Great Barrier Reef Questions

[Cruise Vanessa]

We just booked the Auckland to Sydney cruise on Millennium for March 2009. We are considering extending our trip and heading to Cairns/Port Douglas area to snorkel the GBR. Any thoughts on best way to do this? Recommendations?

 

Thanks

 

Cruise Vanessa

[Jade13]

double post

[Jade13]

We just booked the Auckland to Sydney cruise on Millennium for March 2009. We are considering extending our trip and heading to Cairns/Port Douglas area to snorkel the GBR. Any thoughts on best way to do this? Recommendations?

 

Thanks

 

Cruise Vanessa

 

If you want a great experiance book the Coral Princess II (not related to Princes Cruise lines) to Cairns. It is a 3 night cruise. You need to fly into Townsville.

[Bruton Branch]

you will love the GBR....several years ago we went downunder for a pre-retirement 21 day trip. You should spend several days at the GBR if possible as the views are one of a kind. The diving is great also. Please remember you are in a "real ocean" and this is nature at it's best. As you already know if you are going to be in the water bring several long sleeve shirts to keep from getting "Baked-well-done"

Have a great trip

Bruton Branch

[excitedofharpenden]

I did a land trip to Australia a few years ago and stayed in Palm Cove (Google it), which is not far from Cairns and Port Douglas and it's a lovely peaceful spot. The hotel I stayed at had a very nice nine hole golf course that was a bonus!

 

If you are up for it, I would say get yourself a PADI resort dive certificate and go diving instead of snorkelling. I found it more of a buzz. I did the training through the hotel I was staying at. You can only go down 10 metres or so and in tandem with an experienced instructor. There are many boats that will take you out to the reef. You can do the inner reef which is closer or the outer reef. I went to the outer reef. Two hours out and two hours back and I fed the fishes a couple of times on the way as it was very bumpy! I was fine once I was in the water though and it was great.

 

Another trip to do is Kuranda (Google it again) that is nearby. You can take the Skyrail (a gondola just above the trees) and/or the Kuranda railway. We had a very enjoyable day there.

 

Finally, heed the warnings about box jellyfish. They are nasty! They won't be on the reef, but will be nearer to shore. I think a lot of beaches have nets up to protect bathers. March is prime time for them.

 

Phil

[tobes]

Just came back from that cruise. Did the Celebrity pre cruise extension to Ayers Rock and Port Douglas. Loved the GBR but did not like the Celebrity itinerary. Do it yourself. Judy:)

 

 

 

We just booked the Auckland to Sydney cruise on Millennium for March 2009. We are considering extending our trip and heading to Cairns/Port Douglas area to snorkel the GBR. Any thoughts on best way to do this? Recommendations?

 

Thanks

 

Cruise Vanessa

[barbarah33]

I took that same cruise a few years ago and spent a week in Sydney at the end. After Sydney we flew up to the GBR for another 5 days and loved it! We actually flew direct from Sydney to Hamilton Island in the GBR and stayed on the island: it was perfect. (But very hot.) There were wallabies all over the place, some sort of giant bats which didn't bother you but at sunset you would literally see thousands of them flying overhead, and gorgeous parrots and cockatiels flying around the sky all day long. (They would land on your hotel room balcony and eat from your hands.) You could rent golf carts to get around the island - no need for a car at all as it isn't that large a place. There were 3 or 4 hotels and lots of restaurants to chose from. One day we took a boat trip literally into the depths of the GBR where we had the most beautiful diving. I highly recommend it all!!

[Jade13]

If you want a great experiance book the Coral Princess II (not related to Princes Cruise lines) to Cairns. It is a 3 night cruise. You need to fly into Townsville.

 

http://www.coralprincess.com.au/index.html

[Cruise Vanessa]

Thanks for all the info. I am investigating the Coral Princess II and Hamilton Island. My husband is pushing the Hamilton Island idea. BARBARAH33 - Do you remember the hotel where you stayed? Any details you can provide would be appreciated.

 

Cruise Vanessa

[waterlizard]

Hello,

 

We just returned from AU. We took the 12/9 Mercury Cruise and travelled on our own to Port Douglas, Ayers Rock, Bedarra Island. I do not recommend going with the pre post cruise tours. Depending on your budget, Hamilton Island is nice, a bit more exclusive is Hayman I have stayed there on 2 previous visits (a short boat ride from Hamilton). Trips to the outer reef from Hamilton/Hayman are a full day adventure and well worth it. There are small reefs around the islands but you should venture one day to the outer reef. As for Port Douglas is beautiful. There is no swimming from the shore as it is stinger season (Box Jellyfish). We went to the outer reef two days from Port Douglas once on QuickSilver Diving and Snorkeling and once on Dragon Lady for Deep Sea Fishing. Both days were fantastic.

 

Lisa

[barbarah33]

Cruise Vanessa, we stayed at the Beach Club on Hamilton Island. The great part about staying at that hotel was that you could use the facilities at all of the other hotels but they were not permitted to use ours so the hotel was nice and quiet. Also, when you are there if you go to dinner or shopping down by the marina they will happily drive you down and pick you up. (They even met us at the airport and dealt with getting our luggage from the plane to our rooms, etc.) The Beach Club really caters to you. They will actually transport you anywhere you want to go - just let them know and they are right there for you. When you are finished wherever you are - the restaurant, store, ice cream place etc. will give them a call for you if you just ask.

Like I said there were 4 of us and we all really enjoyed Hamilton Island and would recommend it to anyone easily! Let me know if you have any more questions.

[j!m]

you may wish to check out captain cook cruises, they do 3,4 and 7 day cruises on the gbr, we did the 4 and loved it, snokelling/diving every day, it was fabulous. we sailed from cairns

[j!m]

you may wish to check out captain cook cruises, they do 3,4 and 7 day cruises on the gbr, we did the 4 and loved it, snokelling/diving every day, it was fabulous. we sailed from cairns