Great Barrier Reef facts
The Great Barrier Reef in Australia is probably the most well known natural wonder of the world.
"World Heritage" listed in 1981,
it's a truly magnificent marine wilderness and nature reserve, unlike anything else, anywhere else. The
Barrier Reef is actually a series of 2100 individual reefs stretching for more than 2300 kilometers, from Papua
New Guinea in the north down the Queensland coast to Lady Elliott Island (400 kilometers north of Brisbane, the
capital of Queensland). In addition to the reefs, there are some 500 islands, once part of the mainland
until the oceans rose tens of thousands of years ago. The Great Barrier Reef is home to over 400 species of coral,
1500 species of fish, 4000 species of mollusc, 500 species of seaweed and 200 species of birds. There are
numerous ways to explore this amazing place, from aircraft flyovers to helicopter trips to sailing boats to the
general tourist-type, look-see trips. But the only way to really experience this wonderland is
first-hand, underwater. If you think you've been diving in some amazing places in the world, as the
saying goes, "You ain’t seen nothing yet!"
"Planning your Scuba Diving underwater experience"
So, how to plan for a Great Barrier Reef underwater experience? Remember, it is over 2000 kilometers long.
If you end up where you can not do what you want to, it can take a fair while to get to where you can.
So the "how-to" of planning is carefully , and ask questions. That's what
we are here for. The Northern Reef area runs from Papua, New Guinea to Townsville. There are very few
charter boats that venture north of Cooktown, although the north is extraordinary and certainly worth exploring,
and there are several resort islands and wilderness islands that cater to more adventuresome tastes. Access
North of Lizard Island is possible only on multi-day cruises, of which there are several originating in either Port
Douglas or Cairns.
You'll find the easiest access and the widest
So you see, the greatest difficulty lies in trying to decide which trip is the most suitable for what you wish to
achieve. We hope that we can answer any questions that you may have, so that you will get exactly what you
want. And here's a hint to get you started:
On any Great Barrier Reef adventure, and in particular on day trips, you'll spend the majority of your time travelling
to the selected dive site. The further out you go, the less the likelihood of running into crowds, or for that
matter, any other human beings at all.
Bon voyage!
Do you want tomorrows forecast for the Sunshine State, get a marine forecast, a satellite image or even have a look at the current Queensland weather on one of the weather radars. 
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range of tour options and
tour operators between Port Douglas and Townsville. There are a large number of day trips to the that depart
from all of the Northern tourist centres (from Port Douglas to Townsville). There are also two-day, three-day
and even longer trips, if desired. All are run by very competent operators, and the rules and regulations that
govern these operators make here the safest diving location in the world. 
