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Help about great barrier reef


parker6

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A non-stop flight from Sydney to Cairns takes about 3 hours. Prices for airfare are all over the map. You can get a deal if you add the Cairns ticket on to your internatioal flight. You could stay in Cairns or out on Green Island. If you stay in Cairns it's a 17 miles boat trip to Green Island. The half day or full day Snokeling trips are around $80 US.

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The gateway to the Great Barrier Reef is Cairns. You can fly there from Sydney, or as Chimielel suggests, add it to your international itinerary from the U.S. and save some money. (It would be a good first destination in Australia so you can relax a bit and get over your jetlag.)

 

Once you get to Cairns, you can stay there or in one of the northern suburbs of Cairns (e.g. Palm Cove) or further north in Port Douglas. I have been to Port Douglas 5 times and I just love it there. It's my choice of destination for the GBR because it's got lots of boats that go to the Outer Reef; it's got a real beach (Four Mile Beach), and it's also close to Daintree National Park for day trips. If you have several days to spend in the area, I think the extra time (around 1 hour) driving up to PD from Cairns is well worth it.

 

I assume that you want to experience the GBR by taking a snorkeling trip. The best snorkeling is at the Outer Reef and Green Island is not on the Outer Reef, so that would not be my recommendation. There are lots of boats out of Cairns and Port Douglas that go to the Outer Reef. If you are staying in Port Douglas, I can highly recommend Wavelength, a snorkel-only boat that takes a maximum of 30 passengers. I have snorkeled with them many times and it's always been a great adventure.

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I second GradUT. Port Douglas is the best place to catch a boat out to the Outer Reef. Quicksilver have been taking people out for over 25 years and they have a great set up out at the Reef but there are many other boats that leave from Port Douglas.

 

We have 3 main airlines that fly from Sydney to Cairns. They are Virgin Blue, Jetstar and Qantas. Specials come and go for the airfares so you need to keep a look out for the cheapest flights.

 

There are lots of places to stay up north and I would pick either Palm Cove or Port Douglas.

 

Jennie

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  • 2 weeks later...
thanks everybody.. so for the geographically challenged. If I want to stay in Port Douglas do I fly into cairns?

 

Yes. It takes about an hour to drive from Cairns airport to Port Douglas. Your accommodation in PD may include a transfer to and from and there is a shuttle (about $20) or a limo service ($50+) - you willl probably find the hour trip expands to more time spent on all the stops to drop off other travellers - but you do get an idea of the geography between Cairns and PD. Probably not worth hiring a car at the airport if you are planning to do day trip(s) to the reef. There is a local tourist bus to get around PD itsef but it is easily walked. You could do a one day hire in PD to take in the Daintree National Park and Mosman Gorge but there are small group 4WD tours. I second the recommendation for Wavelength - have been with them several times. The Quicksilver day is quite different - one location - a pontoon and not so interesting for experiences snorkellers. We also prefer PD to Cairns - the "village" atmosphere, the beach and the surrounding counryside are better (for us) than the large town / city built up area of Cairns itself.

 

The quicksilver link is not working. Here is the URL - http://www.quicksilver-************/

 

 

 

Colleen

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Hi Heather. You will have a fantastic time at the Great Barrier Reef. (It's 3000 miles long so nobody has "done" then entire reef.) I agree with everyone who has suggested Port Douglas to you. Since there are 4 of you, it might be cheaper just to rent a car since that way you will have it in Port Douglas, can go up to the rainforest on your own. The shuttles charge by person so it makes sense to rent compared to multiplying everything by 4. We went on a Snorkeling trip through Aquarius to the Low Isles and highly recommend. Also there are many apartments in Port Douglas. I would highly recommend that since food is pretty pricy in Australia, they have a great supermarket in Port Douglas.

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If you do hire a car, you will be able to visit Mossman Gorge as well as go as far as the Daintree. It is a great drive and does show the wonderful vegetation that abounds that part of our coast.

 

It shouldn't take long for the driver to get used to driving on the left hand side of the road and once mastered, you can drive to so many places depending on how long you are staying in Port Douglas.

 

We always take a unit up there, there are just so many to choose from and even if you don't like to cook, it is so easy to prepare breakfast and lunch and then eat out each night for dinner. There are loads of restaurants to choose from. Enjoy, it is a great part of Australia.

 

Jennie

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  • 2 weeks later...

