Travel: Wanderlust

Island haven back in swim

Kerry Heaney

DAYDREAMING of a winter break on a Barrier Reef tropical island where you can dive and snorkel among the coral?

Your dreams can come true when Lady Elliot Island reopens on June 13 for overnight guests and day trips from Brisbane.

Lady Elliot is within 250km of the Gold Coast, Brisbane, Hervey Bay and Bundaberg via a scenic day flight.

Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort owner Peter Gash says the family-run island will operate on a 50 per cent-bed capacity under their COVIDSafe plan. This ensures all operations comply with strict Queensland Health guidelines.

Peter also operates the Seair light aircraft that will whisk you from Redcliffe Airport to Lady Elliot and back for the best reef day trip from Brisbane. The plane boards early morning and flies up the coastline past the holiday spots of Mooloolaba and Noosa and the contrasting sands of Rainbow Beach.

After an 80-minute flight, guests arrive at Lady Elliot, and it doesn’t take long before you are dipping into the water and swimming among the coral.

Manta rays and turtles are frequently spotted here, and divers and snorkellers both find tropical fish, sea cucumbers, starfish, clams and sea urchins.

Guided snorkel tours and snorkel safaris help ensure everyone gets a chance to explore the reef. There is also a glass-bottomed boat, which reveals all the underwater action as you glide over the surface.

On low tide the beach becomes a different sort of wonderland as the island’s marine biologists take groups out to explore the littoral zone. Be sure to pack a pair of old sandshoes or beach shoes to walk among the coral. Bright-blue starfish are plentiful here.

It doesn’t take long to walk around this 45-hectare coral cay island, which is home to 88 species of birds. Once mined for guano, it is now a wildlife sanctuary.

Peter has put Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort at the environment forefront with hybrid solar-power stations replacing diesel engines.

The Lady Elliot daytrip flight gives you five hours to explore the island. You’ll be able to pack in plenty during that time, including a swim, snorkel, beach walk, island exploration and lunch.

For more information, visit ladyelliot.com.au. 71 52048aj

Kind Regards form the Great Value Holidays Team ***Coronavirus (COVID-19) update***

• Great Value Holidays is a 100% QLD family operated tour company specializing in

Seniors Travel • In these uncertain times, we wanted to reach out to advise of the current situation with our tours. • 95% of our valued customers are Queenslanders visiting our wonderful Outback and Coastal destinations. • We have no overseas customers travelling due the current travel bans on coming into Australia. • We are in the process of deferring tours to later in the year when things are safe. • Should the situation change we will be guided by

Government Advice at that time. • We are proud to be part of the QLD Tourism Industry and confident we can navigate through this together and continue travelling in our incredible country

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20 ESCAPE Soak up the charms of Kiwi hotspot

BATHED IN BEAUTY: The 15km Tarawera Trail is based around Lake Tarawera, near Rotorua, New Zealand. The trail ends in Mt Tarawera’s shadow. Pictures: Graeme Wilson

FOLLOWING last December’s tragic eruption on White Island, it was with some trepidation that I contemplated tackling New Zealand’s latest great walk.

The 15km Tarawera Trail near Rotorua ends in the shadows of active volcano Mt Tarawera, responsible for the country’s most devastating eruption in 1886.

It took the lives of more than 100 locals – completely burying a nearby village – with ash spread across 15,000sq km and the accompanying roar heard almost 1000km away in Christchurch.

But with history showing the average space between eruptions is about 1500 years, and zero recent sign of activity, my partner and I set off justifiably confident that this sleeping giant was unlikely to reawaken any Immerse yourself in nature with lakeside walk Graeme Wilson time soon.

The free walk starts on the shores of Lake Tarawera, about a 15-minute drive from downtown Rotorua in the North Island, and winds its way around the lake with picnic and toilet facilities along the way.

While some choose to make a full day of the picturesque undulating return walk from the Te Wairoa carpark to Te Rata Bay (Hot Water Beach), we decided to spend a leisurely five hours on the one-way trip.

That still allowed time for a well-earned relax in the heated lake waters at journey’s end before a 15- minute water taxi ride provided a rapid return to our starting point.

On arrival at Hot Water Beach, you’re greeted by plumes of steam spiralling invitingly upwards as boiling water from thermal springs creates a naturally heated shoreside spa.

Along the preceding path, short climbs and descents alternate as you work your way from pumice-strewn lakeside beaches to elevated vantage points among the native ferns so famously replicated on the jerseys of New Zealand sporting teams.

The Kiwis are justifiably proud of the renowned beauty of their country and we deliberately took our time to stop regularly and take it all in.

We encountered just a few fellow hikers on our walk and, of course, the trail has been even quieter in the past few months, with New Zealanders locked down during a highly successful response to contain the COVID-19 virus that has decimated other parts of the world.

But the hope is that with both Australia and New Zealand having standout success in managing the virus, country borders will soon reopen to allow transTasman travel.

When that happens, I highly recommend you grab the chance to venture across “the ditch” and enjoy all our near neighbours have to offer – and as a bonus be able to do it in relative peace as the rest of the world remains locked out and watching on in envy.

Rotorua itself is New Zealand’s cultural tourism capital and staying a night either side of your Tarawera walk opens up many exciting opportunities.

Maybe take a mountain bike ride in the vast forestry areas, stroll through the awe-inspiring Redwood Memorial Grove, and ride the gondola to the top of Mt Ngongotaha to take in panoramic views of Rotorua

and surrounds.

And if Hot Water Beach has you hooked on the soothing qualities of a dip in steaming water, drop into the newly reopened Secret Spot Hot Tubs.

Fully submerge yourself in the soothing, healing waters, or choose to just soak your feet while enjoying a glass or two of your favourite beverage.

Sweet as.

The trail’s short climbs and descents alternate as you work your way from pumice-strewn lakeside beaches to elevated vantage points among the native ferns.

‘‘ The Kiwis are justifiably proud of the beauty of their country and we deliberately took our time to stop regularly and take it all in.