What's the best way to see the reef with a family of 5? Where to stay, what trips to book. What else to look at since we've traveled all that way north. (Apparently there's some rain forest or something worth a peek.)

Thanks,
Harrow.

I took the kids 4,6 & 12 to Hamilton island on a package, fly to the island etc with meals,
trips to the reef, cats and windsurfing out the front of the hotel. Was good fun. Week was easily enough.

Port Douglas is a good place to base yourself, very nice spot with heaps of great food options and you have access to the reef and also can visit the Daintree, Cape Tribulation & Mossman Gorge etc,,

hi harrow. where are you basing yourself?
Really I guess you will be doing one day trip to the reef on a charter boat.? The reef is like the bush. its all different and you cant hope to see what it's like in a single day. Some bits are nicer than others. as you walk through the bush you will see really pretty areas, and other areas are plainer. of course the day trippers (not that i've ever been on one) probably take you to a nice spot so long as the weather is ok (in winter it probably wont be that great but anyhoo)

the further out u go the more chance of nicer reef and cleaner water. Dont be cheap. Dont believe any operator that sells u a trip to reef on an island or close in or anything like that. It's not an outer shelf reef. You'll probably be looking at several hunge per person. At that price for 5 you might even be able to go out on a private charter. (again ive ever paid to go on any boat other than ours)
Are you going to go cairns or port douglas? probably best area. you have the daintree, cairns, cape trip, tablelands etc. even undarra lava tubes. chillagoe caves. depends what takes your fancy.
Or u could go whitsundays.
Or further south i don't really know about but there's heron island I think (southern most point)
narrow it down a bit

whitsundays also good if you want an island stay. then you can do a day trip to the reef proper but also local reef snorkelling etc although it was severely damaged a few years ago with the cyclone. bareboat in the whistundays also good.

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myusernam said..
whitsundays also good if you want an island stay. then you can do a day trip to the reef proper but also local reef snorkelling etc although it was severely damaged a few years ago with the cyclone. bareboat in the whistundays also good.

Bare boat sailing from Airlie was sensational when we did it with the kids a while ago. They were 9 and 7. I'd only ever sailed a hobiecat on the swan river before hand. was easy to do and great adventure time for all.... Highly recommended.

Don't go on the big, silver cats with 1,000,000 tourists and ****, to dead reef.

Go out with a small operator, with a relatively small number of people on board (40ish). I can highly recommend these guys:
www.poseidon-cruises.com.au

This was also super nice, especially with good weather: sailawayportdouglas.com/
Might be worth it for an easy, off the beach introduction to snorkelling for kids.

If your kids can swim OK, or even "just swim" they'll probably be fine snorkelling with a life jacket on. They float. You can easily tow them around. Took mine a few minutes to get used to it then we had no problems all day. My bigger one just disappeared down, down, down toward the sharks : \ He's a good swimmer.

Scuba diving is good, but snorkelling is actually just as good, I think anyway. All the best bits are near the surface.

I prefer Port Douglas over Cairns. It's just nicer. The drive to Port Douglas is spectacular. There are sights on the way like the rainforest cable car, and the crocodile farm, and of course The Daintree. Don't miss them.

Do take the crocodile signs very seriously.

Super bonus: www.paronellapark.com.au (almost as good as the reef. bit of a secret it seems)

The tablelands have lava tubes and beautiful scenery.

panda makes a good point about boats. Far less jap elbows all pushing and trying to get to snorkelling gear and the buffet. And that was the point I was making about reef. If its rough and a big boat anchors in the lagoon (calm bit) then this part of the reef not so pretty. they normally have smaller boats to take you to some nice bits
snorkelling all u need to do. Best coral in first 30 feet
port douglas drive is nice - Get it on a calm day best drive in aus (when the water is clear etc. When it is rough and snotty nowhere near as inviting) even better to do the COAST road all the way to cooktown. need a 4wd hire. hertz will hire a rav 4 that is allowed. Worth it.
whitsundays has a reef platform also. even if u bareboat or island stay u can tack on a day trip.
As a secondary trip (not a substitute for reef proper) green island is good.
Take some packets of squid. snorkel out around the jetty and feed the GT's by hand. You will shxt yourself. They will charge and turn at the last second. U can hire windsurfing gear. Can buy lunch.

I guess I was thinking more of Cairns/Pt Douglas. I've done a week long bare boat charter of a 40 foot yacht out of Airlie Beach before kids, but wife is not a boat person, and doesn't want to repeat the experience. The 'kids' are actually young adults, late high school and university age.

Would prefer to stay in the one location, and do day trips. Small boats sound good, and would visit a couple of islands as well. Therefore I figure 2 or 3 days of outer reef and island trips, and then some day trips to do land based stuff. Can I do most of the land stuff from the same one location as day trips, and which would be the best location for that?

Do I need to book boats ahead of time, or is there plenty of deals to grab on the day before?

Only have a week.

If you want to experience a true coral island then Heron is great. Awesome snorkelling and being a marine park & research station there is heaps to do. Plus Wistari reef close by as well.

Ive been to most of the resorts numerous time through work incl. living on Hayman for extended periods.

For a family holiday that wont break the bank and direct access to snorkeling i still reckon you cant beat Heron Island.

hmm, id probably suggest flying into cairns . spending some time there either to begin with or at the end, and hiring a car and travelling north and spending a couple of nights in port douglas. I'd do reef trip ex port douglas. I think green island would be better than the low isles as a second day trip, but dont substitute for the reef proper. There are some nice sailing style boats. Daintree river cruise or the one at cape trib for croc spotting (you'll see lots). some good beaches and rainforest walks. If you go to cape trib in a normal hire car drive a few hundered meters past where the bitumen stops to the first river crossing to check out a picturesque crystal clear rainforest stream.
Cairns has nightlife and is a bit more happpening. Palm cove and port douglas are a bit slower and more of a beach holiday place. Good reasturants at palm cove and port douglas. Cairns has lots of activities being an international tourist destination.
Tully river white water rafting is meant to be internationally rated highly.
I guess theres kuranda or yungaburra. Yungaburra and the nearest crater lake might be an option. kuranda a bit of a shxthole
The cairns botanic gardens are pretty speccy and worth a walk if u like that sort of thing.
Palm cove nice lunch spot

I recommend the drive to port and even further. normal car all the way to cape trib. but maybe ex port douglas as a day trip.
mossman gorge as someone said.

Camping lady Musgrave

Cairns is a good base as others have said, the drive to port Douglas is pretty special and epic scenery, I would stay up there for a couple nights and definitely do a day trip or two from there.
green island and Fitzroy from cairns are not bad and decent for a day trip but there are better places to see, the one benefit about Fitzroy and green island is the ferry terminal is easy to get too from cairns and short trips daily, downside is the coral is not as good as other places,,, the best coral in my opinion is waaay waay our or from port Douglas.
kuranda is worth a look and the country up there is pretty lush rainforest, there is a really old pub up there (on the way or near can't quite remember) but served us the best steak I'd had in years.
if you get a chance to eat any of the steak from the Atherton tablelands it's really really good.
Theres a little spot north of cairns about twenty minutes called Yorkeys knob and the boat club there used to do amazing meals ,, epic view and good place to watch the boats come in and out...
There used to be a fellajust off the main drag near there on thomatis creek who did dingy hire, we used to hire one and go set crab pots and normally get a decent feed.
The one reason I sort of sway towards cairns as the main base is although it's a tourist town there are still supermarkets and shops where you can get most supplies at reasonable prices.
staying in port Douglas be prepared to pay tourist tax on everything I remember needing a toothbrush up there and it cost me 12 or 15 bucks or something ridiculous (10 years ago)
theres also a place in from cairns called devils pools or something which is beautiful for a bush walk,

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myusernam said..
hi harrow. where are you basing yourself?
Really I guess you will be doing one day trip to the reef on a charter boat.? The reef is like the bush. its all different and you cant hope to see what it's like in a single day. Some bits are nicer than others. as you walk through the bush you will see really pretty areas, and other areas are plainer. of course the day trippers (not that i've ever been on one) probably take you to a nice spot so long as the weather is ok (in winter it probably wont be that great but anyhoo)

the further out u go the more chance of nicer reef and cleaner water. Dont be cheap. Dont believe any operator that sells u a trip to reef on an island or close in or anything like that. It's not an outer shelf reef. You'll probably be looking at several hunge per person. At that price for 5 you might even be able to go out on a private charter. (again ive ever paid to go on any boat other than ours)
Are you going to go cairns or port douglas? probably best area. you have the daintree, cairns, cape trip, tablelands etc. even undarra lava tubes. chillagoe caves. depends what takes your fancy.
Or u could go whitsundays.
Or further south i don't really know about but there's heron island I think (southern most point)
narrow it down a bit

At those prices you could go here- https://www.australiascoralcoast.com/region/ningaloo,
swim to the reef, far more aquatic life, camp in the national park for under 20 bucks a night!
Drink at night at Whalebone Brewery.
Town beach 3 mins from home yesterday, sooo crowded


Check these guys vids this is Exmouth !!!
Not to mention the hot surf spots.
This is out the front door

Far more aquatic life my anus. However it is much further out so expensive and most people only can go on day trips. Undoubtedly the best way is on a charter liveabord or someone else's boat.

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myusernam said..
Far more aquatic life my anus. However it is much further out so expensive and most people only can go on day trips. Undoubtedly the best way is on a charter liveabord or someone else's boat.

What a joke
You Know so little , Been Here ? I dont think so ,
Swim to the reef from Turqoise Bay, hire a tinny and be there in 5 mins from boat ramp,
As for the sea life I cant respond to that it is mind blowing.

I'm going to jump in here,

the reef off bowen and the swains is magic magic, I drove a live coral trout boat here for around two years and it is magic coral warm and colds, after that stint I did six months as the water sports/glass bottom boat driver at Fitzroy island...
I can honestly say that apart from what I seen out at the swains, and Gould reef that west oz Exmouth and Ningaloo is better, waroora station and gnaraloo.....

The coral in west oz is all alive there are limited inland farmers pumping phosphorous and also minimal shipping....

Just got back from two weeks in the Maldives and yes some of the coral was amazing but the stuff at Ningaloo is untouched and mind blowing

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Razzonater said..
I'm going to jump in here,

the reef off bowen and the swains is magic magic, I drove a live coral trout boat here for around two years and it is magic coral warm and colds, after that stint I did six months as the water sports/glass bottom boat driver at Fitzroy island...
I can honestly say that apart from what I seen out at the swains, and Gould reef that west oz Exmouth and Ningaloo is better, waroora station and gnaraloo.....

The coral in west oz is all alive there are limited inland farmers pumping phosphorous and also minimal shipping....

Just got back from two weeks in the Maldives and yes some of the coral was amazing but the stuff at Ningaloo is untouched and mind blowing

Nailed it,

Select to expand quote

Razzonater said..
I'm going to jump in here,

the reef off bowen and the swains is magic magic, I drove a live coral trout boat here for around two years and it is magic coral warm and colds, after that stint I did six months as the water sports/glass bottom boat driver at Fitzroy island...
I can honestly say that apart from what I seen out at the swains, and Gould reef that west oz Exmouth and Ningaloo is better, waroora station and gnaraloo.....

The coral in west oz is all alive there are limited inland farmers pumping phosphorous and also minimal shipping....

Just got back from two weeks in the Maldives and yes some of the coral was amazing but the stuff at Ningaloo is untouched and mind blowing

That's right.

About half of the Barrier Reef coral is bleached. I wonder why.....

www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2018/08/explore-atlas-great-barrier-reef-coral-bleaching-map-climate-change/

The verdict - Both good.

www.withoutahitch.com.au/travel/ningaloo-reef-versus-the-great-barrier-reef/

adrenalindive.com.au/what-is-the-difference-ningaloo-reef-and-great-barrier-reef/

www.downunderendeavours.com/travel/great-barrier-reef-vs-ningaloo

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myusernam said..
hmm, id probably suggest flying into cairns . spending some time there either to begin with or at the end, and hiring a car and travelling north and spending a couple of nights in port douglas. I'd do reef trip ex port douglas. I think green island would be better than the low isles as a second day trip, but dont substitute for the reef proper. There are some nice sailing style boats. Daintree river cruise or the one at cape trib for croc spotting (you'll see lots). some good beaches and rainforest walks. If you go to cape trib in a normal hire car drive a few hundered meters past where the bitumen stops to the first river crossing to check out a picturesque crystal clear rainforest stream.
Cairns has nightlife and is a bit more happpening. Palm cove and port douglas are a bit slower and more of a beach holiday place. Good reasturants at palm cove and port douglas. Cairns has lots of activities being an international tourist destination.
Tully river white water rafting is meant to be internationally rated highly.
I guess theres kuranda or yungaburra. Yungaburra and the nearest crater lake might be an option. kuranda a bit of a shxthole
The cairns botanic gardens are pretty speccy and worth a walk if u like that sort of thing.
Palm cove nice lunch spot

