Lady Elliot Great Barrier Reef Island - family escapes Official Website

Australia voted the Best Country to Visit Worldwide (general) - Lady Elliot Island News
Australia has been awarded as the "Best Country to Visit Worldwide" in this year’s British Travel Awards.

Wild fish using tool (general) - Internal News
One of our dive team staff members, Oko was reading the following article in National Geographic and surprisingly had seen the same thing on Lady Elli

Lady Elliot is the proud winner of 2 tourism awards (general) Lady Elliot was the proud winner of 2 tourism awards on Friday night at the Fraser Coast Tourism awards which was held at the Brolga theatre Maryborou

The Oceania Dive and Ecotourism Expo (general) The Oceania Dive and Ecotourism Expo

Project Manta News & Updates - September 2011 (general) Summer is coming and the mantas are due to migrate to their southern aggregation sites aka ‘summer holidays destinations’

Orion and MTQ visit (general) On September 25th 2011, the staff of Lady Elliot Island were happy to welcome the arrival of Orion cruise line.

PROJECT MANTA has been nominated as Finalist for the Best Conservation Program (general) Last night PROJECT MANTA has been nominated as Finalist for the Best Conservation Program at the prestigious, biannual Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Fest

Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort has set a new record (general) - Media Release
Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort has set a new record of the lowest fuel usage day on the island. On Friday 19th August 2011, the record was set after 13

Earthwatch Institute of Australia held its 40th Anniversary Oceania Gala Dinner (general) As well the $40,000 and invaluable awareness raised at the Gala Dinner, Brother International Australia also donated a range of their professional pri

Queensland: City under the sea (general) - NZHerald.co.nz
Paul Rush takes a swim down the main street of a fishy metropolis.

Best Expedition in the World: meeting the ‘marine guardians’ (general) - http://www.theecologist.org/green_green_living/out_and_about/983740/best_exp
I was headed towards my favourite destination on the reef. Lady Elliot Island is internationally known as one of the planet’s top dive sites.

Kayakers arrive on Lady Elliot (general) Lady Elliot was lucky enough to play host to Mark, Chris & Rob who landed on our shores after paddling from Fraser Island.

Miami, Cancun, Brisbane.........next stop: Lady Elliot Island? (general) - Press Release
On Saturday June 4th 2011, Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort will welcome the world's largest solar boat, MS Tûranor PlanetSolar, which is circumnavigatin

I loved my week back in '83 :) (general) I have been going through some very old photos and scanning them into my computer.

Letter from David Ireland (general) Over the last 20 years of filming Wildlife Man TV series for Discovery Channel and over 30 other networks around the world, I find myself once again b

Field trip at Lady Elliot Island: The feeding frenzy! (general) - Manta Project update

PART 1: Filming on Lady Elliot Island for the Best Expedition in the World (general) - Bens Blogg ...,still the best job in the world
At extremely short notice the owner of Lady Elliot island and Seair, Peter Gash managed to find a plane, strip out enough seats to take the 4m kayak a

PART 2: Filming on Lady Elliot Island for the Best Expedition in the World (general) - Bens Blogg ...,still the best job in the world
Peter brought the plane to a halt on the rough coral runway after 90 minutes of flying and it was straight into the action

(POSTPONED) David Ireland returns to Lady Elliot Island! (general) David Ireland (The Wildlife Man) will be filming the first 3D television special of its type in the world at Lady Elliot Island from 23 Feb to 3 March

German media group fascinated about current weather (general) - Lady Elliot News
We have perfect weather and we have seen just great nature conditions

Open for business! (general) - Lady Elliot News
Lady Elliot Island is enjoying exceptional weather with crystal clear water and excellent visibility! Flights to/from Lady Elliot Island are still ope

Lady Elliot Island EXTREME field trip with Earthwatch (general) During that trip we identified 11 mantas, including 3 new individuals, collected lots of plankton and oceanographic data.

Queensland: Emerald lady back to her beautiful best (general) - NZ Herald
Elliot Island abounds in natural wonders, writes Pamela Wade.

Eco tourism told to plan long term. (general) - Channel 9 News
Australia's eco-tourism operators need to think ahead more than one or two generations if they want their industry to survive far into the future.

Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort- founding member of Eco Lodges of Australia (general) - Press Release
As a founding member Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort are proud to have joined this collection of independent ECO lodges and camps offering the ECO consc

Enviromental Tourism Award (general) - LEI News
Managing Director Peter Gash from Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort was delighted to accept the award for Environmental Tourism.

Tourism Awards (general) - Fraser Coast South Burnett Tourism
The Awards encourage every member to analyse their business operations and take pride in their product or service.

Perry wins Gardiner award (general) - Fraser Coast Chronicle
Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort was also successful on the night, winning two awards in the Environmental Tourism and Best Submission categories.

Splash and Tickle (general) - The Sydney Morning Herald - smh.com.au
Tom Neal Tacker mixes with manta rays and listens to whale song at an eco resort at Lady Elliot Island.

Whale song and winged angels (general) - The Star at home in Canterbury (293 Tuam St in central Christchurch)
Where else, I might add, can you listen to whale song, tickle turtles and swim with divinely graceful winged angels. Oh! and watch a lunar eclipse as

Case Study 1 - Lady Elliot Island (general) - AQSEP Case Studies
The Lady Elliot Barrier Reef Eco Island in 2008 depended entirely on an old reverse osmosis plant for drinking water.

Nesting Turtle Haven (general) - Travelling In Australia Magazine August 2010 - Issue 124 - pg 51
Lady Elliot Island is declared "Marine National Park ZOne" and is one of the few places you will see live coral and abundant bird and marine life at e

TIAM's Ten Best Eco Resorts (general) - Travelling in Australia - August 2010 - Issue 124 - page 37
The ten eco resorts featured all have Advanced Ecotourism Accreditation from Ecotourism Australia

Lady Elliot Island revisited…. (general) - Ben's Blog ... Still the best job in the world
There was no way in the world that I could possibly go back out to Lady Elliot Island for three days break and not blog about it!

Whitsundays: Life's a beach (general) - The New Zealand Herald March 30, 2010
In my opinion the diving was the best on the entire Great Barrier Reef.

Manta Project Update - July 2010 (general) We identified over 100 mantas during this trip, including 38 new individuals. A lot of these animals were also seen last year in June. Four of the res

First things first (general) - Destinations of the World News (DOTWNEWS)
Preserving the environment is easier than we all seem to think, says Queensland Tourism Ambassador and former Island Caretaker Ben Southall Lady El

Best Job in the World Winner Ben Southall on Life in Queensland (general) - Sharing Travel Experiences

Fly Downunder to Queensland - The Best Job in the World inspires envy (general) - Emirates 24/7 - June 7, 2010
One thing that'll always stay with me is going diving off Lady Elliot Island and encountering these stunning loggerhead turtles. Turtles in the water

Diving heaven on Lady Elliot island… (general) - Ben's Blog - 13 Dec 2009
In January 2009 Tourism Queensland embarked on a global search to find an Island Caretaker to explore the Islands of the Great Barrier Reef in Queensl

A Tale of Two Islands (general) - Sunshine Coast Daily June 5 2010
My husband and I took up this back-to-nature challenge recently and were amazed at what we could discover right on our absolute beachfront doorstep.

Kayak Expedition (general) - Lady Elliot News
The group departed Sandy Cape at 2.00am en route to Lady Elliot Island in rough conditions

PROJECT MANTA – JUNE UPDATE (general) Based on resighting events, 25 manta rays have now been shown to travel between Lady Elliot Island (LEI) and North Stradbroke Island (NSI); it is very

Lady Elliot Island a Destination for all Adventurers (education) Not leaving all the excitement for underwater we also saw numerous birds including the Red-Tailed Tropic Bird.

Manta Movement , call for manta (general) - LEI News
We are really interested in any manta sighting information you can provide even without photos. It gives us good indication about the seasonality of t

Project Manta updates March 2010 (general) Once again, we had an amazing field trip at LEI in early February 2010 with our EarthWatch volunteers. We encountered 25 mantas and identified 18 of t

Earth Hour 2010 (general) Take advantage of this unique opportunity to enjoy the serenity and beauty of our coral cay in its moonlit splendor by taking part in our special pr

David Ireland returns to LEI (general) - Lady Elliot News
Wild Australia being filmed on Lady Elliot.

