Precious Memories in Paradise

Over the September school holidays we spent an amazing 7 nights on LEI. From the moment we arrived we couldn't wait to see the wonders of this beautiful part of the Great Barrier Reef. After a brief tour of the facilities, we were off snorkelling. We entered off Lighthouse beach and slowly drifted down to Coral Gardens. We were astonished at the wonderful array of fish and coral just off the shore. We were on such a high and couldn't wait to enter the lagoon, as the tide was now just right. Only 2 metres from the beach we came across large green turtles wanting a back rub, spotted lagoon rays and an abundance of beautiful fish. After hours of snorkelling we were ravenous. Dinner was a delight. There was plenty of variety to choose from and it was never ending.

On day 3 of our holiday, the weather turned sour and we received over 100mm of rain (which is most unusual for LEI at this time of the year). Most would think this a disaster, but the professional and enthusiastic staff (thanks Dave and Nicole) made this day a delight. A meeting was called and we were given a variety of fun activities to participate in and most importantly, the kids had a ball at Reef Rangers (thanks Sue). We adults had the opportunity to meet new friends and have a laugh. We even arranged a group snorkelling for when the weather cleared the following day.

When our holiday was coming to an end, there was just one thing we hadn't been able to accomplish and that was to swim with the timid Mantas. We were determined, as every day we took to the water there was a new experience to encounter and the mantas were the only ones off our list. To our satisfaction we did it on the last day, we saw the majestic giant mantas and that completed our holiday. Not that we wanted to leave - ever!! Who would want to leave paradise and return to the noise and routine of the mainland! There were a few tears shed on leaving but we have made a promise to ourselves to return soon - maybe when the turtles are hatching! Thank you LEI for precious memories.