FREE THINGS TO DO ON YOUR HOLIDAY TO THE TOWN OF 1770

FREE THINGS TO DO ON YOUR HOLIDAY 1770

The perfect destination for a weekend away, family holiday or even if you are just passing through – the idyllic seaside Town of Seventeen Seventy (1770) is the place to visit. Among the range of activities available there are also a bounty of Natural Attractions that don’t even cost a cent and we’re going to share them with all of you.

1770 Headland and Lookout

Drive up to the Headland of 1770 and enjoy the majestic views from our lookout.

The track starts from the parking area at the 1770 Headland and goes to and from the lookouts. The walk will take approximately 15 minutes and is an easy walk.

Walk 250 metres through windswept tussock grasslands, vine thicket and coastal woodland to a lookout at the tip of the headland. Detour 50 metres to another lookout over a small sandy cove on your return. Enjoy the glorious views over Bustard Bay and the Coral Sea.

Look for dolphins and turtles in the crystal clear waters below or spot a wide array of seabirds as they fly overhead. During the winter months, we are lucky enough to have the whales passing through as they migrate on their journey north.  They are often spotted from the headland.

The 1770 headland is a great spot to sit, relax and enjoy champagne while you enjoy a spec­tacular sunset at the end of the day.

Dogs and domestic pets are not permitted in the national park.

Red Rock Walking Trail

Red Rock Walking Trail is located south of Agnes Water.

An intermediate amount of fitness is required as the track consists of steep inclines, boardwalks, sand and stepping stones.

From Agnes Water follow Springs Road for approximately 2.5kms, you see a sign on your right “Reedy Creek Reserve”, turn left, directly opposite onto a gravel track for 800 meters and park near the trees. There is a sign marking the start of Red Rock Walking Trail.

The beaches and the scenery are just to die for! You may even sight turtles and a dolphin or two. The track is to the right as you enter the beach and to Red Rock will take a good hour of walking or several hours if you wish to stop and take a swim.

November and December are the best months to catch a glimpse of the nesting mother turtles. Be sure to keep your distance if you notice any mother turtles making their way up the

Wear good walking shoes, bottle water, hat, sunscreen, and maybe a little snack/lunch.

Paperbark Forest Walk

This would have to be one of my personal favourites and something I always do a few times a year as it constantly changes depending on the time of day you visit and also how much rain we may have had.

From the town of Agnes Water follow Springs Rd to the south for a little over 2.5km. Look for the large Reedy Creek Reserve sign near a gravel car park on the right hand side of Springs Rd.

Special note: This walking trail is not suitable for all people including the very young or those with limited mobility or balance. You’ll en­counter obstacles, stepping stones, fallen debris, water crossings, steps and rough surfaces that require good balance.

This short but spectacular forest walk will take you into the heart of a very special type of forest, rarely seen in such pristine condition. The specially designed track makes it possible to penetrate the thick lush undergrowth and then you’re completely surrounded by hun­dreds of paperbark tree trunks and the green fronds of the cabbage palm. Keep an eye out for butterflies and richly coloured fungi.

A picnic table at the start/finish of the walk makes a great spot for a cup of tea.

1770 Foreshore

The Foreshore of 1770 is truly a beauty to behold and many hours can be spent whiling away the day enjoying the beach, creek, sandbanks and parklands. Many seabirds inhabit the sandbanks at low tide including pelicans, terns, sea gulls and cormorants to name a few.

Continue walking along the foreshore and you will be lead to the steps on top of the hill taking you to the Captain Cook Monument.

This sight designates the landing spot of the crew of Captain Cook’s ship – The Endeavour – when they visited on the 24 May, 1770 and that’s how we got the name.

Anywhere along the foreshore is the perfect spot to sit and watch the sun as it sets at the end of the day. The Town of 1770 is where you will witness the most spectacular sunsets. One of the few places on the East Coast of Australia that you can watch the sun do down over the ocean.

Eurimbula National Park

Within easy 4WD driving from Agnes Water/Town of 1770.

