With some 1,050 islands, 2,900 coral reefs, 1,625 species of fish and more than 30 species of whale and dolphin, it’s no surprise that the Great Barrier Reef is Australia’s number one attraction.
The world’s largest and longest coral reef system is so vast – with five very different regions – it has to be seen to be believed. In the south the Whitsundays and Mackay Region has windswept coral isles, the southern Great Barrier Reef region has quiet coastal towns, and the Townsville region has unspoiled islands. In the north you’ll find minke whales offshore of the Cairns and Port Douglas region, while the Wild North is home to remote rainforest.
There is much to see beneath the waves here, but exploring the reef needn’t mean getting your feet wet. With scenic flights, glass-bottomed boat tours and luxurious stays on coral atolls, there are myriad adventures to be had here. Start with these 10 unforgettable experiences.
1. Sleep in paradise
Snorkel the reef by simply wading out from the beach, then return to your hotel for breakfast. Later, take a glass-bottom boat tour or join a snorkel safari before relaxing in your suite with its views of the beach. A stay on one of the Great Barrier Reef’s numerous islands means all this and more – including sundowners overlooking the reef.
2. Do it in a day
Short of time? Get a taste of the reef in just one day, by heading out from the coast and sailing to a floating platform on Agincourt Reef. From here you can view the coral and marine life on a trip on a semi-submersible, push off from the platform to snorkel above the coral and even try an introductory scuba dive.
3. Get a bird’s eye view
Heart Reef is a coral composition that has naturally shaped itself into a heart. Take a scenic flight above the Whitsundays to view this unique sight – and snap a picture of it to rival any postcard.
4. Go fish
Catch something truly epic on a game fishing charter in the reef’s wild north. Head out from the mainland and you’ll be hunting dogtooth tuna, marlin, yellowfin tuna and Spanish mackerel with an expert guide to take you to all the best spots.
5. Take a dive
With its shipwrecks, towering coral walls, pristine coral gardens and multitude of marine life, nowhere beats the Great Barrier Reef for diving. Head out from Cairns or Port Douglas and you’ll be able to make as many as three dives in a day, while further south near Townsville the 110-metre-long SS Yongala shipwreck attracts rays, turtles, sea snakes and schools of barracuda. Not a diver yet? If you’ve always wanted to get your PADI scuba diving certification, where better than the Great Barrier Reef? Book with Pro Dive and you’ll spend two days in Cairns mastering the basics in their heated pools before joining a dive boat and completing your certification.
6. See the coral spawn
You’ll need to be in the right place at the right time for this one. Visit in October or early November about five nights after the full moon and with luck on your side you’ll see trillions of eggs released by the coral – head out with marine biologists for a night dive for the best chance of seeing this natural phenomenon.
7. Sail away
Think chartering a yacht is only for millionaires? Not in the Whitsundays, where prices start in the hundreds not the thousands, for a skippered sailing yacht. There’s no better way to explore this paradise of 74 verdant islands than under your own steam so relax and start reef hopping.
8. Help with turtle conservation
One of the reef’s most beguiling wildlife encounters takes place firmly on dry land, at places such as Mon Repos Regional Park, Heron Island and Lady Eliot Island. The beach here supports the largest concentration of nesting marine turtles on the eastern Australian mainland. The Turtle Centre gives you the chance to see them coming ashore to nest, or the new hatchlings scurrying out into the world – and the water – for the first time.
9. Sleep on the reef
Despite its popularity, it’s easy to get the reef all to yourself – simply book the ReefSleep experience with Cruise Whitsundays and get ready to wave the day boat guests goodbye. Just nine guests can sleep at Reefworld pontoon each night, leaving you to explore Hardy Reef undisturbed. You’ll also get dinner served in the underwater observatory and will see the stars like never before on the top deck, miles away from the slightest hint of light pollution.
10. Not one, but two world heritage sites
Only in one place do two Unesco world heritage sites stand side by side – in Tropical North Queensland, where the Daintree rainforest and the Great Barrier Reef meet. The best way to discover it is on a walkabout led by a local Kuku Yalanji Aboriginal guide. You’ll sample bush tucker, swim in a freshwater stream and try your hand at spear fishing for mud crabs.
