Rich with marine life and a significant seabird breeding ground, Lady Musgrave Island is surrounded by a peaceful and protected turquoise lagoon, making it an incredible location to snorkel and dive. The best way to discover it is with independently-certified High Standard Tourism Operator Lady Musgrave Experience (LME).
Now open for bookings, the new three-level Lady Musgrave HQ pontoon is the Southern Great Barrier Reef’s first permanent underwater sleep-on-the-reef accommodation. It’s an extraordinary example of sustainable construction and eco-tourism. It’s 100 per cent powered by solar and wind. Lady Musgrave Experience is working to establish a new reef ecosystem around the HQ pontoon, by transplanting and propagating coral for marine life to enjoy.
Lady Musgrave Experience actively adopts environmental protection, reef resilience and tourism sustainability well above the legislated levels, which is why it was awarded the coveted High Standard and Advanced Eco badges by Ecotourism Australia and EarthCheck.
Travel in style by high-speed catamaran from the Port of Bundaberg at Burnett Heads to Lady Musgrave Experience’s permanent mooring in the Marine Park Green Zone. Having a permanent mooring means they don’t have to anchor to the reef, keeping their impact to a minimum. As a result of LME’s regular presence and strict “look but don’t touch” policy, the local marine life trust guests enough to swim right alongside them. Knowing LME guests do not pose a threat, curious sea turtles reward snorkelers and divers with playful upclose encounters.
As well as eliminating single use plastics on board, Lady Musgrave Experience strongly encourages its guests to use reef safe sunscreens that do not contain harmful chemicals. As a Citizen of the Great Barrier Reef, LME contributes to the charity’s Citizen Science Program by spending countless hours conducting reef tourism and health impact surveys and helping control crown of thorns and drupella. Gidarjil Land and Sea Rangers join in many of these monitoring activities. They generously share their knowledge, stories, history and perspectives to provide guests with a deeper understanding of Traditional Owner connection to country, ensuring the sustainable management of the Marine Park.
If you want to contribute to reef research and conservation, or have ever wondered what it would be like to be a marine biologist, here’s your chance. Lady Musgrave Experience guests can learn how to monitor the reef’s ecosystem or spend a day swimming alongside their Master Reef Guides, by becoming A Marine Biologist for a Day or joining the Reef Keeper Program. There are junior immersive programs too for children ages six and up. Subsidised by the Queensland Government, school groups regularly attend educational excursions aboard LME.
By touring with Lady Musgrave Experience you may even be leaving the reef a little better than you found it!
Photo credit: Tracy Olive
Find out more at www.ladymusgraveexperience.com.au