W Brisbane and Lady Elliot Island bring the reef within reach
This jaunt from Brisbane splashes down into an alternate universe before most people have arrived at their office jobs.
When my bedside alarm squawks at the W Brisbane, it’s still dark. I can’t see the river that’s on view during the day and inspired the design of my room, a froth of bubbles and swirls and circular shapes.
Normally, I’d be grumpy about being roused at this hour but there’s a gigantic pay-off. Early-birds get to catch sight of turtles and jewel-coloured fish cruising the lapis waters encircling Lady Elliot Island 375km away. And all it will take for me to eyeball these creatures is to roll out of bed, pass through six doors (room, elevator, hotel, limo, chain-wire gate, Cessna Caravan) and – voila – I’ll splash down into an alternate universe before most people have arrived at their office jobs.
It feels surreal. Yet practicality lies at the heart of the All Reefed Up package. Like much of the rest of Australia, Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort is booked out. The 42ha piece of paradise, the Great Barrier Reef’s southernmost coral cay located 85km from Bundaberg, is dotted with accommodation options. Holidaymakers who were quick off the mark are no doubt looking forward to staying in one of the island’s glamping tents, two-bedroom beachfront units, reef or garden units, or eco-cabins.
Then there are the rest of us. Thankfully, this pairing of city hotel and reef island allows others to take a seamless flying leap to Lady Elliot. It starts with a dawn pick-up outside the W’s front door for the 40km journey to my “boarding gate”. We swish through the northern suburbs, crossing a bridge connecting Brisbane to the city of Redcliffe (famous as the Bee Gees’ childhood home). Sunrise reveals some of the 11 distant peaks that collectively form the Glass House Mountains.
Our destination is the single-runway Redcliffe Aerodrome, protected from roaming kangaroos by a chain-wire fence. There’s an amenities block and a bench where I wait with other guests for our Seair Pacific single-prop plane, already making its way here from its Gold Coast base. The connection here is that Seair’s owner and chief pilot, Peter Gash, is also managing director of Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort.
Flying north, I catch my first-ever glimpse of K’gari (Fraser Island), the world’s largest sand island and part of Great Sandy National Park. We cross the invisible southern boundary of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, which protects the world’s largest coral reef, and bank sharply to circle our destination before landing on the grassed runway bisecting the island.
Time is a-ticking for the day guests. Luckily, the resort is a well-oiled machine when it comes to maximising our six on-island hours. We’re ushered to a central hub to sip a welcome drink and hear how it all works. The resort provides everything day-trippers need, including sunscreen, snorkels and protective reef shoes. Underfoot dangers include cone shells, stone fish and stingrays so my borrowed pink Crocs stay firmly on my feet.
Tide times play a pivotal role in choosing when to do what. With the tide heading out, it makes sense to snorkel the lagoon before my stomach is scraping the corals. I’m expecting to be wowed by a multitude of fish: Picasso triggerfish, yellow trumpetfish, emperor angelfish, dotted sweetlips and more. I didn’t count on huge turtles, one after the other, hanging out this close to shore. They play it cool, not the least bit fazed by gawking snorkellers. Thrilled with the underwater sights so far, I exit the water to meet the glass-bottom boat that will soon depart from the Lighthouse Heritage Precinct on the island’s opposite side.
We’re trucked across the runway, passing through flocks of noddies (the island supports more than 100 species of seabirds, including red-tailed tropicbirds), a nursery cultivating native and endemic species to help revegetate a place denuded by guano mining, and several graves (one of the precinct’s cottages is said to be haunted). The boat takes us to the reef’s edge where we drift-snorkel over coral gardens, forgetting that anything else exists. It’s another pinch-me experience (although I could have done without someone grabbing my leg to point out a shark below).
Hot showers are provided; ditto hot lunch. Word is, though, that some day guests skip the dining to maximise their time in these glorious waters. Perhaps they figure they can catch up on meals back at the W. After all, the hotel is home to the northernmost outpost of cult eatery Three Blue Ducks, which channels Queensland itself in dishes such as wood-roasted Hervey Bay scallops and shucked oysters with mango hot sauce. Its vibe is light, bright and breezy, with blond furniture and huge woven lampshades.
An even more casual option is to sink into one of the Living Room’s sofas and have snacks brought within arm’s reach. The bar menu ranges from chicken sliders on matcha-infused milk buns to king crab soft rolls and charcuterie plates. During the day, the best perch is found on the Wet Deck’s Terrace overlooking the Brisbane River. The most delectable dish here is grilled Mooloolaba king prawns that barely fit on the plate.
The Wet Deck’s pool also looks enticing. Tucked into a fourth-floor cutaway, with loungers positioned to catch the sun, the 20m-long heated pool is dramatically highlighted with a ceiling of black-and-white stripes that trail into its aqua waters. It’s a little hectic, though, so I opt for the hushed haven of the Away spa and its unusual Crown Jewels of Oz massage where polished semi-precious stones are placed into my hands. It’s a welcome touch of nature in a hotel that embraces Brisvegas razzamatazz (right down to the shiny budgie cushions on beds and giant sparkly thong in the foyer).
Not that the W is too far away from greenery in the shape of Roma Street Parklands, home to a dense population of slightly terrifying eastern water dragons. Its 16ha are a wonderland of designer gardens, flowers, ferns, water features and playgrounds. Return to the hotel via artist Luke Roberts’ striking poinsettia sculpture. It’s all thirsty work but the hotel’s eager mixologists have your back.
Cocktail menus are at hand but, both on the Wet Deck and in the Living Room, I’m urged to challenge the professionals with my favourite flavours. Pineapple, rum and basil, I tell one. Something with watermelon, I say to another. Yet my favourite is a set creation called A Little Birdie Told Me. It’s not because of what I sip – a wild mix of Creme de Violet, tequila, rhubarb agua fresca and tropical fruits – but rather its vessel. My cocktail fills a cute bird-shaped glass with a straw protruding like a futuristic tail feather. One sip and I slip from early-bird straight into night-owl mode.
In the know
The All Reefed Up package, which includes two nights’ accommodation and parking at W Brisbane and a day tour to Lady Elliot Island, costs from $2418 for two, single occupancy $1559. Available until December 20.
Katrina Lobley was a guest of W Brisbane, Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort and Virgin Australia.
