Family Trip X Town 1770 & Lady Musgrave Island

The next day we drive half a day to reach Town 1770. A special named given to this town because Captain Cook landed here in year 1770. We reach here just after sunset and it is so beautiful at the marina. Stayed at 1770 camping ground which is beside the beach for $73 per night for 6ppl.

Our simple yet delicious dinner, chili mackerel with onion. Right beside the campervan, setting up the dining table and 6 seats just took us for less than 1 minute. Simple dinner but filled with full of warmth family feeling. And spicy food can have extra effect when you eat in cold weather like that. 

And that is the feeling of family. P&A always miss that.

We had booked the Lady Musgrave Island cruise for next morning through phone earlier. Remember to check the weather on your preferred departure date because the tour will cancel if it's too windy. It cost $180 per pax for a full day tour. Departs 8.30am, takes about 2 hrs to reach the island, and back from the island at 3pm.

So early morning, we are all prepared and took the anti seasickness pill. The journey to the island is said to be very rough, so we took them just in case. Even with the pill, poor Christie and Ricky got sick while the rest of us struggle to sleep through the way. Half the people on the lower deck got sick really. It is better to sit in the upper deck which is more airy. (So the seasickness pill will be a MUST!!)

Finally we saw the beautiful island. And some whales actually greeted us welcome! Saw one breaching out of water! The water is turquoise clear and we stopped at the pontoon where all activities are conducted there. So first activity, SNORKELING! We hired a wetsuit which costs $5 as the water temperature is around 22 degree Celsius.

 

Saw some small fishes, star fish, giant clams, seacucumbers. But the reef hasn't got much colours. The Lady Musgrave is in the southern part of Great Barrier Reef but the snorkelling area we were in is not what we had expected. We might said:" Pulau Redang is more beautiful lor!"

After only 30mins of snorkelling, we got to get up and join the island walk tour. Peter was shivering during the snorkelling even with the wetsuit on. The water is cold here!

The island walk tour is the only activity that will be arranged in groups to depart. It is the best to be the first group to go on the island walk so you can spend the rest of the time snorkelling and doing other things like the semi-submarine cruise. It is a good walk and this island has the most pisonia tree which grows on sand. On the way to this island, we ride on the glass bottom boat.

                                                                         Lady Musgrave Island

The sand of this beach, if look closely, its all made up of dead corals and shells...

The poisonous Cone Shell (dead) =P

Thousands of birds nest in this island here during the summer months. Green and loggerhead turtles also nest here between Nov-Feb. And the island is closed for campers during feb-mar to protect turtle hatchlings. =) So come here for the right season to avoid have sh*t on head. Hohoho...

The Pisonia tree

Only Peter was wearing the winter fleece for the island walk.

Crystal clear~~

~~LUNCH TIME~~

Then back to the pontoon for lunch. And this is a 'BUFFET' lunch, so Peter going to eat as much as he can to warm back his body. (you can find out from the aboved photo) After lunch we went on the semi sub which takes 25 min. It goes quite close to the reef but we didn't see much marine animals here.

  

Very clear turquoise water

In the semi submarine

That's the end of our tour! So fast. Overall the tour is too rushed, so many activities in just few hours. And we only got to snorkel for half an hour.. If we convert $180 into RM, we would consider this tour as not worth it (can go Redang trip liao). But cannot always convert geh!

However that is the first impression of us to Great Barrier Reef.

NEXT: Farm Experience