they are ideal for couples or families, offering either a queen bed or a combination of a queen and bunk-style beds. Each unit features polished timber floors, ensuite bathrooms and a balcony to make the most of the island surrounds. The units are fan cooled and have a mini fridge and tea and coffee making facilities.

• Queen Bed/Bunk Bed/ Single Bed

• Ensuite

• Ceiling Fan

• Mini Fridge

• Kettle

• Tea & Coffee

• Hair Dryer

• Private Balcony

• Natural Earth Shampoo & Conditioner

• Natural Earth Body Wash

• Direct Lagoon Access

• Beach Volleyball Court

• Lagoon Bar

• Beachfront dining room

• Childrens playground

• Gift shop

• Guest Laundry

• Dive shop

• Pool table

• Manta Lounge

• Reef Education Centre

• Salt water pool

• Table tennis

• Turtle Room

Meet the tour leader and fellow guests at Hervey Bay Airport.

Enjoy a scenic flight from Hervey Bay, approximately 30–40 minutes. Take in the beautiful view of Platypus Bay and Fraser Island.

Alternatively, flights are available from Redcliffe or Gold Coast.

April typically offers clear, calm, warm waters, fantastic diving and the chance to encounter manta rays and turtle hatchlings.

Visibility is typically around 15–30 metres

• 25–27°C water temperature

• Daytime temperatures typically around 24–27°C

• Evening temperatures around 20–23°C

• Plenty of sunshine with occasional passing showers, typical of the subtropical autumn climate

A Typical Day: Start your morning with a delicious breakfast before heading out for your first dive of the day. With 7 dives included during your stay, there will be plenty of opportunities to explore the incredible underwater world, with additional dives available at extra cost.

Between dives, snorkel through the lagoon alongside turtles, join a glass-bottom boat tour or guided reef walk, explore the island, or simply relax and soak up the beautiful surroundings.

Spend your days diving, snorkelling, exploring and enjoying island life at your own pace. 🌊🐢🤿

Breakfast & dinner daily, buffet-style. Lunch is available at an additional cost

• This trip is ex-Hervey Bay. Upgrades are available ex Redcliffe or Gold Coast.

• Flights include 15kg check-in luggage in soft bag/s (not larger than 70cm x 40cn x 30cm to fit into the small aircraft compartments), plus 1 x personal lap item.

• Up to 10kg additional checked-in luggage available at a cost of approximately $20/kg return

• Prices are subject to changes in supplier rates, including any fuel tax surcharges. The final price will be determined upon payment of the balance.

• We strongly recommend obtaining travel insurance.

• All divers must hold dive evacuation insurance, such as that included with Diver Alert Network (DAN) membership.

• Price includes tanks and weights. Customer must bring their own wetsuits and scuba equipment or arrange to hire at an additional fee.

• Full Terms and Conditions are provided as part of the booking form and must be acknowledged prior to booking.