It is with the Great Barrier Reef that Queensland is most readily associated and few travellers visit the state without viewing the reef, be it from the air, a boat or underwater. The Great Barrier Reef is a 1200 mile long natural wonder, spanning the coast from slightly south of the Tropic of Capricorn, off the coast from Bundaberg, to the Torres Strait in the North, just south of Papua New Guinea.

It is the most extensive reef system in the world, the biggest structure made from living organisms and the only one visible from space. It comprises around 3000 separate reefs, coral cays and islands. At the southern extremity of the reef, it is around 200 miles from the coast, but in the north, it is much closer to shore, less dispersed and in places around 50 miles wide, so reef viewing takes place further north around the Whitsunday Coast, and in the Tropical North of Queensland around Cairns. Most of the Great Barrier Reef is believed to be around two million years old, but in places it could be as old as 18 million years.

The best way to view the coloured coral and the array of sea life of the reef up close is to dive or snorkel on it, and a variety of tour operators exist, predominately out of Cairns and Port Douglas, which offer diving and snorkelling excursions. Alternatively, there are glass bottom boats or semi-submersibles or even underwater observatories.

Day cruising on the Great Barrier Reef is a must for any visitor to Queensland – and the choices are almost endless! There are several choices of day cruises with a wide range of operators; most day cruises include lunch, refreshments, use of snorkelling equipment and semi-submersibles or glass bottom boats. Optional extras range from introductory dives, scenic flights.

Some cruising options are as follows:
Quicksilver’s fast catamaran leaves from Port Douglas on a three hour journey to Agincourt Reef, with an option to fly one way by helicopter. A shorter option takes in the Low Isles where guests can snorkel from the beach. The Ocean Spirit catamaran leaves from Cairns to Michelmas Cay, a National Park. Other options include a Sunlover Cruise from Cairns to Fitzroy Island and Moore Reef. Alternatively, Tusa Dive offer a comprehensive range of SCUBA options from Cairns covering three sites. From the Whitsundays, Fantasea Cruises sail from Shute Harbour and Hamilton Island to Reefworld and Hardy Reef, the largest floating facility on the Great Barrier Reef, which also has accommodation for overnight Reefsleep guests.

Sailing and extended cruising on the Great Barrier is another extremely popular option: Coral Princess Cruises offer 3, 4 and 7 night cruises which include snorkelling, diving, fish feeding, beach barbecues, wildlife presentations and shore excursions. The three night cruise from Cairns to Townsville includes Dunk Island, the Hinchinbrook Channel and Pelorus Island. The classic cruise liner MV Reef Endeavour operates 4,5 and 8 day itineraries from Cairns with the facilities of a five star resort. The Whitsundays are widely considered to be amongst the world’s finest cruising grounds, providing calm water with spectacular scenery and pristine coral reefs. Reef Odyssey cruises from Shute Harbour, Airlie Beach and Hamilton Island on a three night cruise through the “reef river”, a deep coral chasm between Hook, Hardy and Live reefs, to Whitehaven Beach and a number of uninhabited islands of the Whitsunday Passage.

The Tropical North of Queensland, the Whitsundays, and Capricorn Coast all offer access onto the Great Barrier Reef.