Since I only had 10 days to visit massive Australia, my travels had to be quick and easy. I left Wolgan Valley in the wee hours of the morning to get to the Sydney Airport for my flight to Cairns and chartered flight to Lizard Island. I requested blankets, pillows and breakfast boxes for my journey down the valley and into the city. Sometimes, all you have to do is Just Ask. :)
Arriving in Paradise
After traveling a long 10 hours (including a fly over the Great Barrier Reef), I landed on majestic Lizard Island. I was swept away by its’ beauty and the staff’s hospitality. It almost felt like I was on a movie set because everything was so pristine and perfect. I was welcomed by the General Manager and the staff all clad in white holding my favorite beverage, a bubbly flute of champagne! Just hearing the sound of the lulling waves put me into a sense of calm. The rugged mountains in the distance and the blue green scintillating water just a few barefoot steps away struck me with awe delight. I sat down to some fresh oysters from Tasmania and a fresh grilled white snapper that was caught right off the island. After a hearty lunch, I returned to my beach front room (I was upgraded to my delight thanks to an awesome Aussie travel concierge called The Tailor and then sauntered down the beach steps from the sliding screen door. Cabanas and lounge chairs were laid along the sand and I slowly walked to the water and dove in. That salty taste on my lips and face just brought the grandest smile to my face. I think this is what is called paradise.
Exploring The Great Barrier Reef
There are many water activities at this resort from paddle boarding to water bikes to dinghy rides. It would be very remiss of me if I didn’t mention the diving and snorkeling trips to the inner and outer Great Barrier Reef, one of the 7 wonders of the natural world! It was a bit choppy getting to the Inner Bank, but when I plopped myself into the blue green water and went face down, I was in awe. It was the most beautiful place to snorkel. The enormous and colorful clams were what struck me the most with their brilliant greens, purples and blues. There was an abundance of fish such as a Rainbow Runner, Cuttlefish, shark (ah!), Black Jack, Golden Trevally, and Yellowtail. Sometimes I would just hover over a huge clam in astonishment and just watch the fish pick at the clam. My lasting memory was a clam basically winking at me as I swam and said goodbye. ha! It was the most exquisite snorkeling I’ve ever done and maybe just maybe I would learn how to dive as it’s so shallow where you can view so many different species of fish, starfish, coral and sea algae. I was literally blown away. After snorkeling, I went back to the resort and learned how to paddle board! Now I can check that off my bucket list, too! It has always been an activity I wanted to try and it was easy gliding on the picturesque Coral Sea.
Enjoying the Service
It was crazy to believe that I was on an island at this all-inclusive resort smack dab in the middle of the Great Barrier Reef. Australia is the land down under on the Southern Hemisphere, so the Aussies were going into their winter season. Since I was one of the few guests on the island at this time you can imagine the superior service I received. All of the staff are from various parts of the world loving their jobs on Lizard Island and they showered me with their impeccable know how. I ate seafood every day as it was local and fresh. Trying some of the Australian Shiraz wines was a treat as well! Anything and everything was at my finger tips. I owe it all to my great travel research and The Tailor.
Life in Paradise Continues
My next morning started with a short trip to Watson’s Bay where I had a nice view of the resort and surrounding beaches. A dinghy driver picked me up with coolers of picnic fare and drinks, snorkel gear, chairs and umbrellas and drove me to another part of the island where I would be the only one there to swim with the sea turtles. They were fairly large in size, so I kept at a distance to not scare them away. What lovely peaceful creatures. If you love water activities, Lizard Island has everything at your fingertips even water bikes! If hiking is more of your thing, there’s an arduous hike called Cook’s Look Out, which takes close to four hours and straight up a mountain. It’s best to start early in the morning as it gets hot and it’s a steep climb. Bring loads of water! If you’d like any other hiking tips, Just Ask!
Night Adventures
At night you can eat in the open air dining room or have a burger or pizza at the local Marlin bar, which is for boaters—or as they say on Lizard Island, boatees. I loved this place as I could walk right out of my room down to the beach and the bar was right there. It’s also a great spot to hob nob with the Lizard Island snorkeling guide, skipper or server and not have them wait on you for a change. I liked this vibe the best because it was casual and fun to talk about their lives and whereabouts. To top off the evening, I watched the enormous golden sun dip slowly into the Coral Sea. It was the most peaceful end to my magical day. And best of all, I did this every evening of my stay and was then lulled to sleep by the crashing waves. Blissful!
Stay tuned for Aussie Part 3: Sydney
