The largest coral reef in the world, white sand islands and rainforest down to the sea – the reef is the reason you fly all the way to Queensland.
Photo: Queensland, Australia (Unsplash)
Full disclosure: I know the reef from documentaries and from friends who came back with underwater photos. Getting there is easy: boats leave Cairns and Port Douglas daily for the outer reef – snorkelling and diving from a pontoon or a catamaran, beginners included.
Further south are the Whitsunday Islands: 74 islands, sailing trips from Airlie Beach, Whitehaven Beach with the whitest sand there is, and Hamilton Island with its resort and own airport. And north of Cairns, the Daintree Rainforest, where the jungle runs right down to the beach.
The best time is the Australian winter: dry, 26 degrees, clear visibility and no venomous jellyfish (they're around from November to May – then only go in the water with a stinger suit). The reef is under threat; if you want to see it, don't wait too long.
Port Douglas (quieter than Cairns, closer to the Daintree); Airlie Beach or Hamilton Island for the Whitsundays.
I almost always compare hotels, apartments and guesthouses on Booking.com – with genuine reviews and usually free cancellation.
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