I've read through many previous posts and although I know more now, I still do not know which to choose.

There will be 3 of us exploring Australia in August 2008: 1 is a diver, 1 may dive and snorkel and 1 will just snorkel. We will also be taking Rumrunner for a daytrip to the Outer Reef (from Cape Tribulation).

What we'd like is <b>easy snorkeling </b>(off shore) and reef walks. It looks like Heron Island would be better for this. Is this true?

Our problem with Heron Island, is the transport time (and expense); we will be in Hervey Bay to watch the whales and access to Lady Elliot Island is right there...

Any help clearing up my misconceptions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

From the geographic/geology/ecology perspective heron and lady elliott are very similar.They are part of the same chain of coral cays and not that far apart.Lady musgrave is part of the same chain.

The standard of accommodation etc on Heron is significantly superior (and so is the price)

Moxie, as johhj au said Heron Island is a bit more upmarket, and dearer, but I wouldn't let that put you off Lady Elliott Island. I've been to both islands, and I prefer Elliott, as it is a bit more laidback &amp; casual, and because I dive, I think the coral reefs on Elliott are better, and there is always the chance to come across Manta Rays, a real bonus.
Of course both islands you can snorkel from the beach. For serious diving, both islands have special diving spots.
Also when you go whale watching from Hervey Bay, there is a good chance you will see dugongs, turtles, dolphins as well.
Yes, the connection from Hervey Bay to Lady Elliott Island is a 35 minute flight, and they depart each day.
Some people fly out just for the day, while others go for 2, 3 or 5 days.
There are cabins on the island, but opted for the tent cabin, which is erected on a wooden floor, has good beds etc inside, and we thought it was funky and a different experience, sort of camping, but with a good bed.
Just do a websearch for both islands, and you will the different accommodation, etc.
I hear the whales in the Bay at the moment, are eyeballing people on the boats, this is a real experience to see.

Hello tropo......I am a fervent whalewatcher. I would like to come to Hervey Bay at the time when the whalewatching is the best. I understand that the season lasts through October, but is late August/early September the peak? My preference is for mid October,2008, but I will come earlier if the whalewatching is substantially better.

Marthag - predicting how long whales will stay in the Bay is not easy, but generally, you should still see whales by mid October, but late October/November they start falling off, as the pods head towards Antartica.
August/September is the prime time to see them.
When I first moved to the Bay, I went on a whale watching cruise, and we saw up to 12 whales in a morning cruise. It was great to see the mother and her calf, and also what they call, an &quot;escort&quot; whale with them. The skipper of the boat will also describe the whales footprints, ie. the smooth water after they dive. We were also lucky to see whales breeching, such a sight.

Thanks for the help. When searching the net, I haven't (yet) found reports about great off shore snorkeling for Lady Elliot Island as I have for Heron Island... Yes, the tents on Lady Elliot did look interesting but there are 3 of us and I think that we will need a bit more space

Tropo, regarding the Whales, I am following the reports and was especially pleased to see that the albino was sighted again this year. How was the Whale watch opening Festival this year? Have they set a date for next year yet?
<i>(I wrote to the committee but have not heard back yet.)</i>

One word about snorkeling on Heron Island, which, as I have indicated many times on this site, I think is a fantastic place and a great place to enjoy the GBR.

Heron, like Lady Elliot I presume, experiences large daily tide changes. The reef is exposed part of the day and is well under water at other times. The part of the reef that is exposed daily is the inter-tidal zone....this is the area you enter snorkeling directly from shore. While there is some interesting stuff to see here...rays, turtles, the odd fish, etc, the coral isnt so great. You have to snorkel out much further to the reef edge to really see the amazing coral and all the fish. While this can be done, it's easier and safer to take the snorkel boats that the resort runs twice daily. So don't be too disappointed when you get to Heron, get your snorkel gear on and dive in right from shore.

Moxie, I visted H/Bay Marina for this years whale festival, for the wine/jazz and blessing of the fleet. Stayed for a couple of hours, but it started to get cool, so I headed home.Still a good show, the people staying in the Mantra Resort Hotel, had the best views of the festival from water facing balconies.
I especially enjoyed the jazz.