Reef encounters
Get smart about a Great Barrier Reef holiday with tips from Mercedes Maguire
The Great Barrier Reef covers an area of 348,000 sq km from Bundaberg in the south to the northern tip of Queensland – that’s around 70 million football fields – so planning a trip to the region can be a little overwhelming.
Crystal Lacey, director of Little Fish Tourism Development Consulting, says there are many facilities to help make your trip one to remember.
“Gone are the days of going out to the reef, and sitting on a boat to take a photo,” Lacey says. “Seeking out a marine reef guide, for example, means you can leave with an emotional connection to the reef and become something like an ambassador to the region.”
Use an expert
There are 82 marine reef guides throughout the Great Barrier Reef and if you want the best experience of the region, Lacey recommends a tour with one of them.
“Basically, a marine reef guide enhances your reef experience. They will give you the very best, immersive, hands-on and in-depth experience on the reef,” she says. You can find which tours these guides are on through the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority website. gbrmpa.gov.au
Download an app
The free Eye on the Reef app contains zoning information on the area you are going to, which is particularly helpful if you are self-chartering a vessel. It tells you what you can and can’t do and where you can and can’t go within the Great Barrier Reef.
It also has a great feature that allows you to create a sighting of marine life or an incident that contributes to the care of the region. The Eye on the Reef Sightings tab on the GBRMPA website helps you locate a particular animal, such as a sea turtle or manta ray, and the tour on which it was seen to help you customise your experience.
Don’t touch
Take photos and create memories, but take nothing else from the Great Barrier Reef, says Lacey. “There’s a ‘don’t touch, don’t take’ way of thinking on the reef – not even a shell from a beach,” she says. “And we ask visitors to generally be conscious not to litter and to use reef-safe sunscreen.”
Swim safe
You may want to avoid stinger suits, but they are highly recommended, in particular during the stinger season from October to April. “I’ve never met a jellyfish who reads a calendar, so we recommend you wear one year round,” Lacey says.
“They protect you from stingers, but also from the sun, so you don’t need to use much sunscreen, and they keep you warm and help with buoyancy.”
Nab a deal
Check tourism websites for upcoming deals and offers. For example, the Tourism Whitsundays website has up to 20 per cent discount at InterContinental Hayman Island when you stay two nights or more, and the Tourism Tropical North Queensland website has an offer to save $140 on a reef tour while a child travels free.