Lady Musgrave - a sparkling jewel

 

Lady Musgrave Island

Lady Musgrave is in the Bunker Group of islands, roughly north of Bundaberg and east of Gladstone. The nearest port is the town of 1770. The island is famous for its magnificent lagoon, covering about 400 hectares.

It offers a protected, calm-water anchorage for visiting charter boats, as well as for yachts exploring the Queensland coast and commercial and recreational fishing boats working the area.

The island is composed mainly of limestone sand and broken coral from the reef, but it supports a forest of trees, including pandanus palms. At certain times of year, the forest is alive with birds. From around October to April, several species nest on the island and they're fairly trusting and tolerant of humans.

Of course it's strictly look but don't touch. You can walk right round the outside of the island in about 30 to 45 minutes and, in hot weather, you can sit in the shade, enjoy a sea breeze and take in the ocean view.

Boats will transfer campers to and from the island. They'll also take your dinghy out, if you're keen to go fishing or scuba diving outside the fringing reef.

There are some important things to know about camping on the island. You need to bring all your own water because there's no fresh water on the island. Also, tent sites are limited so you need to book up to 12 months ahead. For more information, contact the Queensland Parks & Wildlife Service at Gladstone or Bundaberg for more information.