Lady Elliot Island

Step from the beach into the reef

Uncovering the mystery of Australia’s iconic Great Barrier Reef is within a short 40-minute scenic flight from the Fraser Coast to magical Lady Elliot Island.

Experiencing the wonders of healthy coral reefs and an abundance of turtles, dolphins, manta rays and reef sharks is as simple as stepping off the beach and into the ocean with an average visibility of about 25m-plus all year round.

Lady Elliot Island is a 45 hectare coral cay at the southern tip of the reef, 130km north-east of Hervey Bay. The flight from the airport at Hervey Bay over the Great Sandy Strait and Fraser Island is a miniadventure in itself.

Lady Elliot Island is in a highly protected Green Zone and is a sanctuary for more than 1200 species of marine life. The island is known as the “home of the manta ray” with more than 1000 recorded in the vicinity.

Going Up? Hervey Bay is the busiest access point to Lady Elliot with three return flights carrying up to 19 passengers each day. The island is an exclusive destination, only serviced by Seair Pacific. Boat access is impractical because of the absence of landing sites.

Lady Elliot Island has also been named as one of the top five destinations in the world to scuba dive with manta rays and is among the best locations on the Great Barrier Reef to dive and snorkel. The manta rays are more active between May and August but can be seen all year round.

The island has the second-highest diversity of bird species on the Great Barrier Reef with up to 95 different species of seabirds, land birds and shorebirds. Perfect for twitchers!

Divers can enjoy the surrounding reef with a fascinating mix of hard and soft corals and more than 18 different dive sites, including wreck dives and a blow hole. Recently introduced clear-bottom kayak tours give visitors a different perspective on the reef.

Prince Charles visited Lady Elliot Island in 2018 for a Reef Roundtable, meeting leaders from industry and government to discuss the protection of the critical habitats and species.

The eco resort has been recognised for its dedication to the protection and preservation of the natural asset, winning bronze in the ecotourism category of the 2018 Australian Tourism Awards and gold in the Queensland Tourism Awards in 2019.

Lady Elliot Island home of the Manta Ray

Southern Great Barrier Reef

Did you know that you can visit the Great Barrier Reef from the Fraser Coast?

Lady Elliot Island is a coral cay located on the southern tip of the Great Barrier Reef, just north of Fraser Island. The island is situated within a highly protected ‘Green Zone’ of the Marine National Park and is a sanctuary for over 1,200 species of marine life. Lady Elliot is regarded as one of the best snorkelling and diving locations on the Great Barrier Reef and is renowned for its healthy coral reef and abundance of turtles, manta rays, reef sharks and the entire cast of ‘Finding Nemo’.

Turtle Nesting Season: Oct - Feb

Turtle Hatching Season: Feb - Apr

Whale Migration Season: Jul - Oct Day trips and overnight stays available with three scheduled flights per day ex Hervey Bay. Flights also departing from Bundaberg, Brisbane (Redcliffe) and Gold Coast.