From north to south, the Great Barrier Reef spans a massive 2,300 kilometres. That’s almost the distance from Adelaide to Perth. So, i you’re thinking of seeing it all during a typical trip to Cairns, we’re sorry to say, it’s not going to happen.
All up and down the Queensland coast there’s launching points to this offshore UNESCO World Heritage Site. We’ve been to a good chunk of them ourselves, and have had a totally different reef experience at them all. While we’ve certainly been to Cairns the most, it’s mostly do to availability of tours, flights and accommodation.
So if you’re looking to compare spots, or for the perfect experience, consider these places to set up camp while you’re exploring the Great Barrier Reef.
Cairns
Where is it? Far North Queensland. It’s a 2.5-hour flight from Brisbane, 3-hour flight from Sydney or 3.5 hour flight from Melbourne.
Reef Experiences: Day trips, liveaboard diving trips, scenic flights, glass-bottom boats, island resorts, ferries to islands with resorts
What else is there to do in Cairns? Explore the Daintree rainforest, swim at scenic waterfalls and gorges, unwind on the Northern Beaches or head inland to the Atherton Tablelands.
The main gateway to the Great Barrier Reef for most travellers, Cairns’ sheer number of liveaboards, day tours, scenic flights and more make this a great place for first-timers. It tends to offer more affordable prices due to the wide availability, too.
But, keep in mind that not all experiences are equal up here.
Having been aboard many boats in different seasons over the course of more than a decade, we can recommend you choose a tour that takes you to the outer reef, avoids pontoons and doesn’t have hundreds of guests aboard. You’ll see healthier coral that hasn’t been impacted by a permanently moored pontoon and there will be fewer people snorkelling or diving with you.
✅ We’ve been here!
Want to make your visit to Cairns a getaway? Consider these accommodation options:
- Coral Tree Inn: Book directly with the hotel | Agoda | Booking.com | Expedia (We’ve stayed here!)
- Novotel Cairns Oasis Resort: Book directly with the hotel | Agoda | Booking.com | Expedia (We’ve stayed here!)
Read more about Cairns:
Port Douglas
Where is it? About a 1-hour drive north from Cairns, where you’ll find the closest airport.
Reef Experiences: Day trips, combination trips of reef and rainforest and scenic helicopter flights.
What else is there to do in Port Douglas? Relax on Four Mile Beach, swim at Mossman Gorge, explore the Daintree Rainforest.
A delightful resort town about an hour north of Cairns, Port Douglas has a totally different vibe than the city to its south. Here, you’ll find resorts rather than hotels, sprawling swimming pools and, most importantly, a beach you can actually swim at.
From here, though, you’ll still find plenty of options for day trips out to the reef.
What we love about Port Douglas though, other than the fantastic vacation atmosphere, is the fact it’s within easy reach of the Daintree Rainforest and Mossman Gorge, too.
✅ We’ve been here!
Want to make your visit to Port Douglas a getaway? Consider these accommodation options:
- Reef Club Resort: Book directly with the hotel | Agoda | Booking.com | Expedia (We’ve stayed here!)
- Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort: Book directly with the hotel | Agoda | Booking.com | Expedia
Airlie Beach and the Whitsundays
Where is it? Around the middle of Queensland’s east coast, just under two hours’ flight from Brisbane, 2.5 hours’ flight from Sydney and 3 hours’ flight from Melbourne.
Reef Experiences: Sailing tours, pontoons you can camp on, overnight boat tours, island resorts, scenic flights.
What else is there to do in Airlie Beach? Relax in Airlie Beach Lagoon, take a walk along the coast, swim at Whitehaven Beach.
If scenic sailings and flying high over heart-shaped reefs are more your style, then consider a visit to the Whitsundays region. We’ve been here a few times over the years and, somehow, it just keeps getting more beautiful. The region is home to more than 70 tropical islands, some with resorts, many with pristine beaches.
While there are places to snorkel around the islands, or you can hop on a sailing to the outer reef. Out there, the water is clearer, the corals are healthier and there’s plenty of beautiful fish swimming around.
✅ We’ve been here!
Want to make your visit to Airlie Beach a getaway? Consider these accommodation options:
- Bush Village: Book directly with the hotel | Agoda | Booking.com | Expedia (We’ve stayed here!)