Diving Heaven on Lady Elliot Island! (general) - Lady Elliot News
Saving the best for last... Ben Southall, winner of the 'Best Job in the World' competition, thoroughly enjoyed his visit to Lady Elliot Island with h

Now we know! There are OFFICIALLY at least 2 manta species! (general) - Project Manta News
So far only the manta species Manta alfredi have been recorded along eastern Australia, yet it doesn’t mean Manta birostris isn’t around.

Project Manta - Lady Elliot Island Field trip November 2009 (general) - Project Manta News
Once more we had an amazing field trip amongst the mantas at Lady Elliot Island (LEI). During that intensive week, we managed to identify 18 manta ray

New educational material helps educate island visitors about climate change (general) - GBRMPA SeaRead Issue 30
Visitors to beautiful Lady Elliot Island can now add an educational element to their visit as they learn about climate change through a series of sign

Great Barrier Reef Island Turns Green into Gold (general) - Media Release
Lady Elliot, which at 80km off the Queensland coast is one of the most isolated of the Great Barrier Reef island resorts, has reduced its annual power

Manta Project Update (general) Six individuals were seen 6 times at Lady Elliot Island back from 2007.

Project Manta update (general) We are going over to Lady Elliot Island next week to collect more data (plankton, photos, behavioural observations, etc.) and start to tag some manta

David Ireland is coming to LEI in June (general) World renowned David Ireland, the 'Wildlife Man', will be staying on Lady Elliot Island for 12 days in June (9-21 June) to film his next documentary.

A Bumper Season for Turtles - PART 1 (general) The turtle season was truly a busy one this year, with in excess of 200 nests recorded on the shores of Lady Elliot Island! Lady Elliot this year had

A Bumper Season for Turtles - PART 2 (general) The turtle season was truly a busy one this year, with in excess of 200 nests recorded on the shores of Lady Elliot Island! Lady Elliot this year had

Project Manta update (general) Project Manta is a research group headed by Dr Kathy Townsend, Dr Mike Bennett, Dr Scarla Weeks and Dr Anthony Richardson from The University of Queen

Research Summary (general) The manta ray, Manta birostris, is the world's largest ray, with a disc width of up to seven metres.

EARTH HOUR - Lady Elliot Style! (general) Here on Lady Elliot we are not only turning out our lights, we are in fact turning off . . . ALL power on the island!

Hybrid Power Station Update (general) - LEI News
The moment we have all been waiting for … the construction phase of the new power station.

HYBRID SOLAR POWER STATION FOR LADY ELLIOT ISLAND! (general) Climate change is one of the largest threats to the Great Barrier Reef and it is initiatives like this proposal that will help mitigate that risk and

Congratulations to Tanya & Paul! (honeymoon) a beautiful story about a couple who met on Lady Elliot Island and recently returned to the island for their honeymoon.

friends of Nemo (general) The Pink Anemonefish is pinkish-orange with a white bar down either side of the face, and a white stripe along the back.

Winter Wonderland - Chapter 3 (general) To be honest, winter time is my favourite time of year on Lady Elliot Island. I like those beautiful clear, crisp winter days where everything seems s

Winter Wonderland - Chapter 2 (general) To be honest, winter time is my favourite time of year on Lady Elliot Island. I like those beautiful clear, crisp winter days where everything seems s

Winter Wonderland - Chapter 1 (general) To be honest, winter time is my favourite time of year on Lady Elliot Island.

Lights out for the Great Barrier Reef (general) - Media Release
Lady Elliot Island Resort in the southern Great Barrier Reef and the ranger station on Low Isles Island in the north will be making sure the lights ar

Earth Hour (general) Lady Elliot is participating in EARTH HOUR 2008, where all power on the island will be turned off between the hours of 8:00pm and 9:00pm on the 29th M

Danish guests Swim with the Lady Elliot Turtles (general) - LEI News
One of our greatest adventures was swimming with an old turtle.

The movie Fools Gold was released in Cinemas on 8th February 2008. (general) Fools Gold is a romantic comedy set in the Caribbean starring Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson.

