Idyllic Lizard Island is a tropical paradise surrounded by clear turquoise waters perfect for water sports.
Named by Captain Cook for its yellow-spotted inhabitants, idyllic Lizard Island is a tropical paradise surrounded by clear turquoise waters perfect for water sports.
Wearing a blue wetsuit with lime-green flippers and a pink face mask and snorkel, I am a match for any of the fluoro-coloured fish that flash past in the turquoise waters off Lizard Island on Queensland’s Great Barrier Reef.
I’m not brave when it comes to snorkelling and maybe I have seen one too many blockbuster movies about scary things that live underwater to feel completely at ease, but Tegan, my guide, assures me all will be fine.
Slowly, I gain confidence as she points to ‘Nemo’ lookalikes (ocellaris clownfish) – with the familiar bright orange, black and white striped bodies, darting this way and that.
Next, we visit a hefty potato cod at Cod Hole, about a 50-minute boat ride from the resort that sits on the northern end of the Great Barrier Reef. Divers have dispensation to feed the inquisitive giant cod (weighing as much as 110kg) in the protected marine reserve and it appears they quite like the smorgasbord.
We move on to No Name dive site, where I see coral ‘bommies’ and juvenile species of whitetip reef sharks – harmless I know, but they still set my pulse racing. I am mesmerised by the brightly coloured mandarinfish and parrotfish. We swim around a beautiful wall drop-off that is home to groupers and schools of reef fish wearing rainbow colours. It’s a whole new world under the sea and a once-in-a-lifetime experience exploring the reef that stretches for 2,300 kilometres.
Back on board our boat, the Serranidae, we peel off wetsuits and learn about the fish and coral of the area and life on far-flung Lizard Island.
“Once you fall under its spell, it’s hard to leave,” says deckhand, Jim, who headed to Lizard Island for six months and has stayed two years.
Tegan adds that the beauty of staying on Lizard Island is that you don’t spend half a day getting to the inner and outer reefs because they are close by. “It is breathtakingly beautiful under there and there are so many amazing fish,” she says.
Cruising home, we spot playful dolphins having the time of their lives diving in and out of our wake.
“YACHTS BOB AROUND AND SLEEK BOATS LEAVE A BUBBLY WHITE WAKE.”
If first impressions count, I’m also hooked on Lizard Island. Just getting there is an adventure. The 60-minute flight from Cairns swoops over hundreds of tiny islands that resemble mushroom caps floating in turquoise seas, ringed by fringed reefs. Yachts bob around and sleek boats leave a bubbly white wake.
ARRIVAL IN PARADISE
But nothing quite prepares you for the stunning bird’s-eye view of Lizard Island and its outlying isles of Palfrey Island, South Island and Seabird Islet.
The chic resort features 40 villas and suites, with the star being the cliff-hugging luxury two-bedroom apartment known as The Villa. My understated light-filled beachside suite on Anchor Bay is perfect – only a few steps from a sandy beach lapped by turquoise waters. Its fresh white decor contrasts with the bright blues of the sea and sky. It’s a toss-up whether to throw down a towel and lie on the beach or spread out on the day bed on the deck. But there’s much more to the island than just lazing around. Yoga starts at 7am, followed by a guided snorkel with the resident naturalist to the Clam Gardens, home to giant clams (Tridacna gigas) up to two metres long or if you prefer to stay dry, you can spy on them from glass bottom kayaks.
Want to learn how to paddle board or scuba dive? Beginner courses are offered.
The Essentia Day Spa offers indulgent treatments and massages and there’s a pool for lounging by.
A highlight is being dropped off with a gourmet picnic to a secluded beach – there’s a choice of 24 in all, where you will be the first to leave footprints in the sand.
Lizard Island also has a rich history. The traditional owners, the Dingaal, know it as Jiigurru and they have used its resources for tens of thousands of years. Captain James Cook climbed to its peak in 1770 to find a way out of the reefs that were impeding his progress. He gave the island its European name for the yellow-spotted goannas that also call it home. Energetic guests can do the 3.5 hour climb to Cook’s Look, or for a less vigorous walk, try the 30-minute trek to Chinaman’s Ridge. From both, the views are breathtaking.
You will discover a sad tale at the ruins of Mary Watson’s cottage, the wife of a bêche-de-mer (sea cucumber) fisherman dating back to 1881 when she was attacked by Aborigines. She escaped with her baby and Chinese servant in a cut-down boiler from a sunken ship but perished at sea. She is part of Australia’s pioneering history.
The resort also organises weekly visits to the world-renowned Lizard Island Research Stations established by the Australian Museum in 1973. It attracts up to 300 top international and national scientists and researchers annually, and the tour provides great insight into the reef research.
MEMORIES TO TAKE HOME
Back in the lodge, I settle in the lounge with a Drunken Lizard cocktail from the Driftwood Bar to watch a video of my marine encounters. It’s followed by a fine dinner at the ocean view Salt Water Restaurant of seafood and a decadent dessert, while a gentle breeze blows across the deck on a star-studded night.
For a change of pace, the next evening, I wander over to the rustic Marlin Bar on the beach, where the dress code is no shoes to hear tall tales from local yachties about fishing and boating escapades.
But nothing beats the blood-red sunset that streaks the sky on this picturesque island and I find that just like Jim, I don’t want to leave.