Our ship docks (overnight) in Cairns. We'd like to snorkel the "outer reef". We would appreciate any recommendations. We'd prefer a to snorkel with a "smaller" group & we don't usually take the shore excursions that the ship offers. Thanks!

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I do not swim but love to snorkel. Is there anyplace on the GBR that you can snorkel from the shore?

Thank you so much for any help.

 

There are some small islands that have a fringing reef allowing access to a snorkeling area from the beach. The only ones accessible from a cruise port to my knowledge are Green Island, where there is OK snorkeling from the beach and the Low Isles (see post from Haven 12.5). There are half day trips from Cairns that could make Green Island possible if your timing allows for this. You could also consider a glass botomed boat trip if you are not comfortable swimming.

 

Not really sure how to advise you without knowing what you mean by "I do not swim" or whether you are looking for a day trip while on a cruise or staying in the area for a few days.

 

Colleen

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DangDane, if you want to book a GBR tour of your own, you will need a full day (8am - 5pm). Do you have this on your cruise?

 

If so, here is one recommendation for a small boat that goes to the Outer Reef from Cairns--Seastar Cruises. I, personally, have not taken this boat on my many trips to the Outer Reef (since I base myself in Port Douglas), but it gets excellent reviews on Trip Advisor and advertises a maximum of 35 passengers.

 

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g255069-d1549620-Reviews-Seastar_Cruises_Reef_Day_Trips-Cairns_Cairns_Region_Queensland.html

 

http://www.seastarcruises.com.au/

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GradUt -- Who do you take to the GBR from Port Douglas? We are going to be staying in Port Douglas, too. We are not great swimmers or snorkelers -- would appreciate a company with a "viewing" station as well as snorkeling. We will definitely get wet with the fish, but would prefer a trip that doesn't cater to only snorkeling.

 

Thanks,

Shelley

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MalibuCA, While I have gone out with several different boats from Port Douglas, I think the best is Wavelength and have gone out with them about 5 or 6 times. HOWEVER, based on what you want, I think your best bet would be Quicksilver. They go to a fixed pontoon and you can snorkel there. But they also have an underwater viewing station and a semi-submersible where you can view fish/coral without getting wet. They are used to working with people who are not strong swimmers or who are new to snorkelers, so you can be sure you'll be well taken care of. Quicksilver gets excellent reviews on Trip Advisor, so you might want to read some of those too.

 

http://www.quicksilver-************

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g255070-d579517-Reviews-Quicksilver_Cruises-Port_Douglas_Queensland.html

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MalibuCA,

 

I can recommend Quicksilver as I too am not a strong swimmer and when we went out to the Quicksilver pontoon, we were able to see the reef so clearly when we went into their underwater viewing station. It was magical and it is something I will always remember.

 

Enjoy, our Reef is wonderful.

 

Jennie

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Thanks so much. I've read great things about Quicksilver, too, but I wanted to be sure that there wasn't something out there better that I hadn't come across.

 

That being said, I do have a "logistical" question regarding the scheduling of the GBR snorkel trip. Ordinarily, I'm the type "A" that always schedules our excursions, private guides, days on our own, etc. long before we actually arrive at the destination. Not only is the planning fun, but my philosophy is that I will agonize over the choices at home, and then, I don't have to think about a thing once I arrive. That way, all I have to do is read my little itinerary that I planned in advance to know what I'm doing each day. However, I have read postings here and on Tripadvisor that suggest we wait until we arrive in Port Douglas to have our hotel Concierge make the reservation so that we can be sure that we visit the GBR on the best "weather" day during our visit to Port Douglas. This goes so against the grain of my pre-cruise planning philosophy! Nonetheless, it makes a lot of sense because we would not want to go to the GBR on a day when the weather doesn't permit us to see very much. Have any of you waited until last minute like this to make your Quicksilver reservations? Don't we run the risk of finding out last minute that the tour is full? Or does everyone do it this way so they get the best weather? Or does Quicksilver send out additional boats based upon the demand each day?

 

We are also planning to visit the Daintree Rainforest. Yes, of course, I was planning to purchase tickets online from home. Does the weather play into the choice of day for this excursion, too? Same questions as for the Quicksilver trip?

 

Please advise and ease my mind.

 

Thanks,

Shelley:confused:

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DangDane, if you want to book a GBR tour of your own, you will need a full day (8am - 5pm). Do you have this on your cruise?