Digital Photography Underwater – swimming with turtles (general) UW photography has all changed now. Sharp super wide angle lenses with Digital is really affordable and nice results are within reach of snorkellers

Manta Magic at Lady Elliot (general) - Dive Log Australasia Issue 235
This tiny coral cay in southern Queensland is surrounded by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and is justifiably famous for its manta rays.

Lady Elliot Island: Majestic Mantas (general) - Travelling in Australia (Jan 2008)
Some dives are truly stellar. Mark Atkinson shares with us one such experience…

For the love of a lady (general) - The Age
It's the most stunning place to snorkel, see marine life and mega fauna.

Wow! What a turtle Year! (general) - LEI News
The first nesting for this season was a Loggerhead turtle on the 3rd December. The eggs incubate in the sand for ~8 weeks so we are expecting the fir

Predicted cooler sea temperatures good news for corals (general) - Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority Media Release
Lower than average sea temperatures projected for the summer could provide a reprieve for corals on the Great Barrier Reef.

Sea-life marvels on Lady Elliot Island (general) - Sunday Mail, Qld
JUST a 25-minute flight from Bundaberg and the ocean transforms beneath me. Ice-blue water meets blistering white shores and the southernmost island i

Project Manta (THE UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND) (general) The manta ray, Manta birostris, is the world's largest ray, reaching a disc width of up to seven metres. It is an iconic species with a worldwide dist

The Curious Cuttlefish (general) It’s funny how some of the smallest creatures in the ocean can be the most fascinating!!

Seair's Caravans find a Lovely Lady in Australia (general) - Caravan News - Cessna Aircraft Company
Seairs Peter Gash. The company uses its caravans to connect Queensland's thriving Gold Coast with Seair's exclusive resort operation on Lady Elliot I

Caravan Amphibian morph (general) - Caravan News -- Cessna Aircraft Company
The Seair team, led by the hands-on boss, Peter Gash, can change the Caravan Amphibian from floats to wheels inside an hour’s time.

More than just a resort landing strip, Lady Elliot’s environmental charm is a blessing to be saved (general) - Caravan News - Cessna Aircraft Company
“I first saw Lady Elliot Island in 1979, when I came over by boat with some friends from my profession in motorcycle racing,” Gash said. “I had never

‘Goodonya, Mate!’ (general) - Caravan News - Cessna Aircraft Company
Affably called "Gashy” by those who know him best, Peter Gash has been an inspiration to Cessna Caravan pilots all across Australia.

Manta Ray mass descends on island (general) We know that Lady Elliot Island is a magnet for manta rays all year round, but what we have seen in the past few weeks has been amazing, we’ve not exp

David Ireland - The Original Crocodile Man - will be on Lady Elliot Island (general) David Ireland, the original Crocodile Man, will be on Lady Elliot Island in August to complete a one hour documentary for his Wildlife Man TV series w

Peter Gash - Steward for the new millennium (general) - Lady Elliot Island - Great Barrier Reef Australia, Chapter 11 - ISBN (13)978 0 646 46781 8
"We came ashore and snorkeled, and that was it for me. I was hooked. I just knew when I had finished with motor cycles I was going to have something t

Shipwrecks - Some of the ships that have come to grief (general) - Lady Elliot Island - Great Barrier Reef Australia, Chapter 10 - ISBN (13)978 0 646 46781 8
Numerous vessels have been wrecked on the reefs around Lady Elliot Island. Some have disappeared without a trace while others have been washed ashore.

International Recognition for GBRMPA and Lady Elliot Island (general) - GBRMPA media release
GBRMPA has won international prize in the destinations category of the Tourism for Tomorrow Awards. Announced in Portugal on 13th May, the Destination

Anzac Day 2007 (general) A morning of Remembrance on ANZAC Day 2007 was held with around 20 guests and staff gathering on the beach in front of the Beachfront Café to join in

Elliot - the Albino Green Turtle hatchling - as seen on TV (general) Albino green turtle - 1 in 100 000

Swimming with the Devil - David Ireland (general) - Wildlifeman David Ireland Series - TV
The film is a story about searching for giant manta rays that takes us thru the Solomon Islands and climaxes at Lady Elliot with unbelievable action w