Eurimbula National Park features a transition of vegetation and landforms that are unique in Central Queensland. Over the past 6000 years, parallel dunes have built up on the coastal edge of Eurimbula National Park. Now covered in heaths, these dunes support a myriad of habitats. Botanically, this is a key coastal area that preserves a complex mix of vegetation including some plants common in both southern and northern areas.

Look for the marked changes in plant communities from mangrove-fringed estuaries, freshwater paperbark swamps and coastal lowland eucalypt forests with weeping cabbage palms to tall rainforest with elegant hoop pines.

Sand bars and tidal estuaries provide the ideal habitat for visiting and resident shorebirds.

Deepwater National Park

The park’s diverse vegetation of coastal scrubs, eucalypt woodlands, wet heaths and sedgelands surround Deepwater Creek and its tributaries. Tannins and other substances leached from surrounding heath plants stain the creek water brown. The creek is fringed by tall forests of swamp mahogany, paperbark and cabbage palms, and is broken in places by shallow sections of reed bed and paperbark forest. In these areas water only flows during the wet season.

Deepwater supports diverse birdlife such as emus, red-tailed black-cockatoos, honeyeaters, brahminy kites and waterbirds. Nesting turtles frequent Deepwater Beach from October to April, turtle hatchlings emerge from the nests from January, usually at night.

Agnes Water Beach

We make claims of the final destination for surfing on the East Coast of Queensland at the most northern surf beach available. Surfing is a very popular activity for locals and visitors alike. Bring your board and enjoy the main beach and other locations close by for some great surfing opportunities

Walk the 6 kilometre stretch of pristine beach on an early morning and you may spot turtle laying or hatching (in season), an array of sea birds frolicking in the shallows and even the odd kangaroo or wallaby may join you on your saunter.

You may see many species of terns, white-bellied sea eagles, turtles, dolphins and large schools of fish. Look out for pretty seashells washed up from the iconic Great Barrier Reef.

This beach also makes a wonderful location for a spectacular wedding ceremony with many accommodation options within easy walking distance of the beach.

So plenty of opportunities to get back to nature and enjoy our wonderful landscape, birds and other attractions that our small sea side town has to offer. Come and visit today and remember to stay for a sunset over the water.

 

Flying Fish

The Fantastic Flying Fish – Is it a fish? Is it a boat? Or is it a cocktail drink?

Well, it is all of them actually but the one we’re going to share with you today is the FLYING FISH.

Flying Fish are able to achieve powerful, self-propelled leaps out of the water where their long wing-like fins enable them to glide for considerable distances ABOVE the water’s surface. Amazing, right! This very uncommon fish ability is a natural defence mechanism to evade any predators.

Where are you likely to find them

They like to hang out in the top layer of the ocean – the “sunlight zone” – where most of the visible light exists under the water. This is the layer of ocean where nearly all the ocean’s primary production happens and as such, the vast majority of plants and marine animals live in this area. This, of course, leads to prey and predation relationships where the smaller fish, like the Flying Fish, are targets for the bigger fish. Their unique adaptation allows their torpedo shaped bodies, large pectoral fins and strong tail to reach the velocity it needs to “fly”. It also has adapted its gills to enable them to breathe whilst in the air. These flying fish are also found out at Lady Musgrave Island.

How big will they grow

When the Flying Fish is fully grown it can measure up to 20 – 25 centimetres in length and their pectoral fins can be as big as the size of the wings of some birds. After increasing speed under the water, they launch themselves out of the water and glide quite remarkable distances. At the end of the glide, they fold their pectoral fins to re-enter the sea or drop their tails into the water to push against it to enable them to lift for another glide and can even change directions at this point. They can increase the time in the air by flying straight into or at an angle to the direction of the updrafts created by the air and ocean currents.

Some Flying Fish have been known to launch themselves onto the decks of smaller boats. Other fisherman catch Flying Fish by shining a light into the water and then catching them with a net. Others are able to scoop them straight out of the air with nets and Sea Birds have been known to swoop in and catch the Flying Fish while they are in glide mode.