 

If so, here is one recommendation for a small boat that goes to the Outer Reef from Cairns--Seastar Cruises. I, personally, have not taken this boat on my many trips to the Outer Reef (since I base myself in Port Douglas), but it gets excellent reviews on Trip Advisor and advertises a maximum of 35 passengers.

 

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g255069-d1549620-Reviews-Seastar_Cruises_Reef_Day_Trips-Cairns_Cairns_Region_Queensland.html

 

http://www.seastarcruises.com.au/

 

Thank you. Our ship gets in at 10AM on a Wednesday, then leaves the next day at 3PM. I'll check out the sites you've recommended. Someone suggested taking a helicopter, but that's probably way more than we want to spend!!

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MalibuCA,

 

If you are spending a few days in the Port Douglas area, then I would organize the trip the minute you arrive there as by then you will know what the weather is like. Of course if your visit is between May and October, nearly every day is perfect but if you are going to be there over the Cyclone season, which is November to April, then it is wise to wait as you wouldn't want a day when it was too wet and windy to go to the reef or lacking in sunlight.

 

The Daintree is a different type of adventure. Even on a wet day, it is a great place to visit as the rain forest is wonderful. Of course, it would be be better if you have a sunny day but it wouldn't be such a disappointment if you did have rain and cloud. I presume you are not going to hire a car and drive yourself as we have done each time we have been up north. There are car rentals in Port Douglas and you can rent one just for a day.

 

Jennie

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Thanks, Jennie.

 

Yes, we will be there in the wet season -- January 17-22.

 

Yes, we were planning to rent a car. My original plan was to rent a car at the airport in Cairns, but it may be too complicated for my husband to drive through the city to Port Douglas. Our other thought was to arrange a driver to transport us between the hotel and airport. The hotel offers this service. What car rental agencies are available in Port Douglas? Renting by the day is a good option.

 

Thanks,

Shelley

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Shelley,

 

Cairns is not a big city and it is quite straightforward to drive the car the 40 minutes or so to Port Douglas. It is handy to have the car with you and you could rent it directly from Cairns airport. I would organize that before you arrive up there. Actually, the airport is north of Cairns and is on the way to Port Douglas so you wound't need to go into the main city.

 

I think you will find all the normal car hire firms are at the airport eg. Avis, Budget, Thrifty and Hertz. They are all very similar but there is this website which will help you choose the cheapest: http://www.drivenow.com.au/car-hire/cairns.jspc

 

Jennie

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Thanks, Jennie. It's good to know that the drive to Port Douglas will not be too challenging. How about if we use the rental car to go to the Daintree Rainforest and visit the Kuranda area? (I know it's by skyrail, but I mean the drive to the skyrail) We are also considering Hartley's Crocodiles and a helicopter ride. What will the drives be like to get to those places? Challenging if you are not familiar with driving on the Aussie side of the road, or safely and easily doable?

 

Thanks,

Shelley

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Shelley,

 

They are all safe and doable. Once you get used to driving on the left hand side, and that will come with the drive from the airport to Port Douglas, you will be fine.

 

There is a lot to see up north and a car is a must. Again the trip to where the skyrail starts is on the north side of Cairns so you won't need to go into the city if you don't want to and Hartley's Crocodiles is half way between Port Douglas and Cairns, so again an easy drive.

 

I am not sure which Helicoptor ride you mean but there are a couple that leave from Port Douglas and fly over the Barrier Reef so you may even be able to walk to where you pick it up. Port Douglas is quite flat and it is an easy place to walk around though there is one big hill in the centre of town.

 

Jennie

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Hello Shelley

 

We have done the Daintree drive twice and agree with Jennie it is OK once you get your LHS driving senses working. This info site has some good maps that we have used before - the Daintree one at the bottom of the page is good for planning your day. We like the cafe by the sea for lunch on a fine day - light food (wine and beer if you want it) and access to the beach for walks - no swimming due to stingers! We set out early to get ahead of the coaches for the ferry trip across the river and stop at the boardwalks whenever we see the opportunity for a parking space by the side of the road.

 

If you decide to come back from Kuranda by train there is a shuttle bus that takes train travellers back to the skyrail station if that is where they have left their car. Avoid driving to Kuranda - the drive can be exhausting being very windy and parking is horrendous at the Kuranda village!

 

Enjoy Port Douglas

 

Colleen

 

 

 

Colleen

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