The Great Barrier Reef Australia and Tropical Queensland"One of the Wonders of the World" The Great Barrier Reef Australia is the largest coral reef system in the world. It is teaming with marine life with many vulnerable and endangered species. It is a must see for many tourists wanting to visit Australia. Whether you just want to snorkel or have a go at diving, this is a completely new world to be explored The reef itself stretches over 300km. Whilst Cairns is by far the most popular destination, you can experience the Great Barrier Reef Australia from the Whitsundays too. The Australians tend to plan Queensland holidays in this area of Australia because of its great beaches, hotels and resorts. It makes it a perfect holiday destination. From Cairns you can also incorporate some other trips – Cape Tribulation, Daintree Rainforest and Mission Beach as well as visiting some crocodiles!
When to goCairns is in the tropical north part of Queensland. This means that the best time to have a tripical Queensland holiday is in the dry months from May to October. You can certainly visit outside of these times but be prepared for it to be extremely hot and humid. Expect some rain too. It tends to be thunderstorms with intervals of hot sunshine but you can be unlucky and get a week of solid rain.
How long to go forUnless you are a diving fanatic, you really only need a day to experience the reef. But, this is a great part of Australia to kick back and relax. Given the day trips you can do too, I'd say you should stay for at least 3 days but up to a week.
Getting to CairnsBest way to get here is to fly from the major Australian cities. For more details on travel distances and flights Whilst Cairns is on the East coast, I personally think it's too far to travel here on a road trip. But clearly you can hire a camper van or a car to get you here if you have the time to explore the entire East Coast. Travel distance from Cairns to Brisbane is at least 24 hours!
Getting AroundDriving distances from Cairns airports are minimal so you could get away without a car if you intend to stay put. I would however hire a car and explore the area a bit more. You don't need a 4WD to do the Daintree rainforest etc unless you intend to go further up to Cooktown. I personally wouldn't recommend this - the drive is a killer and totally exhausting.
Exploring the Great Barrier Reef AustraliaFrom Cairns you can take day trips to explore the Great Barrier Reef Australia. Generally this involves getting on a large undercover ferry or hovercraft and then landing on a Station literally in the middle of the ocean, where you can get a drink, get changed, hire snorkels etc. You get a couple of hours on the Great Barrier Reef Australia before heading back on the ferry to Cairns. You can however opt for a more relaxing trip to one of the islands e.g Green Island, where you can then spend the day, enjoy the beach and snorkel or dive the Great Barrier Reef Australia. I think I’d go for this option rather than the above. Why not take advantage of being in one of the best marine life areas of the world and learn to dive. Click here for more information on
Australian diving and deep sea divers
or click here for more information on other great dive sites outside of the Great barrier reef:
scuba diving australia
What else to do and see in Tropical QueenslandWhilst the Great Barrier Reef Australia is a clear favourite and should be incorporated into your tropical Queensland holiday, there are lots of other great things to do and see:- Head North Head South Would you like to be kept up to date with the latest information and travel tips? Why not subscribe to our monthly newsletter. It also gives you access to my "Hidden Gems" page which is password protected. It tells you all the places to go that the local Aussies are trying to keep all to themselves. Where to stayWhilst Cairns is the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef Australia there are, in my opinion, nicer places to stay. Cairns is however the most convenient in terms of pick ups for trips as most operators will pick you up and drop you off to your hotel. It is however a bit touristy,very commercial, a bit rough round the edges and slightly tacky. It is however the place if you are a backpacker or on a budget as there is much more accommodation here for you. If however you want to relax, enjoy the sunshine, do some sightseeing and incorporate just a day trip to the Great Barrier Reef Australia or Green Island, I’d probably suggest staying in either Port Douglas or Palm Cove instead. Port Douglas is about 70km north of Carins (an hours drive) and its an easy drive from there. It’s a beautiful seaside town with nice shops and plenty of cafes and restaurants. It’s certainly more refined than Cairns. Click here for more information on Port Douglas Palm Cove is between Cairns and Port Douglas (30 mins from each.) It’s only a very small place with a row of classy hotels, restaurants and cafes right in front of the beach which is ideal for everyone. Personally, I’d stay here as its so beautiful and peaceful. It's also great for spas. But go for Port Douglas if you think you will need more vibrancy. The hotels below all look expensive and I've never paid this much. This is a classic queensland holiday for the Australians so there are lots of places to stay around here so you should be able to get a bargain. Try and book as late as possible to get a bargain. Also consider package deals that include flights so you can sometimes pick up a bargain that way. Palm Cove Port Douglas Click here for more information on Port Douglas accommodation Cairns Budget:
Where to eatPalm Cove Restaurants Walk the strip and book for that night at the one you fancy. The hotel restaurants as well as normal restaurants are all good. You really can't go wrong. Canecutters (inside the Novotel) and the Reef Hotel both feature in Australia's top 200 restaurants.
Cairns Restaurants take me back to top 10 places for travel in Australia tell me more about finding cheap hotels australia take me back to the real australia travel home page
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