Lady Elliot Island has long captured the imagination of those drawn to remote, rugged beauty. After decades of mining and abandonment, the late 1960s marked a turning point. Pioneers like Don Adams began reopening the island to visitors, arriving by small aircraft onto a freshly cleared coral airstrip.

The early years were humble and inventive—flights delivered building materials and supplies, tents were pitched for guests, and water was caught from the roof. This was tourism at the edge of the reef—simple, adventurous, and deeply personal.