Things to do in Great Barrier Reef
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Great Barrier Reef
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Dry season: clear water, calm seas; the reef at its best. June to September is peak.
Wet season: hot, humid, stingers, rougher seas; cheaper but cancellations.
What's on
- Port Douglas Carnivale May
The town's festival week.
- Cairns Festival August/September
The city's arts festival.
- Taste Port Douglas August
The food festival.
Best things to do in Great Barrier Reef
Agincourt Reef
The outer-reef pontoon day from Port Douglas; book the week in season.
Norman Reef
Small-boat outer reef from Cairns; more snorkel time, fewer people.
Green Island
The coral cay 45 minutes out; the easy half-day reef trip.
Fitzroy Island
Rainforest island with the Summit Track and fringing-reef snorkelling.
Daintree National Park
The world's oldest rainforest; the Discovery Centre and Cape Tribulation.
Mossman Gorge
Dreamtime walks and swimming holes; 20 minutes from Port Douglas.
Kuranda Scenic Railway
Skyrail up, railway down; the rainforest village day.
Cairns Esplanade Lagoon
The free swimming lagoon; the city beach is a mudflat.
Where to stay in Great Barrier Reef
Port Douglas
a first trip
Prettier town, closer to the outer reef and the Daintree; the resort end of the market.
Cairns
choice and value
Most hotels and tour departures; cheapest reef trips; good for families.
Think twice about
- Cairns city expecting a beach holiday
The foreshore is a mudflat; the lagoon is the swim, the reef is the day trip.
- Daintree lodges for a reef trip
2 hours from the reef boats; stay in Port Douglas and visit for the day.
- Green Island resort for town life
It is an island; dinner is the resort.
Best restaurants in Great Barrier Reef
Prawn Star
Prawn trawler moored at the marina; buckets of prawns at sunset.
Splash Seafood Restaurant
Esplanade seafood; the proper Cairns dinner.
Bellocale
Italian seafood; the date-night dinner in the city.
Ochre Restaurant
Native Australian ingredients in a waterfront room.
Tha Fish
Esplanade fish and chips; the cheap perfect lunch.
Calypso Club
Casual café; the pre-reef-trip fuel.
On the Inlet
Seafood with the boats in view; the Port Douglas dinner.
Marina View Restaurant
Casual marina lunch between reef days.
Outdoor things to do in Great Barrier Reef
Low Isles
Small-group sailing to the coral cay; turtles and shallow snorkelling.
Fitzroy Island Summit Track
3.6 km return through rainforest to 360-degree reef views.
Barron River
Half-day white-water rafting through the gorge; no experience needed.
Best hotels in Great Barrier Reef
Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort
Beachfront resort on Four Mile Beach; the classic splurge.
Crystalbrook Bailey
Art-filled hotel in the city centre.
Pullman Reef Hotel Casino
The Esplanade hotel with the casino below.
Hilton Cairns
Waterfront hotel by the marina.
Crystalbrook Riley
Resort-style hotel with the lagoon pool.
Is Great Barrier Reef expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | A$80 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | A$200 a person |
| Splurge | A$500 a person |
| No limits | A$1,000 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Agincourt Reef: weeks ahead
- Norman Reef: a few days ahead
- Green Island: a few days ahead
- Fitzroy Island: a few days ahead
- Kuranda Scenic Railway: a few days ahead
- Low Isles: a few days ahead
- Barron River: a few days ahead
- Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort: weeks ahead
- Outer reef trips: the day before minimum, the week in season.
- Small-group reef boats sell out in school holidays.
- Port Douglas accommodation in July/August: weeks ahead.
Is Great Barrier Reef safe?
- Stingers November to May; never swim in northern rivers (crocodiles). Reef sun is fierce. Emergency: 000.
Great Barrier Reef travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Inner-reef trips from Cairns; ask which reef the boat visits.
- The aquarium as a reef substitute; it is not the reef.
- Skipping the stinger suit in summer.
Getting around Great Barrier Reef: public transport and more
- The reef is a boat trip; book with the operator. Port Douglas departures are shorter.
- A car helps for the Daintree and Tablelands; the towns are walkable.
- Stinger season November to May: swim in the nets or the lagoon.
Who Great Barrier Reef suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Good |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | OK |
| Families | Great |
| Bachelorette parties | OK |
Make Great Barrier Reef your trip
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