The Great Barrier Reef is not called ‘great’ for nothing. Stretching for 2,700km off the North Queensland coast, it’s the size of 70 million football fields and bigger than two-thirds of the countries on the planet. What’s more, it’s the only living structure that you can see from outer space.
The UNESCO World Heritage-listed wonder actually consists of more than 3,000 coral reefs, which can be discovered snorkelling, scuba diving, on a tour on a glass bottom boat or semi-submersible vessel, or even on a scenic helicopter flight. In other words, the more time you give yourself to explore the Great Barrier Reef, the better!
Tune in for everything you need to know about visiting the world’s most famous reef.
Where to visit the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland
The Great Barrier Reef stretches from from Lady Elliot Island off the coast of Bundaberg to the tip of Cape York.
Base yourself at one of the tropical towns on the mainland:
- Airlie Beach
- Townsville
- Rockhampton
- Mackay
- Cairns
- Port Douglas
Or book a relaxing stay on one of the dozens of beautiful islands the Reef encompasses, including:
- Great Keppel Island
- Hamilton Island
- Hayman Island
- Magnetic Island
- Fitzroy Island
Better yet – mix a few days on both! Read on to plan your North Queensland getaway.
Why the Great Barrier Reef is still worth a trip
There’s no hiding the fact that this Aussie icon has been in the headlines for all the wrong reasons, including cyclone damage and bleaching events as a result of rising ocean temperatures – a scenario that’s affecting reef systems around the world.
So, how does the Great Barrier Reef look today? And is it still worth taking the family?
Chief scientist for the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority – and the ultimate caretaker of the reef – Dr David Wachenfeld believes that while the reef is under immense pressure, it is still incredibly valuable and a great place to visit.
“The reef is still an amazing, beautiful vibrant eco system,” he says. “It’s part of Australia’s identity, part of the spirituality of First Nations people. It’s a global environmental icon and a World Heritage site. Just ask any eight-year-old – it is also the inspiration for Finding Nemo.”
How to choose the best Great Barrier Reef tour
Dr Wachenfeld says the best way to get the most out of a trip to the reef is to travel with expert guides with eco operations. “Just like tourists anywhere, if you were to turn up with no guide and no guidebook you could have an average time,” he says.
“You need local knowledge. You need a local guide to take you to the best places. You would not go to the Serengeti, jump in a hire car, drive aimlessly and expect to see all areas filled with animals. Nor should you do that on the Great Barrier Reef.”
10 best Great Barrier Reef experiences for families
1. Sleep on the reef at Lady Musgrave Island
When it comes to out-of-the box poetic places to stay, this one can’t be beaten! Sleep in the underwater observatory at LADY MUSGRAVE HQ, an eco-pontoon at Lady Musgrave Island off the coast of Bundaberg. Innovative UV lighting means you can drift off to sleep watching the Southern Great Barrier Reef’s marine life all around you.
You can also sleep on deck for the ultimate glamping getaway under the stars, or make it a day trip instead. It’s only a two-hour trip to the island on a comfortable luxury catamaran. Both overnight guests and day trippers can swim, snorkel, explore the reef on a glass-bottomed boat and take a walking tour of the island.
2. Explore the isles with Sailaway Port Douglas
Explore the beautiful coral cays and reefs of the Great Barrier Reef on a day trip from Port Douglas with Sailaway. The eco-tourism operator offers a range of experiences, travelling on its luxury catamaran to Mackay and Undine Coral Cays on the Outer Reef, and the idyllic coral cay island known as Low Isles.
On the latter, you can relax on the white sand beach, embark on a heritage walk to learn about the island’s nature and history, go on a glass-bottom boat tour, snorkel over coral gardens in the blue lagoon alongside a marine biologist, and swim with turtles in their natural habitat.
3. Stay at an underwater hotel in the Whitsundays
Stay overnight in Australia’s first underwater accommodation and have a front row seat to the spectacular world of the Great Barrier Reef. Moored 40 nautical miles from Airlie Beach, the Reefworld pontoon hosts day trippers, on-deck Reefsleep guests, and the lucky few who’ll head below deck for a private, all-inclusive Reefsuite experience.
The journey begins with a cruise through the Whitsunday Islands to Hardy Reef. After lunch, you can snorkel, dive, swim or take a scenic helicopter flight to see famous Heart Reef. Day trippers depart mid-afternoon and then overnight guests have the Reef all to themselves. After watching the sunset and enjoying a starlit long-table dinner on the pontoon’s upper deck, guests can retreat to their undersea accommodation and watch as the reef comes to life through the floor-to-ceiling windows.