The average flight length would be around 50 metres and with updrafts up to 400 metres in distance. They can travel at speeds of 70 km/h at an altitude maximum of around 6 metres above the surface of the sea.

In May 2008, a Japanese film crew filmed a flying fish off the coast of Yakusima Island and the fish spent 45 seconds in the air. Remarkable for such a little fish.

Wobbegong Shark

Have you ever heard of or seen a Wobbegong Shark?

Have you ever heard of or seen a Tasselled Wobbegong? First of all there are over 370 shark species in the world. Australia is home to more than 100 of them. The Great Barrier Reef is a mecca for a massive variety of sharks, one in particular the Tasselled Wobbegong.

They are a species of carpet shark

We are bringing up this variety of shark because in the last couple of months some of our lucky snorkelers have been able to spot one of these little guys lurking around in our snorkel zone. They are a species of carpet shark that dwell mainly on the bottom of shallow reefs in Australia, New Guinea and Indonesia. Wobbegong came from an Australian Aboriginal word that means ‘shaggy beard’. It’s beard like features are used as sensory barbs and also they also help them to camouflage into their surroundings.  They are quiet flat and also have old school carpet patterns that make it a camouflage king in the reef.

Length of a Wobbegong

Wobbegongs can grow up to 1.25m and don’t hold much threat to humans .  They are quiet lazy and don’t really like to move too much, spending most of the day sleeping

Have you wondered how Lady Musgrave Island was created

How was Lady Musgrave Island Created?

Believe it or not, the “land” that forms the Great Barrier Reef is the remains of sediments of the Great Dividing Range (Australia’s largest mountain range). It extends over 2500 kilometres along the coast line of Queensland. Wow isn’t that amazing!

Coral Cay

There are many types of reefs throughout the Great Barrier Reef however at the Southern End, we are graced with reefs that also include a coral cay. A coral cay is actually an island formed from the loose coral sediments that are broken up by prevailing winds and “pushed” into an area of the reef where it deposits, settles and begins to form the cay. There are many cays on the Great Barrier Reef however Lady Musgrave is the only one that you can gain ACCESS into the partially protected waters of the lagoon, within the walls of the reef itself.

Lady Musgrave Island is over 19 hectares (49 acres) and is properly described as a wooded, sandy cay. It has been built by wind driven waves, pushing coral rubble, sand and broken shells to one end of the reef. Now it is held together by the roots of trees and shrubs, fertilised by the bird droppings of those that nest, live and breed on the island.

Lady Musgrave Lagoon

The lagoon is surrounded by an oval shaped coral ring, striving to grow outward which has collapsed in the centre. The reef consists of over 3000 acres comprising of cay (island), lagoon and reef, with the lagoon itself around 1000 acres.

Great, broad-leafed Pisonia trees (Pisonia Grandis) dominate the island’s interior. They are soft wooded and shallow rooted so they sometimes topple or drop branches in strong winds and storms but continue to live in a tangles mat of trunks and roots. The Pandanus thrives around the island’s edge on strong roots that bind the soil and sand. Casuarina Pines thrive in the open spaces and their fine leaves give great shade. Octopus Bush are around the foreshore and Sandpaper Figs can be found inland.

So time to come and visit this island paradise with the enthusiastic

passionate team from 1770reef.

 

We are the Closest access to the Reef!

Lady Musgrave Island – Gateway to the Southern Great Barrier Reef.

1770reef provides you with the closest access to Lady Musgrave Island being just a short boat trip out fro the Town of 1770  to Lady Musgrave Island, Reef and Lagoon. The Town of 1770/Agnes Water is only 5 hours from the city of Brisbane and only 1.5 hours from city of Bundaberg, by car.

You can drive yourself, catch a Greyhound Bus, get the Tilt Train or get an Executive Limousine service direct from Bundaberg, return. So easy to get here and so much to enjoy with 1770reef visiting the “jewel” in the reef – Lady Musgrave Island.

