To the Barrier … and beyond
With Sir David Attenborough espousing its delights in his latest BBC documentary series, the Great Barrier Reef – made up of the 1,400-mile string of islands, coral reefs and sand cays off the Queensland coast – is ready for the rush. One of Attenborough’s programmes features the giant manta rays of Lady Elliot Island, 50 miles from Bundaberg (a four-hour drive from Brisbane), and visitors can check them out on a stay at the island’s eco-resort (twins from £83pppn).
'It is fantastic, better than travelling to the moon' – David Attenborough returns to the Great Barrier Reef
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Another option is to nip over to Lady Musgrave Island on a new catamaran from Bundaberg (day tour £100) or pack a tent to make like a castaway on Lady Musgrave, the Whitsunday or Lizard islands (permit £3pp). Or try glam hostel Rambutan, which opened recently adjacent to the reef in Townsville (dorm beds from £14, rooms from £60).
Alternatively, head for Ningaloo Reef on Australia’s north-west coast, which attracts far fewer tourists than the Great Barrier and has plenty to offer. At its southern end is the superbly remote Gnaraloo Sheep Station, where you can volunteer on operations such as protecting turtle nests, or use it as a base for fishing, surfing (some of the best breaks in the world are here) and snorkelling (camping £9, cabins from £17). Further north, in Exmouth, a number of operators offer swimming with whale sharks, but now licences have been issued for swimming with humpback whales too: around 30,000 of them annually migrate along the coast. Charter1 offers whale swim trips from £190. Tours will run from June to October. Another newcomer is a kayak trail with moorings and free campsites along the coast, with the best snorkelling sites pin-pointed. Capricorn Sea Kayaking has a three-day trip from £487.
Australia’s reefs - Holidays to Australia 2016
(theguardian)
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