Summer has officially arrived! The sun is shining, the ocean is inviting and it’s time to make some memories! Just a short car ride from Brisbane, the Southern Great Barrier Reef is your next dreamy island getaway, and the team at Lady Musgrave Experience are ready and waiting to share with you this untouched slice of paradise and the magical moments that go with it.
The Pitter Patter of Tiny Turtle Flippers
If your kinda holiday includes ticking once-in-a-lifetime moments off your bucket list, then Lady Musgrave Experience has got you covered! We’re talking sleeping on the reef, extraordinary underwater meet and greets and the spectacular phenomenon of turtles nesting and hatching!
Every October to January, Mumma Turtles return to the beach they were born, to haul up onto the sand dunes and lay a clutch of eggs before returning to the ocean. Then, around 6 weeks later, these nests erupt with the chaotic energy of hundreds of hatchlings, excitedly flip and flap their newfound flippers all the way down to the wide open ocean, following the lowest light in the sky to the horizon.
Although the Southern Great Barrier Reef is home to turtles 365 days of the year, there’s nothing quite like the magic of turtle season!
Rise & Shine in Paradise
Wake up to the sun gently creeping up over the horizon, 360’ views of the lagoon and the sound of the waves gently lapping against the pontoon. Early mornings have never been easier.
With tickets including VIP transfers in the Captains Premium Lounge on the luxury catamaran, meals showcasing seasonal local produce lovingly prepared by LME’s onboard chef, and all the perks of the day tour - this is our kind of castaway! The three level pontoon nestled in the sheltered waters of the lagoon has zero carbon footprint, and features the most sustainable and eco-friendly build in the world. (It’s also completely powered by wind and solar!)
Days spent snorkelling the Southern Great Barrier Reef, exploring the natural beauty of Lady Musgrave Island, sunset picnics on the beach and dinner under the stars, these are the sort of memories you’ll share around the dinner table for years to come.
Meeting Turtle-y Awesome Locals
If your little ones like Finding Nemo, then they are going to love this! Eye-spy is taken to a whole new level when you are trying to spot the marine life that cruise through the pristine waters of the Southern Great Barrier Reef.
Peep through the glass bottom boat to see the crews resident favourite clownfish couple Margaret and Brian going about their daily life in their anemone or flick your eyes across the surface to spot the Green Turtle as it swims up for a breath of air, kindly pointed out by the knowledgeable skipper.
Back to school, Show & Tell is sorted when your kids burst with excitement sharing their snorkel selfies and stories of their adventures! (Major parent brownie points!)
Take the plunge and book this memory to last a lifetime with the family!
Swim with Turtles
Pop your flippers on and explore the aquarium of abundant marine life and vibrant corals in the lagoon. Cruise past an endangered hawksbill turtle, receiving some beauty treatment at the cleaning station and say g’day to the chilled out Loggerhead that’s just doin’ his thing.
Lady Musgrave HQ is positioned in the perfect parking spot for guests to snorkel through the underwater playground easily and safely, as well as the in-water snorkel guides and crew on the look out to ensure you are having the best time.
The calm and tranquil waters of the lagoon are perfect enough to convert any die-hard pool preferer, and whether this is your first dip or you’re a seasoned snorkel pro, these enchanting waters and their majestic marine life make every swim unique.
Hop, skip and splash into the Southern Great Barrier Reef, and swim alongside the friendly locals.
Marine Bio For A Day
See the spark of conservation light up your little ones eyes as they hop aboard Lady Musgrave Experience and become a citizen scientist for a day! Hosted by real life Marine Biologists, budding eco warriors will tour the island, and discover all about the protected marine park and reef ecosystem, before diving straight into the action with a guided 30 minute snorkel session. The valuable data collected is submitted to an online database, that’s used by experts such as the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority – making a difference already!
The enthusiasm and passion for sustainability radiates from the Marine Biologists, and as the kids wave goodbye to their new besties they’ve spent the day learning from, they take with them a sense of responsibility for the reef and a understanding of the importance their everyday can play in the protection of these beautiful creatures (oh and a certificate and eco pack!).
Play Marine Biologist and add it to your Lady Musgrave Experience Day Trip for just $55pp!
Wellness, Yoga & Mother Nature
Where better to find your inner Zen than surrounded by the glistening turquoise waters of the Southern Great Barrier Reef! Breathe in the fresh ocean air, and soak up the vitamin d of the summer sun as the experienced instructors from Happiness Yoga guide you through meditation, yoga and Pilates to get your energy flowing and balance restored.
