Great Barrier Reef

The Great Barrier Reef is a UNESCO World Heritage listed area and is the world’s largest coral reef.

This reef goes for 1,200 miles along the Queensland coast stretching all the way from Lady Elliott Island off Bundaberg to just south of Papua New Guinea. It is made up of over 3,000 individual reefs and coral islands, and is the largest marine park in the world. This is home to a variety of marine life that includes dugongs, turtles, dolphins, 400 species of coral, starfish, sponges, sea urchins and over 1,500 species of fish. There are three types of reef found in the Great Barrier Reef – fringe reefs, ribbon reefs and the more common platform or patch reefs which is only found north of Cairns.

This coral reef system covers 86 million acres or 135,993 square miles and is the only living organism that is seen from space.

Covering such a vast distance means there a number of gateways to the reef. The main ones are Port Douglas, Cairns, Mission Beach, Townsville, the Whitsunday Islands, Gladstone and Bundaberg. To experience the Great Barrier Reef, you can either take day trips out to snorkel or dive, you can dive to your heart’s content on a live aboard dive boat, relax on a several day cruise around the reef or stay at an island resort.

There are numerous islands in the Great Barrier Reef and each one is unique in its own way. There are the Island Escapes or more upscale resorts where you can indulge yourself at Hayman, Brampton, Orpheus, Lizard, Bedarra and Hamilton Islands.

Then there are the more natural islands of Lady Elliott, Wilson, Heron and Lizard which are great for diving or fishing.

For family fun, try Daydream, Hayman, Dunk or Hamilton Islands. For those who want a more active vacation, then some of the islands of the Whitsundays would work – Long Island, Daydream or Hamilton. Another World Heritage listed island to be found at the southern end of the reef is Fraser Island, which is known for its sand dunes.

Whether you want 5-star luxury or back to nature safari style tents there is something for everyone with over 25 islands to choose from. The Great Barrier Reef offers a unique and spectacular natural setting for a memory filled vacation.