The Sea Anemone fish Of Lady Elliot Island (general) - Lady Elliot Island News
When you hear kids form all over the world talking about "Nemo" I wonder if they really know how unique this fascinating little fish is? I wonder if t

Island Dreams (general) - Gympie Times
Check in and check out one of the best coral reefs on the Great Barrier Reef

To the Wonderful Staff at Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort (conferences) - LEI News
On behalf of Marine Teacher's Association of Queensland I would like to thank you all for your very professional and tireless work to ensure our 2006

Turtle time on Brisbane’s own Barrier Reef Island (reef visit) - Brisenews
BRISBANE MARKETING is the official authority responsible for promoting Brisbane's tourism, conventions and downtown precincts.

Barge Time (general) The ship which makes this trip is the Curtis Endeavour, a barge based at Gladstone and used regularly to service the southern islands and coral cays o

The Wedding of Roslyn Kaye Croucher and Ken Welton , 6th February 2007 (weddings) When asked why they chose Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort as their ultimate destination to get married, Ken and Ros both replied “we were looking for a

Feeling the effects (general) - The Age
Australia is already feeling the effects of climate change, through extra stresses on water supplies, an unusually severe drought and changing ecosyst

Warner Brothers filming on Lady Elliot (general) - Island News
Fools Gold is a romantic comedy set in the Caribbean starring Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson. The two are treasure hunters in the midst of a marr

Scratchy and Al The Friendly Lagoon Turtles (reef visit) If you ever stand on the beach in front of the restaurant at Lady Elliot and wonder whether or not it's worth going in for a look on the shallow side

QLD on stage Media Famil (conferences) - Lady ELliot web news
On the 23rd January 6 German, Dutch and Swiss media representatives visited Lady Elliot as part of the giant Tourism Queensland 'Qld on Stage' interna

Face Lift for a Southern Lady (general) - Lady ELliot web news
Unique among the islands of the Great Barrier Reef, Lady Elliot is one of only 3 true coral cays with a resort, and the only one with its own airstrip

The Elusive Octopus of Lady Elliot Island's Lagoon (reef visit) How many times whilst having lunch in front of the lagoon at Lady Elliot Island, have I heard guests talking about snorkelling on the Western side of

Christmas Day 2006 on Lady Elliot Island (general) We had a Loggerhead turtle crawl up out of the water and nest out the front of Reef Unit 13 ……. So everyone got to view the entire process in broad da

Top picks for scuba dives off the shore - Lady Elliot #2 (diving) If you're a scuba diver who doesn't like spending hours on a dive boat (especially in rough water) to reach the best coral check out these islands.

Islandhop (reef visit) - The Courier Mail, QWeekend
You don't need a wholeweekend to visit Lady Elliot. Take to the skies and see it in a day.

First nesting turtle of the season (general) - LEI News
First nesting turtle of the season has been spotted at Coral Gardens on the great Barrier Reef Island of Lady Elliot.

MARINE TEACHERS ASSOCIATION OF QUEENSLAND CONFERENCE (conferences) - LEI News
Martine Teachers Association of QLD Conference was held on Lady Elliot Island

Marine Teacher’s Association of Queensland Conference 2006 (education) The collections of specimens, informational posters and historical memorabilia were awesome and well kept. The technology available at the island was

New dive compressor and equipment for Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort (diving) - LEI News
We have just acquired the latest model Bauer Mariner 320 dive compressor complete with an ASE 4 Whip, automatic fill panel.

Urge to submerge (diving) - news.com.au breaking news 24/7

Having a whale of a time in the Marine Park (general) Migaloo's first appearance in northern waters has prompted the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) to remind boaties to be on the look o

Brave Hearts Win fair Lady (general) - Gold Coast Bulletin
Island more than a flight of fancy for enterprising new crew

Daily departures ex Gold Coast Airport (diving) - Outbound Magazine Gold Coast Airport Limited - Autumn/winter 2006
Swimming with giant manta rays is one of the most exciting underwater experiences imaginable.

