Visit Lady Elliot Island with kids

Lady Elliot Island amazingness – for kids, families and couples

Lady Elliot Island is one of our favourite places in the world and an incredible spot for swimming with turtles, mantas and marine life. Lady Elliot is a little island off the east coast of Australia, in the southern Great Barrier Reef. It’s an incredible spot, a little island made of coral and bird poo in a pristine environment that as guests we are so very lucky to get a glimpse into.

The easiest way to get there is by plane on a gorgeous journey over coastline and ocean.  We flew out from Hervey Bay, over Fraser Island, the Pacific Ocean and onto the grass runway that cuts straight down the middle of Lady Elliot. Emmie and I literally jumped off the plane and were straight into the lagoon to find our beloved green turtles, loggerhead turtles and blacktip reef sharks. And of course there they all were, waiting for us.

Our true love, Lady Elliot Island

Then it was time for our snorkel safari, a daily guided snorkel out in the open water on the other side of the island.

This is when we had our most incredible experience to-date [sorry turtles]. Mantas! Mantas everywhere. Led by Phil and Natalie we found beautiful mantas gliding and soaring through the water, coming right up to us with their huge mouths open, before darting away, white and black and some with little cobia hugging onto their backs.

Another oh my gosh amazing moment! There were so many of them.

Can you imagine how amazing it was to share this experience with Emmie? The first time swimming with mantas for both of us. It was so incredible that Phil organised another snorkel that afternoon, and then we went again the following day, morning and afternoon.

The rest of our days were the same, snorkelling with mantas, swimming with turtles, reef walking, eating and eating from the delicious buffets, swimming the swimming pool, watching spectacular sunrises and sunsets and finding turtle tracks in the morning. It’s nesting season on the island and if you’re lucky you may see a turtle digging her nest and laying her eggs. We didn’t see them laying their eggs, but we did see their tracks in the morning.

Morning turtle tracks – this one had made a nest and laid her eggs just up at the scrub line

This visit all the cabins were booked so we stayed in an ‘eco lodge’. Two sets of bunks with shared amenities – and it was perfectly fine. The showers and toilets are spotless, and I don’t think we ever saw anyone else in there. The rooms were cool, with an electric fan we only used one night. It’s a fabulous option and costs a bit less than the cabins.

Our eco lodge!

There are many, many things that make Lady Elliot Island a magical place. It’s perfect for a family holiday, there is so much to learn and do. The staff there are so wonderful and caring and interested and they really seemed to LOVE having Emmie aboard, they taught her so much and were so patient and caring with her. We love Lady Elliot Island and I really ecourage everyone to do their best to get there. This trip was just three days for us and while we would have loved to stay longer you can certainly have a great stay for this amount of time.

Try to get there, you will LOVE IT! I hope you go, I really hope you go. And when you do, please come back here and tell me how amazing it was. xo

Turtle Time at Lady Elliot Island. One of the best places to visit with kids!