By Rama Gaind.
| “Life is an island. People come out of the sea, cross the island, and return to the sea. But this short life is long and beautiful. In getting to know nature man exalts the wonder and beauty of life.” – Martiros Saryan |
Australia’s famed natural wonder, the Great Barrier Reef, is a World Heritage-Listed inspiration. A site of remarkable variety and beauty on the northeast coast, it is one of the seven wonders of the natural world.
It is larger than the Great Wall of China and the only living thing on earth visible from space.
This is a stunning, aerial view of Heart Reef Lagoon in the Great Barrier Reef. Photo: Rama Gaind
The Great Barrier Reef has over 100 islands, from unique and exotic to the Whitsundays and the amazing northern islands, all of which will redefine your idea of paradise. Viewing it from a greater distance, you can understand why.
You’ll find every kind of beauty, adventure and luxury in the Whitsundays, at the heart of Queensland’s Great Barrier Reef. So much has been happening in this region – particularly of late.
Heart Island
When it comes to picturesque reefs, it doesn’t get much more quintessential than the Whitsunday’s iconic Heart Reef Lagoon. Until recently, you soared above the magical reef and saw it from the air on a scenic flight. Now, you get a chance to get up-close-and-personal with the launch of ‘Heart Island’.
For the first time, visitors are able to get a close-up view of the intricacies of the iconic coral formation. A mammoth effort has gone into this project after a decade of development and an investment of over $2 million.
Heart Island is exclusive to guests of Hamilton Island and is designed to look as if it was built for James Bond himself. It is only accessible via helicopter. Developed by Hamilton Island Air, the state-of-the-art, split-level pontoon caters for only six guests at a time.
This ‘island’ – 60 kilometres northeast of Queensland’s Hamilton Island – is actually a state-of-the-art pontoon, designed to be ecologically sustainable, moored in sand and powered by wind and solar.
The journey to Heart Island involves a 30-minute scenic helicopter flight over the Whitsunday Islands and Whitehaven Beach before approaching the Great Barrier Reef.
The journey to Heart Island involves a 30-minute scenic helicopter flight over the Whitsunday Islands and Whitehaven Beach before approaching the Great Barrier Reef. After arriving at Heart Island, guests can expect to board a futuristic glass-bottom boat, especially designed and customised for Heart Island, before making the short journey to the Heart Reef itself.
After exploring the Heart Reef by boat, guests will have the opportunity to snorkel around the coral in the neighbouring lagoons before returning to Heart Island for refreshments and a swim off the pontoon itself.
This experience costs $999 per person, aged 14 years and above and includes a return scenic helicopter flight, tour of Heart Reef, snorkelling equipment and light catering.
Within the Whitsunday Islands at the edge of the Great Barrier Reef, Hamilton Island is located off the coast of Queensland. Here visitors can experience everything that’s great about Australia – natural landscapes, calm turquoise waters, secluded beaches, beautiful weather, fascinating coral reefs, diverse flora and fauna.
If being adventurous is your passion, then this is where you must be to soak up the tropical, laid-back lifestyle.
Underwater hotel
Enchantment under the see is what you get with a Reefworld experience at Australia’s first underwater hotel on the Great Barrier Reef.
Meet Master Reef Guide Natalie Lobartolo at Lady Elliot Island where turtle-mating season is underway.
Moored offshore at Hardy Reef, 40 nautical miles from Airlie Beach, Reefworld is the setting for your spectacular overnight Reefsuite experience. The new $10 million floating hotel with underwater suites has opened and has been hailed a “game changer”.
Fitted with floor-to-ceiling windows and ensuites, this is the ideal way to ‘escape’ as there’s is no Wi-Fi or phone signal. The two exclusive suites sit four metres below the surface, with just three inches of glass separating guests from the reef life outside. At night as outside lights illuminate the surrounding waters, you’ll have a front row seat to the dazzling underwater world of the Great Barrier Reef!
Developed by Cruise Whitsundays and the Queensland Government, the project began in 2017 when the pontoon was being reconstructed after damage from Cyclone Debbie.
Turtle time in Queensland
The Whitsundays is wowing underwater visitors with sculptures dotted around popular locations easily reached by day trippers and bare boaters. Take your snorkel and fins and spot the Maori Wrasse at Blue Pearl Bay Hayman Island, the Manta Ray sculptures at Mantra Ray Bay, Hook Island and the turtles at Langford Spit near Hayman Island.
For more information, go to:
https://reefecologic.org/project/wrap/
https://www.tourismwhitsundays.com.au/underwater-marine-sculptures
Turtle hatchlings as photographed at Mon Repos beach, 12 kilometres from Bundaberg.
Meet Master Reef Guide Natalie Lobartolo at Lady Elliot Island where turtle-mating season is underway.
Master Reef Guides is a gold standard visitor service that allows travellers to the reef to see it pretty much the same way that a marine biologist does. They are the translators of science who are able to provide the up-to-date information on what’s happening on the reef. Launched in February 2019, Master Reef Guides is an initiative delivered by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority.
Find more details at http://www.gbrmpa.gov.au/our-partners/master-reef-guides
Turn off the National Geogrphic documentary, get off the couch and see nature – live and up close! Every year, between November and March, Bundaberg moonlights as ‘Turtle Town’, as Mumma turtles come back to nest, rest, and pave the way for hundreds of hatchlings to emerge six weeks later.
Home to the largest concentration of nesting marine turtles on the eastern seaboard of Australia, Mon Repos (‘my rest’), about 12 kilometres east of Bundaberg, is the most significant nesting population of the endangered Loggerhead turtle.
Guided turtle tours can be booked via the Bundaberg Visitor Information Centre or online. Ongoing successful breeding at Mon Repos is vital to the survival of the species, which is why Rangers are especially vigilant to ensure both nesting and hatching turtles are kept safe!
Visit:
www.derm.qld.gov.au/parks/mon-repos/about.html/
www.bundabergregion.org/turtles
DETAILS BOX
Tourism and Events Queensland
Tourism Whitsundays
Tourism Tropical North Queensland
www.tropicalnorthqueensland.org.au
Great Barrier Reef
www.greatbarrierreef.org
Heart Reef Tour
www.hamiltonisland.com.au
Cruise Whitsundays
