Our Island Homes….

Our expedition takes past more than 20 reefs, cays & coral islands, but unfortunately there are only three in the first 200km on which we're allowed to land. 
This has meant a bit of logistical pre-arrangements with the owners & managers of two of the three islands to accommodate us & our likely unpredictable schedule.

The first stop is Lady Elliot Island, a beautiful coral island some 90km off the coast which is a mecca for divers eco-tourists & a working research station. Peter Gash & his staff have promised us a warm welcome, a meal & a proper bed for our night's stay, & we're grateful for their hospitality & flexibility. 

Lady Elliot can be reach by plane from a few of the coastal towns on the mainland, and is a spectacular destination, somewhat off the beaten tourist track. You can see everything the place has to offer on their website, www.ladyelliot.com.au.
The second of our 5-star stopovers is the world renowned Heron Island. It's one of the few places where you can actually stay on the reef, no boat trips to get to your snorkelling site, everything right there. 

This is a much more widely known destination, with a myriad range of activities as well as the world class diving & snorkelling. One of the residents of the island is the research station manger Tim Harvey, a former BCU instructor who still paddles an original Nordkapp!

We've promised to spend a few hours on the water with Tim when we arrive. John Johansen & his team on Heron have also thrown down the welcome mat, allowing us a flexible landing date & setting aside some accommodation for us in the resort.
We're also planning camping stops on North West Island, Lady Musgrave & Great Keppel Island, so there is no shortage of natural beauty surrounding us in the evenings, after what are sure to be some long & testing days on the water.
We're grateful to John & Peter for being so supportive of our adventure, & look forward to getting out to their islands to share a quiet beer.