Amongst the beauty of Lady Musgrave Island, connect with nature on glass bottom boat tours, guided island walks through the shade of the Pisonia trees and snorkelling alongside the friendly marine life of the lagoon. When you’re at a Lady Musgrave Experience Wellness & Yoga Retreat, you’re on island time – here your mornings are filled with flow sessions, breathwork, medicine drums and a cacao ceremony, whilst your evenings are spent on sunset cruises, turtle tours and dancing under the stars on Lady Musgrave HQ.
So next time you take a moment to reflect, or stretch into a downward dog, you’ll remember your retreat to the paradise of Lady Musgrave Island, and the memories made with like-minded souls.
Immerse yourself on Lady Musgrave Experience’s next Wellness & Yoga Retreat.
Island Mode: Activated
Welcome to Wallaginju, the local Indigenous name for Lady Musgrave Island, meaning ‘beautiful reef’. Channel your inner explorer and step onto the uninhabited coral cay for a guided island walk. Greeted by your guide, you’ll be led on a 40-minute guided through the shaded Pisonia grandis forest, hearing stories of the islands past, acknowledgment of the traditional owners, and the abundant wildlife and surrounding 3,000 acres of reef and water.
A significant seabird breeding island, home to white-capped noddy terns, black noddy terns and silver gulls - this little slice of paradise is a bird watchers haven!
Discovering the dreamy untouched paradise of Lady Musgrave Island is truly breathtaking, and a memory you’ll think of every time you curl upon the sofa and flick on a David Attenborough Documentary.
Step ashore and explore the island for yourself, included in a Lady Musgrave Island Day Tour.
Travel for Good
Travelling for good has never been easier, as Lady Musgrave Experience brings together sustainable travel, luxury world-class offerings and unforgettable once-in-a-lifetime experiences with no compromise! Surrounded by a crew, who are committed to protecting the reef, and advocates for sustainable and environmentally friendly practices - you can’t help but feel inspired.
Lady Musgrave Experience will always hold a little place in your heart helping you not only to connect with nature but to Country. Their passion for sharing Traditional Owners spiritual connection to the land and sea, is not only shown through their Respecting Our Culture certification from Ecotourism Australia, but their work with local indigenous land and sea rangers, providing guests with a deeper understanding of how to care for the place we live, work and play, and just maybe, leaving it a little better than we found it.
Give your holiday the green tick of approval with Lady Musgrave Experience.
Dive In Deeper
There is a whole new world waiting to be explored, just under the surface! Practically untouched, the pristine and intricate coral formations, caves and ledges are home to Turtles, Anemones, Black Tip Reef Sharks, Manta Rays, and more reef fish than you can point your GoPro at. Whether you are a beginner, donning the mask for the first time and taking advantage of the calm, sheltered waters of the lagoon, or certified diver wanting to explore the more remote sites of the outer reef, Lady Musgrave Experience’s qualified and experienced dive crew will ensure your diving experience is world class.
A playground for scuba addicts, with unrivalled access to the pristine Bunker Group; Lady Musgrave, Fairfax & Hoskyn Islands, Lady Musgrave Experience is in a league of its own. After a day’s adventures exploring the outer reefs, larger dive groups can catch some ZZZ’s in the Underwater Observatory Liveaboard Bunk Bed make a weekend of it, checking into their underwater observatory digs, taking sleeping on the reef to a whole new level!
Fin Slaps & High Fives
Every year, between July and October the pristine waters of the Southern Great Barrier Reef play pitstop to the humpback whales that migrate the highway of ocean between the Antarctic and the tropics. The ideal training ground for young calves to learn essential survival skills and bond with their mothers before taking on the big wide world of the open ocean!
As an Ecotourism Australia certified Advanced Ecotourism experience, you can take a breath knowing that the Lady Musgrave Team take every measure for you to have an incredible experience, whilst posing no harm to these majestic creatures. Just like any natural wildlife experience, it’s not always guaranteed you’ll see the whales, however Lady Musgrave Experience have a 100% success rate on all of their whale watching tours, and a host of dedicated staff to make the waiting game exciting and memorable.
Getting up close with these big beauties are always bucket-list worthy, and watching adventurous juveniles breach in between waves, or mothers and babies bond will have you and the whole family high fiving (or fin slapping if we’re talking whale) over this moment for years to come!