A grand time on Lady E!
13 October 2022 | Lady Elliot Island, Great Barrier Reef, AU
Maggie
Lady Elliot Island is the southern most entry point to the Great Barrier Reef...
and this was to be our home for the next three days and two nights...
encompassing my birthday quite by chance!
The flight out in a 12 seater from Bundaberg (yes, home to the makers of Bundaberg ginger beer and where we left JURNEE safely in a campground near the lighthouse) to Lady E took half an hour in howling winds during which time many thoughts of impending doom ran thro my mind as the ocean below was covered in whitecaps!
We circled the island prior to landing, this tiny island 50 miles off shore with a circumference of 1.5 miles, surrounded by a barrier reef that miraculously stops giant ocean waves from coming too close!
It is home to the manta ray and to many species of birds that return every year to breed, our favorite: the white capped noddy's that kept us thoroughly entertained as we watched them build their seemingly unsustainable nests!
Our welcome was warm
our easterly facing accommodation comfy
our meals incredibly delicious
and our daily snorkeling filled with wonders like green backed turtles that are actually brown but whose fatty layers are, apparently, green;
huge spotted groupers;
a plethora of multicolored fish of every shape and size;
a squad of squid;
beautifully colored coral and shells that were ginormous!
We met lovely dinner companions and enjoyed great conversation as we celebrated my birthday ever so quietly in this magical place far, far away from internet and the rest of the world!
I killed Nev in 3:13…
We read a lot.
The weather improved daily and last night we watched a gorgeous sunset from the beach at the lighthouse, one of my most favorite things to do.
It truly was quite spectacular being here and we felt beyond blessed to have experienced the magic of this place.
Today I turned 62
Reverse the numbers and I would be 26
the exact age I was when Stephen was born!
Happy birthday to you too my child ♥️🥂♥️
PS THANK YOU so much to everyone for the sweet wishes and words received when we touched down again today... so loved and appreciated every single one of them 🥂🥂🥂cheers to you all!