1770 Area information

The town of 1770 and its sister Agnes water have been a hidden secret for well over two hundred years; they’re small Queensland coastal towns in a predominately natural environment situated between Gladstone in the north and Bundaberg in the south. Rigid controls on their development, which is nevertheless growing and offers some wonderful investment opportunities, has ensured that they remain a quiet tourist destination attracting a growing population of those looking for a life other than cities or blatant tourist attractions. The area is surrounded by national parks and is the gateway to the southern end of the Great Barrier Reef and just a short distance inland there is the Wet Tropics World Heritage listed Rainforest.

1770 offers so much, the beaches have to be seen to be believed, with small secluded coves and inlets as well as the broad expanse of Bustard Bay (named after the fact that Captain Cook's crew shot and ate a Bustard here)the beaches all have clean white sand and rocky headlands and the sea is crocodile and stinger free. Apart from swimming, surfing, snorkeling and diving there are all manner of water sports available, canoeing, sailing, fishing or just roaming and discovering what secrets the sea gives up when the tide goes out.

For those wanting to explore there's the ferry to Lady Musgrave a coral cay set on 3000 acres of living reef with a deepwater coral lagoon unique to the entire Great Barrier Reef region. The Island is made of coral and reef walkers can observe starfish, sea-urchins, clams and corals exposed at high tide. Scuba divers can meet a manta ray or moray eel, giant rainbow coloured parrot fish or coral trout. During the summer, turtles come ashore to lay their eggs on the beaches and there are thousands of seabirds of many different species on the uninhabited Island. Lady Musgrave Island is a national park, a tropical paradise abundant in pisonia forests with no shops or facilities ashore, surprisingly however, restricted camping is permitted for up to 50 people at a time; campers must take their own fresh water and food.

Fitzroy Reef Lagoon is 2000 acres of the most pristine coral reef on the Southern Great Barrier Reef, less than ninety minutes from the 1770 marina (Full day cruises depart 1770 Marina at 8 am and return at around 5-6 pm). There are guided, supervised 'snorkel trails' or one can 'explore' the coral reefs within the lagoon from the comfort of a glass bottomed boat with a marine biologist on board.

For a change from the ocean and all it's many splendorous offerings there's always a trip to the rainforest, organized 4 x 4 discovery safaris are on offer.