by Julie Hartwig
September 2009
The Great Barrier Reef is one of the most popular cruising playgrounds on the eastern seaboard of Australia, and down at the southern end of the reef, Lady Musgrave Island is a little slice of paradise every bit as enchanting as the popular northern islands.
Located at 25°54’30”S and 152°23’39”E, Lady Musgrave Island is one of five coral cays that make up the Capricorn Bunker Group. The island covers 35 acres and the surrounding reef 2,950 acres and the cay is the second southern-most island in the Great Barrier Reef chain (the southern-most being Lady Elliot Island). The island and its immediate surrounds are a national park, administered by QPWS.
Lady Musgrave Island is the most intensively used island in the Bunker Group, due to the protected anchorage located within the semi-enclosed lagoon and the regular ferry service from the Town of 1770. Over 6,000 visitors from cruising boats visit the island every year.
In April 1974, a lighthouse was erected on the south-west corner of the island and the approach to the island is easy from any direction. Entrance to the lagoon is via a deep water channel located at the north-east corner of the cay that is navigable at all states of the tide and while it is marked by unlit red and green navigation beacons and isolated danger beacons mark a large coral bommie in the lagoon at the end of the channel, night entry to the lagoon is not advised. It is unknown whether the channel is a naturally occurring phenomena or was cut into the lagoon by Japanese fishermen or widened by guano miners.
The Great Barrier Reef is one of the most popular cruising playgrounds on the eastern seaboard of Australia, but down at the southern end of the reef, Lady Musgrave Island is a little slice of paradise every bit as enchanting as the popular northern islands.
Named after the wife of colonial governor Sir Anthony Musgrave, the island was discovered by Captain Ebner Bunker of the whaling ship Albion in 1803. Lieutenant Phillip Parker King RN charted the southern cays between 1819-1821 in HMS Mermaid, but Captain Francis Blackwood in HMS Fly performed final extensive charting exercises of the cays and surrounding reefs in 1843.
In the 1890’s guano mining took place on all the islands in the group, with operations on Lady Musgrave being meagre compared to those on neighbouring Lady Elliott and the Fairfax Islands. In the late 1930’s, a tourist resort was established on the island, which had for many years been a popular pleasure cruising destination. The construction of six cottages and other facilities took place in 1938-39 and the caretakers, Mr and Mrs Bell, discouraged the removal of marine growth in an attempt to preserve specimens of reef life growing on the island, in the lagoon and on the surrounding reef. From 1940 through to the 1960’s, the neighbouring Fairfax Islands were used as a bombing range by the RAAF and the RAN. It is also believed that Lady Musgrave was used for bombing practise during WWII.
Camping is permitted on the island for up to 40 people from April to January each year. In February and March the island is closed to campers to protect the turtle hatcheries. Camping permits are required and bookings are essential.
As the island is well outside the light cone of coastal cities, night-time stargazing is spectacular with meteor showers often sighted. Pisonia trees form the majority of vegetation on the island with Coastal She-Oaks and Pandanus trees also being prevalent. There are an enormous number of birds present on the island, including White-Capped Noddies, Black-Naped Terns, Silver Gulls, Buff-Banded Rails, Reef Egrets and Pied and Sooty Oystercatchers.
The island is a nesting place for Green and Loggerhead Turtles and turtle researchers often camp on the island during nesting and hatching times. White-tip Reef Sharks and Leopard Sharks are often found hunting in the shallows around the island and Green and Leatherback Turtles can be spotted resting on coral bommies. The lagoon is a haven for many fish and coral species and is a spectacular destination for snorkelling and spear fishing.
Approaching by sea from the south, the island is visible in clear conditions from about 10 miles away and appears as a green smudge low on the horizon just off the starboard bow. Boats anchored in the lagoon are clearly visible and it is quite strange to see boats anchored out in the middle of the sea, knowing that the only thing protecting them from the full onslaught of the Pacific Ocean swells is the island‘s fringing reef. Waves break on the southern reef even at low tide providing protection at all states of the tide, while the reef on the northern side of the island submerges at high tide, leaving the lagoon exposed in northerly winds. The island appears to be surrounded by white sandy beaches and a walk on terra firma after a roly-poly passage is very appealing.
On approaching the channel to enter the lagoon, visiting cruisers are often met by large pods of dolphins which cavort around boats, crisscrossing under the bow, leaping out of the water and waving their flippers as if welcoming visitors to their coral reef home.
Visibility in the channel is usually excellent and is best when the sun is high in the sky. In sunny conditions, bommies are easy to see: light coloured bommies are close to the surface and should be avoided, while dark-coloured bommies are deeper, some in as much as eight to ten metres of crystal clear turquoise water.
Inside the lagoon, there is plenty of room for anchoring—during our stay there were over 20 boats at anchor and room for plenty more. Holding is good and it is possible to watch your anchor all the way to the bottom. Inside the reef, all swell and waves miraculously abate and it’s like being at anchor in a sheltered bay. However, in strong south-easterly winds, conditions in the lagoon can get quite choppy, especially at high tide and the sound of waves breaking on the reef is a constant roaring background noise.
Going ashore, the approach to the island is via a marked channel through the coral bommies. At low tide these bommies are exposed—care should be taken when leaving tenders at anchor. Visitors should be aware that a permanent pontoon is moored close to the island for cruise vessels from the mainland, with an area adjacent to the pontoon reserved for snorkelling for their guests.
Ashore on the island, it is surprising to discover that what looked like white sandy beach from offshore is almost entirely bleached coral rubble and broken shells; there is very little sand and it is consequently quite difficult to walk on as the shore is quite steep—suitable footwear is recommended.
Beware of the birds—they are everywhere—and collecting “deposits” on ones hat is an ever present risk, especially when walking underneath the canopy in which they are roosting. There are several clearly defined walking tracks on the island and it is possible to walk around the island in about an hour. Large posters provide plenty of information for visitors about the island, its history and ecology.
On the western and southern sides of the island, the fringing reef comes almost to the shore and at low tide it is possible to walk on the reef flat. Visitors are reminded that as the island is a national park adn “souvenirs” (ie, shells, coral etc) should not be removed from the island. On the eastern end of the island, there is an excellent snorkelling area adjacent to the island and several large bommies in the lagoon also provide good snorkelling opportunities. The best spear fishing is along the inside of the reef.
Lady Musgrave Island is approximately 16 hours sailing from Rooney Point on Fraser Island; approximately 14 hours sailing from Bundaberg and approximately 8 hours sailing from Pancake Creek near Bustard Head. Cruise vessels travel daily to the island from 1770 and driving time from Brisbane to 1770 is approximately five hours.
I visited in mid-September. The weather was excellent, with daytime temperatures in the mid-twenties, light to moderate SE winds and water temperature around 21° to 23°C. Wet suits are recommended for snorkelling in the cooler months.
Historical and ecological information courtesy: Wikipedia and www.spiritof1770.com.au.
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