Nix and Mike

........would this be Cairns ?

Nix

jayr

Pretty much anywhere from Mackay and then north.

I am not sure which part of the coast is physically closest to the reef (if that is at all relevant to you) but I suspect Cairns is close.

An excellent place that I would suggest is the Whitsunday Islands. You can stay on the mainland at Airlie Beach (which is backpacker/party central but has some nice places as well) or stay on one of the Whitsunday islands such as Hamilton Island, which is very nice.

You can also take various boat trips to the 70+ islands that mak eup the WHitsundays, including Whitsunday Island itself which has arguably one of the world's best beaches at Whitehaven.

Closer to Cairns, Port Douglas is a very nice place to stay.

Burbage

Closest port to the reef is Port Douglas. The majority (if not all) of the trips are day trips. I'd recommend taking trips with Calypso.

Cairns has several longer trips out to the reef. Staying in Cainrs isn't the greatest anyway. It's good for those of us who live here, but I think you'd be better off on a boat. I've been on the trip with ProDive Cairns.

I've also been out with ProDive Whitsundays but I think their boat ran aground last year. Not sure if it's up and running again. But there are other operators.

TrickyTree

We went from Airlie Beach (had a great time there) we used the company below and did a 3 day tour including diving and snorkelling etc.

http://www.powerplaycat.com/

They then dropped us off at Daydream Island for a few nights.

themerlin

Went with this mob a few years ago http://www.cairnsdive.com.au/
2 nights on board the boat, I seem to remeber it being good value as well.

Nix and Mike

Excellent responses....already I have lots to search for on the internet.

Needing a little further advice as you guys seem to have alot of knowledge.....
Here is the background:
* We have RCI exchange weeks
* We are moving to Brisbane / GC in April-ish 2009
* I have an RCI week that I need to book for 2009 before the end of 2008, otherwise I loose it.
* As the first year in Aus will no doubt be tight financially, I doubt vacations will be a first prioerty BUT......The Great Barrier Reef is a lifetime dream that my husband and I never thought we would get the chance to dive.....and look where life has led us !
* As such, I was thinking of booking a week for December so we can take a little time off as a family, and dive the Reef (our then 7 year old will have to find another activity whilst we dive no doubt...)
* I have checked the RCI directory, and they have resorts in Port Douglas, Cairns, and one on Magnetic Island

So, here are my two questions to you knowledgeable bunch !
1. If you had the above choice, where would you request the accomodation - Cairns, Port Douglas or Magentic Island, given that we will be travelling from Brisbane / GC.
2. What time of the year would you book for, given that we have a child in school and it therefore needs to be in the school vacation times.

If for some reason we cannot take up the vacation, I would not be able to cancel it (as I would have used 2008 points).......would there be a market to rent it if I needed to...? (ie if I am working and cannot get vacation days etc.)

Your thoughts would be greatly appreciated !!!!

Regards
Nix

jayr

I have not been to Magentic Island, which is off Townsville (which I also haven't been to) but I don't think it is meant to be that great. I have a friend who lived in Townsville and worked on Maggy Island building new units etc. I think it is up and coming, it just hasn't arrived yet.

Cairns is niceish but very backpacker.

Port Douglas is (if I remember correctly) within an hour drive of Cairns and is considered to be a bit "posh" and has lots of nice hotels/resort type accommodation as well as Big 4 holiday park (tents/caravans etc - supposed to be very nice, friends of ours have friends who own the one at Port Douglas).

Remember it is is stinger season roughly November - March so beware you don't get killed by jellyfish when diving.

Summer school holidays is mid Dec to end Jan, good time to go , but very hot and humid (and stingers).

Easter school hols (10 April - 20 April 2009 for QLD) would avoid stinger season but still be warm (likely high 20s) and outside of the wet season (and cyclone season).

Burbage

I'd go for Port Douglas, I think it's a great place. Among other things the diversity on the reef gets greater as you go further north. Don't worry about stingers on the reef, they're an inshore problem, though it's always good to wear the stinger suits.

jayr

sorry, just realised you are arriving April 2009. If arriving after Easter the next school hols are 29 June- 13 July inclusive.

Here;s the QLD school holidays for 2009 for state schools:

http://education.qld.gov.au/public_m...l-calendar.pdf

MrCro

I was personally disappointed in Cairns, expected golden beaches and barrier reef but found blackpool on a murky lagoon!

lack of research on my account........guilty!

loved the reef but will be based elsewhere next time I visit!

Kuranda railway trip well worth a non reef excursion (up on the cable car down on the train) , book the VIP carraige, free champagne all the way! We pretty much fell off the train!

DadAgain

Consider Palm Cove:

Its roughly half way between Cairns and Port Douglas (slightly closer to Cairns) and has a decent beach (with stinger net) and has a good relaxed but upmarket feel to the place. Its not as busy as PD or Cairns, but still has plenty of places to eat or hang out and lots of good quality accomodation.

If you hire a car you've got easy access to the Kuranda rail/cablecar terminal and the airport (which are both northside of Cairns) and are a stones throw from the Hartleys croc farm which is a fantastic trip.

There are a couple of reef operators that go from Palm Cove itself, or you can choose whatever trip you like out of either Cairns or P.Douglas knowing you havent restricted your choices.

Nix and Mike

Fantastic advice here. Lots to follow up on.
THANKS!

big_matt

I've been on many trips to all parts of the reef and the best stuff to see underwater by a long way is right at the bottom of the reef (Lady Elliot and Lady Musgrave islands). These can be accessed from Gladstone.

Have been very dissapointed with trips from Cairns and Airlie to both innner and outer reefs due to the amount of bleached and dead coral.

Apparently cause the water is a bit cooler down the bottom of the reef the coral and fish are much better. We had rays and turtles swimming around us just off the shore.

Trust me this is definately best place to go. It is also much closer to Brisbane than going up to Cairns.

big_matt

http://www.ladyelliotisland.com.au/

We stayed here, 1770, which is a great wee place:

http://www.pleasetakemeto.com/austra...on/town-of1770

Red_V_Roger

Lady Elliott is great. Its especially good for non-swimmers as you can just walk off the the island in to the reef.