New partnership set to protect Lady Elliot Island (general) - Searead, The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, pg 5
The new lease holders of Lady Elliot Island, Reef Resort Management Pty Ltd, and The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) recently entere

Lady Elliot lures local day trippers (reef visit) - Gladstone News, pg22
Residents and tourists alike can now enjoy the wonders of the Great Barrier Reef in one day with Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort announcing day trips fr

Aquatic Reef Adventure (reef visit) - Bendigo Advertiser, Victoria
Direct flights have been introduced from Gladstone to Lady Elliot Island on the Great Barrier Reef.

Multi-million dollar facelift for First Lady of the Reef (general) - Downunder Travel Bulletin, Edition 219
The first Lady of the Great Barrier Reef, Lady Elliot Island, will enjoy a substantial facelift, courtesy of its new operators.

Reader’s Choice Awards for fave sun spots (reef stay) - Province Newspaper – Vancouver Canada (British Columbia)
Our favourite sun spot has to be Lady Elliot Island Resort on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia.

Upgrading for eco Resort on Lady Elliot (education) - The Courier Mail
MONTHS after securing the lease on Lady Elliot Island,Olympian Grant Kenny and aviation businessman Peter Gash plan to refurbish the island's eco reso

Ironman sets sights on island Lady and her old lighthouse (general) - Fraser Coast Chronicle, pg8
FORMER ironman Grant Kenny is one of three businessmen set to bring a $3 million sheen to Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort.

Whales at play around Lady Elliot Island (reef stay) Each year between June and October, migrating humpback whales make their way to the southern Great Barrier Reef to breed and give birth.

Peter has his own island of treasures (general) - Weekend Bulletin

Grant Kenny leases Lady Elliot Island (general) - The Courier Mail
A COMPANY associated with surf lifesaving legend Grant Kenny and Seair Pacific's Peter Gash has won the tender to lease Lady Elliot Island, off Bundab

Top Spot - Lady Elliot Island (diving) - The Courier Mail
LADY Elliot Island has some of the best shore diving sites in Australia. Located off the western side of this coral cay are wonderful coral gardens an

Top 10 Types of Adventure Travel - #2 Scuba Diving Off the Great Barrier Reef's Lady Elliot Island (general)

(3 of 3) MANTA RAY - Demystifying this enigmatic creature of the deep (education) - Australian Geographic Issue 66
AUSTRALIAN GEOGRAPHIC photographer, Mark Spencer,tackles the sensitive issue of riding manta rays after doing just that off San Benedicto Island, Mexi

(2 of 3) MANTA RAY - Demystifying this enigmatic creature of the deep (education) - Australian Geographic Issue 66
Marine biologist Mark Simmons attaches a data logger to the mooring line at Lighthouse Bommie. The data logger records the time, identification numbe

Manta Ray Research Program 2001- National Geographic & Lady Elliot Island (education) - Australian Geographic Issue 66
The Manta Ray, the next largest marine species on the Great Barrier Reef following the whales and the whale sharks, can equally be described as both c

(1 of 3) MANTA RAY - Demystifying this enigmatic creature of the deep (education) - Australian Geographic Issue 66
Trailing plumes of CO2 and festooned with cameras, these divers marvel at a manta. Growing up to 9 m wide and weighing in at more than 1.5 tonnes, th

University of Queensland Marine Science visit to Lady Elliot Island (education) Groups reported on the projects they completed at Lady Elliot, many of which involved a comparison study

The Barrier Reef Revisited (general) - Australian Wellbeing No.44

A Reef Encounter (education) - Underwater Geographic
Geelong Grammar School camp members at Lady Elliot Island. Photos for original article by Steve Miller. Approximate date for this article.

Time for turtles, Terns at Lady Elliot (birdwatchers) - Townsville Bulletin
LADY Elliott Island is presently playing host to thousands of mating sea birds and providing a safe haven for green turtles that are coming ashore to

Surveying students help locate historic wreck (education) - University News (University of Queensland
FIVE final-year University of Queensland surveying students have helped locate the probable wreck site of the 620-tonne timber cargo ship, the Bolton

$1/2m plan to upgrade island tourist resort (reef stay) - Courier Mail
GLADSTONE.- The new lessees of Lady Elliott Island,' the 42 ha holiday resort south-east of Gladstone, plan to 'spend' up to $500,000 on upgrading the