Great Barrier Reef, Queensland

It is because of the Great Barrier Reef that several cities in Queensland enjoy thriving tourism industries. There are several hire companies that offer cruises & diving in the Great Barrier Reef, complete with gears and expert guides for scuba diving and snorkeling. Examples would the Sunlover Reef Cruises from Cairns and the Calypso Reef Charters based in Port Douglas. Most tour operators offer land-based diving training courses before the actual scuba diving in the reef, to prepare first time visitors for the real experience. On estimate, most services start at AU$200 per person. Apart from day trips that last for several hours, most tour operators offer live aboard services, where visitors stay on boats and yachts for several days to fully explore this natural attraction. Most of the designated dive sites are enclosed by nets to ensure the safety of divers and minimal disturbance to the reef.

Apart from diving and snorkeling, most visitors can spend the rest of their trips fishing in designated spots. The reef is home to multitudes of fishes and other marine creatures to ensure that even the most avid fisherman won't be disappointed. Most tour operators are also knowledgeable of the area's wonky holes, submarine fresh water springs that attract fishes and are ideal spots for fishing.

Those who are not inclined to take a dip in ocean water can still enjoy the reef's beauty by hiring glass-bottomed boats that afford clear observations of life below underwater.

Most of the islands around Great Barrier Reef also offer services associated with this attraction, especially accommodation. Most of the Great Barrier Reef accommodation offered are of the luxury type. Examples are the Daydream Island Resort & Spa, the Great Keppel Island Resort, and the Green Island Resort. More affordable options include the Orpheus Island Resort, where discount rates are offered, and the Dunk Island Resort, where family fun is its self-proclaimed emphasis.

Most of the islands near the Great Barrier Reef also have protected rainforests, national parks, and wildlife reserves. In relation, opportunities for land-based recreations are plentiful, like bushwalking, bird watching, and animal viewing.

Tourists also have the option of taking scenic flights over the Great Barrier Reef and its surrounding islands. Duration of these flights vary from 30 minutes to more than an hour of enjoyable sightseeing of all that the reef and the islands have to offer. Most of these flight operators are based in Cairns and Port Douglas. Additional options include swinging by the nearby inland rainforests, having a breakfast at Sand Cay, or swimming near floating platforms provided near some islands. Other attractions near the Great Barrier Reef include diving the Yongala wreck near Townsville.

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