Top 5 Reasons to Escape to an Island Paradise (sponsored)

Dec 15

Do you share a passion for David Attenborough documentaries like me?

And do you find yourself pining for the opportunity to immerse yourself in Mother Nature’s wild show afterwards? Then it’s about time you tried spending some time on an island. Nothing beats escaping the mainland and reminding yourself about what life is all about……

Here’s 5 reasons why island time is the best time……

1. Chill Time

There is something about island life that can’t be replicated anywhere else. Cut off from the mainland and all its ‘baggage’ you’ll suddenly find yourself on ‘island time’ - where everything becomes just that little bit more chilled and laidback.

Before you know it you’ll be walking to a different beat, and often it seems to be in time with the ocean. No traffic lights (and sometimes no roads), beaches all round, the sea to calm you and the smell and the sound of the ocean always present. The only rush hour you’ll find here is during an underwater feeding frenzy.

2. Daily Priorities

Housecleaning, shopping, checking your inbox for new mail…… none of these ‘tasks’ need to happen when you’re in island mode. You daily priorities shift.

An early rise might mean you are up to catch a sunrise, or better yet to place the first footprints in the beach sand. It’s definitely not to beat the morning rush hour to work. Considering dinner? Then you may just have to get out the fishing rod and catch your own feed.

**Early morning walks on an island are the best**

Exercise comes naturally here. You’ll find yourself following an island path, walking along the beach, exploring nearby coral with a mask and snorkel, but none of this is a necessity, it’s just what you’ll want to do.

3. Sea Views

Island’s mean water and there is something about this kind of view that quiets the mind. Watch carefully and you might catch the head of a turtle pop up for air, the wing tip of a ray, fish skipping across the surface or birds diving down from above. Even the sight of a boat cruising past hardly rates as ‘traffic’.

Sitting still listening to the sound of waves as they break on the sand will help reset your mind to relax and chill mode.

4. Adventure & Discovery

Even if you don’t seek it, adventures and new discoveries happen all the time on an island. It’s a place where you can’t help but be immersed in nature. Islands often have their own unique ecosystems and the more time you spend here the more will be revealed.

**Exploring the mangroves on Russell Island**

You’ll find nature more upfront out here because there really isn’t anywhere for these animals to go. It’s a tightly jammed habitat full of critters and plants that need to get along to survive. And if they don’t get along it can make for interesting viewing.

5. Underwater Bounty

If you thought the island was interesting, wait till you get underwater - islands often act as a refuge from the sea that surrounds. Fish converge and seek protection in the shallows, and the lagoons and bays offer a habitat that differs from the deep surrounding ocean.

To really appreciate an island, you need to get wet and see what it offers you underwater. Some critters will drift in on the ocean currents and others will be here year round. However the island may have been formed, it will create a sanctuary for underwater life and a virtual bounty of discoveries lay underneath those waves.

SO, are you ready to spend some time on an island now? You can find a round-up of Great Barrier Reef Islands close to Cairns that offer sleepovers here >> ‘Sleep on the Reef’.

**Spend time out on an island & you’ll find your ‘Happy Place’**

AND don’t despair if you’re not visiting Tropical North Queensland soon. For those that are a lot further south, one of the BEST alternatives would be a visit to Lord Howe Island and a stay at Pinetrees Lodge (cause this place looks supa family-friendly).

Lord Howe Island easily has all the elements I've listed above PLUS it’s the most southerly location to see a diverse mix of tropical, sub-tropical and temperate marine species all in the one spot.

Everybody loves ‘island time’ - Image courtesy of Pinetrees Lodge, Lord Howe island

And if that doesn’t convince you, David Attenborough once described Lord Howe island as “so extraordinary it is almost unbelievable… Few islands, surely, can be so accessible, so remarkable, yet so unspoilt.”

Trust me this is an island that’s at the top of my ‘To Do’ list and if you’re close then you really shouldn’t let the opportunity to experience ‘Island Time’ slip by……..

Who loves Island time? And who loves David Attenborough documentaries? Tell me your favourites cause I’d love to know.

Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Pinetrees Lodge. Please be aware that I don't promote anything that I would not be prepared to do myself. In other words, if I don't love it then I don't think you would love it and it won't appear on my website.