If you ask me what’s my favorite place on planet Earth, one of the two countries / places that would likely come out of my mouth would be Australia … Lizard Island in Australia specifically.
I was there in 1992, and haven’t forgotten about it since.
photo credit Lizard Island
What’s so wonderful about Lizard Island?
It reminds me of the old TV show “Fantasy Island”. You fly in on a small plane, are at the hotel about a minute later, and you walk barefoot around the immaculate grounds. The snorkeling in eight feet of water at Lizard Island is better there than every dive I’ve done in my life put together. There are (when I was there) giant clams, colorful fish are everywhere on the shallow reefs, and the 600 pound potato cod fish at the Cod Hole, not far off the island’s coast are unimaginably huge and memorable. When they flap their tales you hear a big “smack”.
photo credit Lizard Island
Years after, my wife and I visited Hayman Island … in the Whitsunday island chain, however it didn’t even compare.
In 2019, I visited Australia for the third time, this time spending time in Brisbane. I spent time going all around the Parklands area, a 20-acre boardwalk adjacent to the waterway. Here’s how TripAdvisor describes it:
“South Bank Parklands is Brisbane’s premier lifestyle and cultural destination. Located on the southern banks of the Brisbane River, its 17 hectares of lush parklands, world-class eateries, stunning river views and hundreds of delightful events all year round make it the perfect place to relax and unwind.”