4. Go snorkelling on a Lady Elliot Island day trip
Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort has been on #teamGBR for more than 15 years. The carbon-neutral resort was the first on the Great Barrier Reef to build a large hybrid power station to reduce reliance on diesel generators, and the team was instrumental in pushing for both a ‘Green Zone’ and ‘No Anchor Zone’, which has helped increase marine biodiversity.
With a tide-dependant lagoon in front of the resort, which is ideal for novice snorkellers at high tide and reef walks at low tide, it’s one of the greatest spots for families to explore the wonders of the GBR, and to watch seabirds and turtles nest and hatch.
5. Wade into Daydream Island's famous Living Reef
Too scared to snorkel in the open water? Daydream Island Resort has brought The Living Reef back to the newly reopened resort with a raft of activities to see, touch and learn about the reef, all under the watchful eye of marine biologists, in an enclosed lagoon.
The Living Reef also holds the record for the most ticklish of all experiences: stingray splash – a chance to go ankle-deep in the lagoon and giggle as baby rays dash between your feet hoping for a bite to eat!
6. Take a Quicksilver Cruise from Cairns or Port Douglas
Quicksilver Cruises has been championing the reef protection and sustainability cause since day one, offering outer reef cruises, snorkelling, diving, semi-sub and ocean floor walking tours, plus an underwater observatory – all accredited by Ecotourism Australia.
Quicksilver Cruises is so dedicated to keeping the reef beautiful it has its own reef biosearch environmental division, employing the largest team of marine biologists outside of government. Its logbooks of environmental data stretch back 30 years!
Book your Quicksilver Cruise to the Outer Great Barrier Reef here
7. Visit Heron Island Research Station
Fun fact: Heron Island is not an island, but a cay, and there are no herons – the birds are egrets! However, you won’t be disappointed when you take a trip to this beautiful spot on the outer Great Barrier Reef. As well as the chance to snorkel with creatures that come straight from the imagination of Dr Zeus, Heron Island is also home to the super fun Heron Island Research Station.
Visitors can datamine the brains of real marine scientists over a 90-minute station tour. For the kids, there’s also a touch tank where you can get up close with Barbara the hermit crab, a variety of corals, and a funky pincushion starfish that shapes itself according to the pressure of your hand.
8. Passions Outer Reef snorkelling trip from Cairns
Be whisked away from Cairns aboard the 25-metre Passions of Paradise catamaran for a day of snorkelling the Outer Reef. As well as the corrugated sand, which has been beautifully patterned by the sea and wind, the warm, shallow waters here are perfect for children learning to snorkel.
The onboard eco talk will inspire kids as they spot turtles, psychedelic coral, giant clams and all kinds of colourful fish. Full day family tours include two reef destinations, a delicious buffet lunch, all equipment and snorkelling lessons with an expert instructor.
9. Explore the Low Isles from Port Douglas
The Low Isles are like signposts that announce your arrival in the magical marine realm of the Great Barrier Reef. Less than an hour from Port Douglas, these uninhabited Coral Sea islets offer incredible snorkelling conditions, with an astonishing array of aquatic action accessible within a few metres of the beach.
Even if you’re not keen on snorkelling, it’s easy to fill the afternoon splashing in the shallows, spotting fish, and collecting shells. A Reef Sprinter tour is the cheapest Reef experience from Port Douglas, reaching the Low Isles in just 15 minutes. Wavedancer Low Isles Cruises are more in-depth and there’s a marine biologist on each trip.
10. Drop into Reef HQ Aquarium in Townsville
Aside from the kudos that goes with being the largest living coral reef aquarium in the world, this research hub is also home to the Australian Government’s national education centre for all things Great Barrier Reef and the site of a special turtle hospital. It’s also the perfect prepper for bigger and bolder underwater reef adventures.
Update: The previous Reef HQ Aquarium closed in 2021 for the construction of the Global Great Barrier Reef Centre of Excellence. The new Great Barrier Reef Aquarium is set to open in 2029. Add it to your calendar and keep an eye on their Facebook page for regular updates!
Content contributors: Elisa Elwin, Angela Saurine, Carla Grossetti, Patrick Kinsella
