If you only visit one island in your life, make it one of these…

Brought to you in partnership with Tourism and Events Queensland.

Psst, have you heard the news? Queensland is open. It’s good to go.

Today we’re crossing the border, and heading north to explore Queensland for a week, and I am so excited. It’s been so hard not being able to cross the border easily and travel from New South Wales and see my beloved Queensland. I know I’ll be planning more trips in the coming months now that we’re officially allowed to explore and visit properly!

Queensland is paradise, and there is so much to explore. I’ve been lucky enough to visit so much of it over the past decade, including a good handful of Queensland’s gorgeous islands. Now that Queensland is open, you might like to plan/dream to visit one of their beautiful islands, so I’ve put together a list of my favourites for families… because everyone should have on their bucketlist to visit a Queensland island once in their lifetime, right?

 

 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort (@ladyelliotislandecoresort) on

 

LADY ELLIOT ISLAND ECO RESORT

I am talking about this island first, because it’s a firm favourite. When I meet with other travel writers, it’s inevitable that we always land on the topic, “Where’s the best place you’ve ever been?” Quite often, this one pops up. It’s such a beautiful island, that lets nature do all the talking. Being an eco resort, it isn’t about lavish rooms and over indulgent buffets, it’s truly about snorkeling and exploring the Southern Great Barrier Reef. This is the best snorkeling we’ve ever done. We walked straight off shore and swam to the reef {I swam with Lulu as a toddler on my back} and spent hours with turtles, sharks and beautiful, colourful coral. Lady Elliot Island is just off Bundaberg and only accessible by plane. There are regular flights going from the Gold Coast or from Bundaberg. If you visit around November, you can catch turtles coming to the shore to lay eggs, and if you happen to stay around February you could be lucky enough to see turtles hatching and making their way to the ocean. Just magic!

 

 
 
 
 
 
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DAYDREAM ISLAND RESORT

Hands up if you need a break? Like a real, put your feet up, do very little and just find your chill again? It’s been a year. Daydream Island is the resort where you can totally relax, and do very little. It recently got a makeover, and it’s style game is strong. It feels luxurious, the food is beautiful, the rooms are gorgeous, there are many swimming pools to choose from, and also the unforgettable Lovers Cove {the kids will spend hours collecting coral and climbing rocks while you sip wine and watch the sunset}. It’s the perfect one-stop island for the whole family. They even have a living reef, where you can snorkel in the pools with their friendly stingrays.

 

 
 
 
 
 
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HERON ISLAND

Take a boat ride from Gladstone and land smack-bang in paradise, on beautiful Heron Island. Much like Lady Elliot Island, Heron is located in the Southern Great Barrier Reef {think great water temps, bright corals, and lots of friendly turtles} and is simply paradise. It’s a family friendly resort, with a touch of luxury {their day spa is unforgettable!}. What I love most about Heron Island is the vibe. It’s got such a great family-friendly, happy vibe to it. You can explore the reef by grabbing a pair of reef shoes and waking around in the shallows, or take a snorkeling trip out to one of the many local reefs and see some of the best snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef has to offer.

 

 
 
 
 
 
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ORPHEUS ISLAND

When I win lotto, I’m making it a thing to come back here, year after year. This island is pure luxury. You’ll arrive by helicopter, and be greeted with champagne and your bags being whisked to your room. You’ll sit down with a chef and talk about what you like to eat, {and importantly, what you don’t} and then you’ll spend the next few days eating the best food of your life. It’s paradise, and once you visit, you’ll be hatching plans, and dreaming about how on earth you can get back and pronto.

 

 
 
 
 
 
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MAGNETIC ISLAND

Unlike the other islands I’ve shared here, Magnetic Island is a larger island, with visitors, locals and a bustling community who live on the island full time. You can travel around {in a bright pink topless car, no less!} and explore many corners of the island, visiting different beaches, saying hello to the rock wallabies and finding the best ice cream on the island. Magnetic is great for families who like to move about and get a little bit adventurous. Magnetic Island located just off Townsville and accessible via ferry.

So, the only question now is, where will you go?