Read First
Traveldir.org features a collection of Cairns travel, vacation and hotels related articles. Please feel free to submit your travel guide, personal travelogue, Cairns hotel guide or any other travel related story.
Browse Articles
Search Articles
Hotel Reservation
To reserve hotel rooms on discount rates online be sure to check the hotels these fine hotel booking sites offer.
Destination: select from list
Destination: select from list
Currency Exchange
Measurement Conversion
You are here:
Home > Australia & Pacific > Australia > Articles
Articles > Australia & Pacific > Australia > Cairns > Facts About the Great Barrier Reef
You are not logged in: Login · Register · Submit Article
This article: PDF version
·
printable version
See also: Cairns Travel Articles
Click here to bookmark this site:
Articles > Australia & Pacific > Australia > Cairns > Facts About the Great Barrier Reef
You are not logged in: Login · Register · Submit Article
This article: PDF version
·
printable version
See also: Cairns Travel Articles
Click here to bookmark this site:
Facts About the Great Barrier Reef
The Great Barrier Reef off the east coast of Australia is a popular tourist destination for scuba travelers. The reef is legendary for its beauty. It is the largest reef system in the world and spans more than 1400 miles. If you love to scuba, you probably hope to visit the Great Barrier Reef someday. Here are a few facts about the great reef:
Location of the reef
The Great Barrier Reef is located off the east coast of Australia near Queensland. It is 185 miles from the mainland at the south and 12 miles from the mainland at the north. The widest point of the reef spans over 50 miles, the longest more than 1400 miles.
How to get to there
Flights depart daily for Australia from the west coast of the US. Once in Australia, you will most likely have to take a short domestic flight to the local city gateways to the reef which are Cairns and Townsville at the northern end and Gladstone and Bundabery at the southern end.
The Ultimate Scuba Diving Adventure
The reasons the Great Barrier Reef is such a popular diving spot is because of the crystal clear waters and abundance of sea life. The depth is fairly shallow which makes it great for novice to moderate level divers.
The best way to see the reef is on a live aboard boat which takes divers on extended expeditions to the reef. Smaller vessels take divers into the heart of the reef on daytrips which last for 4-5 hours.
Finding a "Dive Island" Resort
There are many islands surrounding the reef which offer accommodations especially for reef divers and offer immediate access to the reef. For example, Cod Hole is one of the most popular diving spots and it is located off Lizard Island.
Best Time to Visit the Reef
All times of the year are suitable for diving in the Great Barrier Reef. The area is tropical so the weather remains pleasant throughout the year averaging temperatures in the 70's to 80's. The most popular months for diving at the Great Barrier Reef are during Australian summer which is the months of December to March.
Location of the reef
The Great Barrier Reef is located off the east coast of Australia near Queensland. It is 185 miles from the mainland at the south and 12 miles from the mainland at the north. The widest point of the reef spans over 50 miles, the longest more than 1400 miles.
How to get to there
Flights depart daily for Australia from the west coast of the US. Once in Australia, you will most likely have to take a short domestic flight to the local city gateways to the reef which are Cairns and Townsville at the northern end and Gladstone and Bundabery at the southern end.
The Ultimate Scuba Diving Adventure
The reasons the Great Barrier Reef is such a popular diving spot is because of the crystal clear waters and abundance of sea life. The depth is fairly shallow which makes it great for novice to moderate level divers.
The best way to see the reef is on a live aboard boat which takes divers on extended expeditions to the reef. Smaller vessels take divers into the heart of the reef on daytrips which last for 4-5 hours.
Finding a "Dive Island" Resort
There are many islands surrounding the reef which offer accommodations especially for reef divers and offer immediate access to the reef. For example, Cod Hole is one of the most popular diving spots and it is located off Lizard Island.
Best Time to Visit the Reef
All times of the year are suitable for diving in the Great Barrier Reef. The area is tropical so the weather remains pleasant throughout the year averaging temperatures in the 70's to 80's. The most popular months for diving at the Great Barrier Reef are during Australian summer which is the months of December to March.
About the Author
Abby Johnson is a staff writer at Visit World Cities and is an occasional contributor to several other websites including, Lifestyle Gazette.
Statistics & Ratings
Submitted by: abby.johnson
Total views: 730
Word count: 352
Character count: 2164
Article rating: 1.00 out of 5.00
Number of votes: 1
Rate this article now:
Total views: 730
Word count: 352
Character count: 2164
Article rating: 1.00 out of 5.00
Number of votes: 1
Rate this article now: