Great Barrier Reef, 3 ways

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By: nancytubbs on December 9, 2005 - 12:34pm

Cairns has the most dive boat options; here are 3 I've liked. All have resort-dive options, for first-timers

1) Reef Magic - typical medium-size boat, amenities, friendly crew, can get in two dives if not too crowded. Can get a video of yourself diving, photos boarding, but like most everything in Australia it's low-key.

http://www.reefmagic.com.au/ (hmm, seems more commercial now)

2) I took a small sailboat with 6 pax, 3 crew, and stayed overnight on the reef. Unique experience. Can't remember the name, but you should be able to find it or something similar by asking some knowledgeable booker (booking places all over Cairns). Book this early if you can, as soon as you know your dates, it can fill up. I got a spot a few days ahead of time but it was the low season.

3) Big boat, day trip to Fitzroy Island (I'll try to stay overnight there next time). You can make a quick stop there and then go on to a dive spot, but I spent several hours, took a snorkle trip near Little Fitzroy Island. Islands might not be novel to Seattlites, but to me it was very cool.

www.fitzroyisland.com.au/

 

In general, you can find great diving/boating experiences if you look a little deeper than the very common short little trips.


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Hopfully, it's nicer than in 1994
By: scott on February 7, 2006 - 6:37pm
I spent Dec 24-26, 1994 on Fitzroy Island and maybe Nancy can update my recollections. While I had a good time, there were some "gotchas".

First, you could not spend $A, but had to purchase their special script *and* you were not allowed to exchange it back. My $5 leftover script became a pricey souvenir. Next, food services were *very* expensive. I wound up skipping meals because the food was so expensive. I think I had a beer for dinner and breakfast one morning. And finally, there was a massive generator near the central resort area that ran 24 hours a day. The only way to not hear this huge machine constantly churning was to hike up to the lighthouse where the island and jungle literally blocked the sound.

On the other hand, the areas away from the resort are beautiful. The water is stunningly clear and blue. Snorkeling was great and sleeping on an empty nude beach on Christmas Day was a treat. Staying overnight was worth it to watch the last of the tourist ferries load up without you.

From what I recall, Fitzroy Island can be worth an overnight, but sneak some meat pies and some beer or wine from the mainland to cut down on the expenses and make the most of long walks along the beach or through the island trails.
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Nudey Beach:Fitzroy island, Qld
By: Anonymous (not verified) on September 11, 2006 - 2:29am
Well, you were there more recent than me-1992. If there was generator noise, all the beers I drank got me through it. Hope people enjoy and utilize the freedom of the nude beach. In Queensland actually there are many places quiet enough, but non legal. Thanks for writing. Rich
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