- Mirage Whitsundays: Book directly with the hotel | Agoda | Booking.com | Expedia
Read more about Airlie Beach:
Townsville and Magnetic Island
Where is it? Far North Queensland. It’s a 2-hour flight from Brisbane, 2.5-hour flight from Sydney or 3 hour flight from Melbourne.
Reef Experiences: Snorkelling and diving trips, Museum of Underwater Art
What else is there to do in Townsville? Take in the views from Castle Hill Lookout, spot koalas along Magnetic Island’s Forts Track, watch the sun set over the mainland from the island
Telling you about Magnetic Island feels like I’m giving away a secret.
This idyllic isle that’s just 20 minutes from Townsville is somehow left off many people’s Queensland radars. But we’ve been twice and are very keen to go again. Boasting somewhere around 300 days of sunshine a year, this small island is surrounded by reef for off-shore snorkelling and diving with plenty of natural light to illuminate the corals. You can also hop on a tour to the outer reef right from the island.
Our there you’ll also find the Museum of Underwater Art, which we haven’t yet been to ourselves but are just itching to visit. Sitting at John Brewer Reef, this underwater gallery allows you to snorkel over or dive down to sculptures that, over time, will slowly grow and evolve as plants and coral start to call it home.
✅ We’ve been here!
Want to make your visit to Townsville or Magnetic Island a getaway? Consider these accommodation options:
- Grand Mercure Apartments Magnetic Island: Book directly with the hotel | Agoda | Booking.com | Expedia (We’ve stayed here!)
- The Ville: Book directly with the hotel | Agoda | Booking.com | Expedia (We’ve not stayed here, but we’ve been for lunch!)
Read more about Townsville and Magnetic Island:
Yeppoon and the Keppel Islands
Where is it? The islands are about a 30-minute ferry ride from Yeppoon, which is about about 30 minutes’ drive from Rockhampton, where you’ll find the nearest airport.
Reef Experiences: Book a day trip from Yeppoon to snorkel or dive, or explore the shores of the Keppel Islands
What else is there to do in Yeppoon? Day trip to Rockhampton for a taste of the outback, swim in the lagoon
Not far from Cowboy Country, you’ll find the gateways to the Southern Great Barrier Reef. So, if you’d like a little taste of the outback and to dive into the blue, places like Yeppoon or Gladstone (below) may need to be added to your itinerary.
Just 30 minutes from Rockhampton, Yeppoon boasts another one of Queensland’s stunning free lagoon pools overlooking the water. Into the distance, you might just see some of the Keppel Islands. There’s 17 beaches on Great Keppel alone, but there’s about a dozen islands here in total. Much of the area is national park, while the pristine offshore waters are still part of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area.
Compared to the places we’ve already mentioned in the northern half of the state, the crowds here will be minimal. So if you’re looking for a get-away-from-it-all type of holiday on the reef, consider heading here.
🔜 We haven’t been here yet, but it’s on our list!
Want to make your visit to Yeppoon or the Keppel Islands a getaway? Consider these accommodation options:
- Great Keppel Island Holiday Village: Book directly with the hotel | Agoda | Booking.com | Expedia
- Great Keppel Island Hideaway: Book directly with the hotel | Agoda | Booking.com | Expedia
Gladstone and Southern Great Barrier Reef islands
Where is it? It’s a 1-hour flight from Brisbane, where you can connect to Melbourne, Sydney and other major Australian cities. To get to the islands, you’ll need to book ferries from Gladstone.
Reef Experiences: Diving and snorkelling trips from the islands
What else is there do go in Gladstone?
Home to islands that look like they should be in Fiji or the Maldives, the Southern Great Barrier Reef is where you’ll find spots like Lady Musgrave, Wilson and Heron Islands. At these spots you can book in for resort stays or camping trips just steps from a beautiful beach where you can then swim right out to the reef.
To get to them though, you’ll need to go via Gladstone. Day trips are available, but you’ll probably want to stay overnight to really experience it. At Heron Island, you’ll have the opportunity to night dive, while at any of the islands, you’ll be treated to an incredible display of stars as there’s little light pollution out here.
🔜 We haven’t been here yet, but it’s on our list!
Want to make your visit to Gladstone island a getaway? Consider these accommodation options:
- Heron Island Resort: Book directly with the hotel | Agoda | Booking.com | Expedia
- Lady Elliot Island: Book directly with the hotel