What to expect on your tour

We travel 65 kilometres across open oceans to access the wonders of the reef, right on our doorstep. All activities are provided for your day – a wonderfully informative guided island walk with our experienced guide who tends to spend most of the year either working on the reef/island with 1770reef or assisting with Qld Parks and Wildlife vegetation regeneration projects on the island. Let Marcus share his extensive knowledge about the island, the birds and the marine life that surround these shores.

Then, onto the glass bottom boat with your guide for a great coral viewing tour. With 6 metres of large glass panels on the bottom, it allows all our guests to enjoy “life under the sea” without getting your feet wet. Meandering through the coral bommies pointing out the different coral formations, finding Nemos’ and spotting turtles as we go.

On your return to our vessel to enjoy a fresh tropical buffet lunch before getting your swimmers on for your snorkelling activity. After your important snorkel safety briefing by the crew, get your snorkel gear (crew will assist with sizing if required) and away you go to enjoy the pristine waters of the lagoon within our large snorkel zone. Resting stations are provided throughout the zone, in case of fatigue during your snorkel time as it can be a tiring exercise for those of us not used to it. Open your eyes to the beauty below the water and let us know what you spot- turtles, garfish, cods, parrot fish, clown fish to name a few.

Advice before travel

As you are travelling across open marine waters to reach this magnificent destination, 1770reef also recommend that you consider motion sickness medication. This is best pre purchased before your arrival in town.  Also some thongs or covered shoes that can get wet as the island is a coral Island and quiet hard on your feet.

So need help to organise a great holiday or just a quick weekend away, call us – 1770reef – and we can offer you our reef trip, other local activities in town and accommodation packages.

Call us today 0749 727222 or email tours@1770reef.com.au or look at our website www.1770reef.com.au

Finding Nemo at Lady Musgrave Island

We all love “Nemo” at Lady Musgrave Island

The Great 8!  Number #3 on the list of Great 8 are our beautiful Clown Fish and notably well known around the world “Nemo”.

 Boy or Girl?

All Clown Fish are born. These very social fish live together with a dominant female. If she dies, the most dominant male will change sex to female and become the leader.

Home Safe!

 Clown Fish have a very special relationship with the Anemone (related to coral and jellyfish and some experts say half plant and half animal). The Clown Fish eat the anemone leftovers (fish pieces for example) and live among https://www.1770reef.com.au/book-now/ the protection of the venomous tentacles. The anemone uses the Clown Fish for removal of dead tentacles and to improve water circulation around itself.

What Colour Am I?

Clown Fish come in a variety of wonderful colours. They have white stripes that are combined with orange, red, yellow, blue, or black basic body colour. Of course, we all think of the orange type due to the popularity of the movie “Finding Nemo”.

Come and Get Me!

By gaining the protection of the toxic tentacles of the anemone, Clown Fish can be known to be quite aggressive in nature if predators do come close. Recently, on a 1770reef Day Trip to Lady Musgrave, we have experienced, first hand, a Hawksbill Turtle trying to eat coral near an anemone with resident Clown Fish and out they  charged towards the turtle, – twice. Always ready to protect their homes.

Clown Fish – One. Turtle – Nil.

They will also fiercely protect their homes from other Clown Fish. However, if with the best protection, Clown Fish is often preyed on by large fish, sharks and eels.

Let 1770reef help you tick the famous       CLOWN FISH   # 3 on the Great Barrier Reef Great 8 off your bucket list!!!                                  

+617 4972 7222                                              tours@1770reef.com.au                            www.1770reef.com.au

Meet the Majestic Manta Ray’s at Lady Musgrave Island

Manta Ray’s at Lady Musgrave Island with 1770reef

The gracefulness of the Manta Ray is truly a thing of beauty. They are a giant of the ocean and can reach a disc size of up to 7metres, averaging around 4.5 metres.

Coming in at Number #2 on the Great 8 of our Great Barrier Reef’s living icons is the Manta Ray and you may have to chance to get up close and personal while snorkelling the pristine waters of Lady Musgrave Lagoon.

