Great Barrier Reef
Experience · Queensland, Australia
The Great Barrier Reef stretches 2,300km along the Queensland coast — the largest living structure on earth. How you experience it depends entirely on where you base yourself: Port Douglas and Cairns for the northern reef, the Whitsundays for the central reef, and Lady Elliot or Heron for the southern coral cays.
Where to base
Port Douglas for the Agincourt Ribbon Reefs and easy access to the Daintree. Hamilton Island for the Whitsundays and Whitehaven Beach. Lady Elliot Island for manta rays and turtle nesting (no day-trippers — you have to stay).
How to see it
Day boats (Quicksilver, Calypso, Wavelength) are excellent but busy. A liveaboard dive trip (Mike Ball, Spirit of Freedom) is the upgrade. Scenic helicopter flights over Heart Reef are worth doing once.