I recommend the drive to port and even further. normal car all the way to cape trib. but maybe ex port douglas as a day trip.
mossman gorge as someone said.

check out this amazing ( cough cough ) footage from the Today show especialy the comments at 3 minutes in . Laughable, I"ve seen moer at town beach in the gulf..
https://www.9now.com.au/today/2019/clip-cjw1768op000f0hsfkhjs76ki.

What no more to say???

Re-read my original comments. I did try and steer away from the big boat experience off cairns. I've never done it so wouldnt know. I saw that scuba thing and thought it was a bit unfortunate. But it was probably 30 knots and in the lagoon. The fact is the reef is awesome bit the average punter will only see a tiny close bit in a day trip off cairns which is a bit average. You really need liveabord charter or your own boat which is expensive and not really commercially advertised. To say ningaloo is better is preposterous especially when u could fit.ningaloo.inside single reefs of the GBR.

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myusernam said..
Re-read my original comments. I did try and steer away from the big boat experience off cairns. I've never done it so wouldnt know. I saw that scuba thing and thought it was a bit unfortunate. But it was probably 30 knots and in the lagoon. The fact is the reef is awesome bit the average punter will only see a tiny close bit in a day trip off cairns which is a bit average. You really need liveabord charter or your own boat which is expensive and not really commercially advertised. To say ningaloo is better is preposterous especially when u could fit.ningaloo.inside single reefs of the GBR.

Hmmm.

The distinctive Ningaloo Reef that fringes the Ningaloo Coast is 260 kilometres (160 mi) long and is Australia's largest fringing coral reef and the only large reef positioned very close to a landmass.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ningaloo_Coast

And it's about 100m wide. Like I said u could just about fit it in a single large reef. The gbr on the otherhand stretches from bundaberg to png and is many nautical miles wide. To say you went on a day trip to cairns and swung around in a mooring or a day trip to the low isles or Fitzroy just doesn't cut it. But yes if you cant afford it maybe ningaloo in winter is more accessable.

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Harrow said..
What's the best way to see the reef

I would def get some goggles and go underwater.

Port Douglas is a nicer base if you were after less backpackers and somewhere that you and the kids don't need a car to get around.
We (family of 4) normally go each year, it works, warm, kids like the beach, and vibe of the town, choices to eat at different prices.
We normally hire a car at Cairns airport, and drive up to PD, leaving the car there, and a one day hire on the way back to fly out. (You can take the public bus, but it takes ages and has a few detours.)
Just a note if you do the car hire though, and were considering Av*s. We hired a car at PD airport, for the usual drive up.
Since we'd seen the normal stuff before, it was basically just the straight drive up, trip to supermarket for the weeks groceries, then drop the car in. Here's the catch: a clause in the contract for a MINIMUM distance to travel in the car, something like 97kms or so, otherwise a charge applies.

Guess how far we did? About 85kms from memory. 2 weeks after the trip, and bill arrives in the mail.
A few email later, it goes to a collection agency, and they claim the car wasn't fuelled up. Make sure you top up at PD before dropping the car in (theres a petrol station just next to the depot), and pay via c/c so you automatically have proof.

Go to Palm Cove on the way up, watch out for hanggliders jumping off a small turnout most weekends about 1/2 way between Cairns and PD, Wednesday nights at the PD yacht club for social sailing out with the touros (have tea at the club after to get out on a boat). Beach at PD has a net, but don't expect any surf,and sometime when we've gone the water isn't clear at all depending on the time of year. At least then you don't see the crocs inside the swimming net.

We've done the day trip to low isles from PD on a 'big silver cat''. It works, easy, and they run it well.
For the first time into, i'd do that again, but yes its exxy.

I have cruised the barrier reef in my motorboat as a teen with my family. This is not a cheap way but because we where going from Darwin to Bundaberg it was just a stop over. By far the best pieces of reef was Marion and Ashton reef. Charter operators don't take you out this far though. Good luck