Did you know?

The Manta Ray has the largest brain to body size ration of any living fish which makes them quite inquisitive around snorkellers and divers, coming up to “inspect” what you are up to.

How  fast can they go?

The flapping in Mantas can generate incredible amount of propulsion. A 4.5 metre Manta can travel at around 14 kilometres per hour with bursts of up to 35 kilometres per hour.

You can name one as well.

If you get a chance to swim with the Manta take a photo of its underbelly. No two Mantas have the same markings. If it is identified as a “new” sighting, you can name it yourself!

The Love Train

During breeding times up to 30 males may follow only one (1) female as she leads them in a merry dance resembling something like the old Conga Line dance. She will then choose one of the males as a partner. Once she falls pregnant, the male departs and has no part in any parenting.

 What a big mouth you have?

The Manta has a very large, forward facing mouth. This allows them to migrate across the open seas and filter feed large quantities of plankton which they swallow with their open mouths as they swim along.

Let 1770reef help you tick the famous     MANTA RAY    # 2 on the Great Barrier Reef Great 8 off your bucket list!!!                                  

+617 4972 7222                                              tours@1770reef.com.au                            www.1770reef.com.au

Giant Clam

Giant Clams at Lady Musgrave Island Lagoon

It’s The Great 8!

The Giant Clam is found at our very own Lady Musgrave Island Lagoon part of the Southern Great Barrier Reef, with the Giant Clam earing its spot at number 5, alongside the likes of Whales, Manta Rays, Clown Fish, Sharks, Potato Cod, Maori Wrasse and Turtles.

Lady Musgrave Island is one of the only locations along the Great Barrier Reef where all 8 can be found, including of course the amazing Giant Clam.

Did you know?

It’s said that, like a human fingerprint, no two Giant Clams have the same colouration or mantle pattern.  These wild technicolour effects actually come from algae living within the clam’s tissue.

These extraordinary mollusks, which can grow to 1.5 meters in length and weigh up to 200 kilograms, feature a pretty ordinary exterior but a stunning mantle – the fleshy part protruding from the shell.

One of these Clams is not like the other….

Adult giant clams cannot close their shells completely.   This makes them the only species of clams unable to do so.

Male or Female?

By nature, Giant Clams are hermaphrodites. They possess the reproductive organs of both the sexes.

Despite this, they cannot reproduce on their own. On the contrary, they release sperms and eggs into the water.

A single giant clam can release over 500 million eggs at one time.

What’s for dinner?

The algae that grow within the Giant Clam’s mantle tissue are their main source of food. The giant clams absorb sugars and proteins, which these algae produce as they photosynthesize. The nutrition that they get from these algae enables them to acquire such enormous sizes.

Owing to their immense size and their sessility, giant clams are also preyed upon by a number of predators which are, more often than not, much smaller than them.

Let 1770reef help you tick the famous GIANT CLAM  # 5 on the Great Barrier Reef Great 8 off your bucket list!!!      Bookings 0749727222https://www.1770reef.com.au/book-now/                             

Top 100 Bucket List with news/experienceoz

#23 Queensland top 100 Bucket List with news/experienceoz

#23 – Snorkel the Lady Musgrave Island lagoon

Where is it? 80km north-east of Bundaberg, QLD

Host to the Great Barrier Reef’s largest lagoon and one of the best overall budget options for those looking to get a sampling of a quality reef environment, Lady Musgrave Island offers an amazing snorkel and dive destination – particularly for beginners – all at a relatively reasonable, bare-bones price with operators Lady Musgrave Experience departing from Bundaberg, and 1770 Reef Tours from the Town of 1770. As a result, it’s the perfect beginner-friendly island reef destination for first-timers. A prominent coral cay in the Great Barrier Reef’s southern section, Lady Musgrave Island brings along with it the characteristic high visibility levels one can expect of the south reef. While its marine life is diverse and plentiful, it’s the lagoon that helps set Lady Musgrave apart from its counterparts; it offers a great combination of both size and safety alongside impressive coral cover with a good mixture of both hard and soft types to encounter.

Lady Musgrave’s lagoon is a veritable hub of colourful reef fish, resident turtles and a variety of coral with along with a sand bottom and scattered bommies that are delightful to explore. The lagoon offers an easily navigable depth of 6 to 8 metres, and given that the island’s waters offer an average visibility of around 20 metres at a minimum, it’s possible to take in a wonderful underwater panorama even for beginner snorkellers. Couple this with a lack of currents, and you’ve got one of the reef’s best all-round spots for comfortable exploration. Divers are also catered for here, as there are 14 world-class dive sites available in the waters on the outer side of the lagoon’s wall, including an easy and relaxed drift dive that offers the chance to spot the likes of cod, wrasse, reef sharks and eels, along with manta ray encounters. Image credit: Rob Richardson via Tourism QLDhttps://www.1770reef.com.au/about/lady-musgrave-island/

What does 1770reef do and Why us?

1770reef provides access to one of the most pristine areas of the Great Barrier Reef – Lady Musgrave Island, Lagoon and Reef. The Town of 1770 is the closest port by sea, to visit the Southern Great Barrier Reef – Where Great Begins.

1770 is the closest access to Lady Musgrave Island being a short 1.5hr approx to Lady Musgrave Island part of the Southern Great Barrier Reef, 1770reef departs daily from the 1770 Marina.

We give you a day where memories and special life changing moments are made that last a life time, new friends gained and loads of fun to be had. Snorkel the clear waters of the lagoon, swim with the multitudes of colourful fish and hang out with the turtles and have your turtle selfie, experience the Manta Rays.

Visit Lady Musgrave Island for a guided walk and enjoy a coral viewing tour on the glass bottom boat without getting your feet even wet.

What will you see?

The magical turquoise, blue waters of the lagoon greet you on arrival. What a sight, time to get the cameras’ out and start gathering your memories to share with friends and family.

Tick the Great 8 off your bucket list – a chance to see turtles, clown fish, giant clams, sharks, potato cod, Manta Rays, Maori wrasse and whales in season.

There are over 1300 varieties of reef fish and over 350 species of soft and hard corals to enjoy under the clear waters of the lagoon.

On the island of white coral sands and pisonia forest live a large population of sea and shore birds. Did you know that some of the birds migrate all the way from Siberia to next on these coral cays each year?

When are you going?

Who wouldn’t want to join the fun boat – Emelie – with her passionate, experienced, local crew members sharing their knowledge and love of their office for the day.

Book on today – Online – www.1770reef.com.au. Phone – 07 49727222  Email – tours@1770reef.com.au

Baby Turtles Hatching

Turtles Hatching

Marine turtles have nested on parts of the Queensland coast for thousands of years. To watch a marine turtle nest is to experience one of nature’s truly wonderful rituals. A marine turtle can be between 30 to 50 years of age before it begins to breed and may only breed every few years.

When do they Hatch

The hatchlings join the world from about January to April, emerging in a flurry from their nests, generally during the night, after a period of 7 to 10 weeks in the nest. They have an extremely low chance of survival, with only about one (1) in one thousand (1000) reaching maturity.

In the nest, hatchlings break their egg shell wall within hours of each other and then it can take up to 24 hours to emerge totally from the eggshell.  En masse, they climb upwards towards the surface, breathing the air in between the grains of sand. It can take them up to 2 days to actually reach the surface.

From the nest, the hatchlings will race down to the ocean as they respond to the environmental indicators around to help them on their way to the water. This can take several minutes to achieve and at all stages they may be vulnerable to predators both on shore and in the water.

Which turtles are you likely see at Lady Musgrave Island

Lady Musgrave Island is fortunate enough to have many  Green Turtles, with sightings of Loggerheads and occasionally the endangered Hawksbill  the Hawksbill are very special when you see them they actually look like they have a hawks bill. Green and Loggerheads are the most common hatchlings beginning their lives in the beautiful waters of Lady Musgrave Lagoon.