About the Reef

Those are the statistics. The Great Barrier Reef is also one of the most fascinating experiences it is possible to have. Its complexity and colour and beauty compel a new understanding of life.

The Great Barrier Reef is Australia's most beautiful tourist attraction, and the best way to see it is by boat. If you do not have your own yacht, and the holiday budget will not stretch to chartering one, there are many excellent cruises available through the reef and its islands. Charter boats, scuba diving and fishing trips are also available. For more about boating in Queensland, see Boating Holidays

The resort islands off the reef and the Queensland coast offer different styles of living to suit various tastes in holidays and entertainment. The common denominator is their beautiful setting and a consistency of climate, broken only by the sudden and short-lived downpours of the monsoonal period from December to February. The period from June to November is considered the best time to visit. You can learn about the resorts along Queensland's coast, refer to "Island Resorts" in our Resort Guide.

The Great Barrier Reef is not one single entity but consists of more than 3000 individual reefs of various shapes and kinds...the term is sometimes used loosely to refer not only to the Reef itself but to the whole area, including the islands which are such a feature of the region.

Three island resorts, Green Island, Heron Island and Lady Elliot Island, are coral cays - actually part of the reef - and at low tide it is possible to walk on the coral ledges that surround them. Other resort islands, such as Lizard Island, are continental islands; these were once part of the mainland, and are generally more wooded and mountainous.

For the most part, you will not actually be on the Reef when you are on an island, but inside it. Some of the islands are surrounded by fringing reefs and on these you can see the coral close at hand, but on others you will have to take a boat-trip if you want to see the Reef itself.

Island camping
Pitching a tent on one of Queensland's Barrier Reef Islands is a unique and affordable way to experience the Reef. Facilities range from virtually nothing to showers, composting toilets and picnic tables. Most of the islands are national parks and permits from the Environmental Protection Agency are required. Some Island camping sites are booked out a year in advance, especially during local school holidays.

Almost all of the Barrier Reef Islands are national parks, and they provide a chance to indulge in what many believe to be the ultimate camping experience, sleeping out under the stars on a 'south sea isle'. Many different island sites are available, the choice of which may depend upon the size of your party and whether you prefer to go to one of the 'developed sites', which offer amenities such as pit or mulch toilets, defined tent sites, picnic tables and (sometimes) tank water (for washing), or whether you prefer bush camping - roughing it at a site without facilities, completely on your own.

The Park rangers can provide a complete list of recommended sites which have been selected for their natural attributes, and one of these will probably suit you.

Where to camp
The following islands or island groups are available for camping. Contact the relevant Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for permits.

As the island ecosystems are extremely fragile, campers need to take special care not to upset the balance by following some simple guidelines. Camp only in designated areas and pack all your garbage out.

Some islands are exceedingly remote so plan accordingly. As all plants and animals on the islands are protected, fires are generally banned. Bring a cook stove and, as water is often unavailable, bring your own. (Rangers recommend 5 litres per person per day.) Be aware that islands can be isolated by rough weather or strong winds, so bring extra food and water in case you're forced to stay an extra day or two.

Rubbish
All rubbish must be brought back to the mainland - bottles, tins, bits of fishing line, garbage bags, even biodegradable rubbish, which should not be disposed of at the water's edge or buried. The approach should be 'ship it in, ship it out.' Don't bury, burn or sink rubbish.

Fires
The islands are heavily used; the vegetation is fire-sensitive, and it has in the past been damaged by campfires. There is often a risk of wildfire, particularly in areas of acacia scrub, which is highly flammable. Fuel for fires is virtually non-existent on the islands, and campers may be tempted to use island vegetation (dead or alive) which, for obvious reasons of conservation, is prohibited in national parks. Fires often cause unsightly contamination of foreshores and beaches which, among other things, spoils their natural beauty as well as the sense of wilderness. For all these reasons, fires are no longer permitted on the islands.

Getting to the Islands
The most popular and least expensive way to get to the islands for those without their own boat is via one of the commercial cruise yachts that take day-trippers out for scenic cruises and drop campers at campsites. Arrangements for containers of water must be made at the time you make your booking. Transport will be more expensive if the campsite isn't on the cruise vessel's normal route.

Not all island sites are accessible at low tide, and this needs to be kept in mind if you are getting there under your own steam.

A few camping tips
The importance of having good substantial footwear that you don't mind getting wet cannot be overemphasised. Good footwear (not thongs) is essential for reef and beach walking to avoid coral and shell cuts and to protect against the possibility of stepping on a stonefish.

Take a good first-aid kit. The islands have essentially the same wildlife as the mainland, including the occasional snake, so the normal camping cautions apply - don't romp barefooted through long grass, don't attempt to show off to friends by playing 'crack the whip' with the taipan you just found. Mosquitoes and other biters have, unfortunately, also discovered paradise on the Barrier Reef islands...take plenty of insect repellent with you.

Queensland has a stinging bush which the Aboriginal people called 'gympie.' The plant has green heart-shaped leaves covered with very fine pale green hair. If you brush against these with your bare skin you will get a very unpleasant burning itch for which there isn't an immediate ready cure, other than using a depilatory wax to remove the microscopic stinging hairs. It's not serious but can make you very uncomfortable, perhaps for several days. Stinging trees tend to spring up in areas where bush has been disturbed. They are not everywhere, but keep an eye out for the heart-shaped leaves...and be careful not to touch or brush against any part of the bush.

Campers should always take enough food and water for at least two more days than the planned stay in the event that bad weather delays pick-up.

Hiking & Island walking
You can explore excellent hiking trails on the Whitsunday Islands, Hinchinbrook Island and Lizard Island. On the smaller islands you'll find plenty of opportunities to 'island walk'. About 77 different island walks provide excellent vegetation and wildlife viewing. Some islands and reefs are closed to visitors, so check local marine and national park rules.

The cays in the Swain Reefs area, Capricorn Bunkers, and Bushy Island south of the Whitsundays, as well as many cays farther north, are excellent to explore. Note vegetation differences due to varying amounts of rainfall. Seeds dropped from feeding pigeons can also vastly alter vegetation, as can the coral shingle or rubble substrata of the cay. Some of the rubble cays have mangrove stands -- Low, Turtles, Nymph, Hope, Two, Three, Howicks and other islands to the north.

Crocodiles have been seen and recorded on several of the far northern cays up to 100 km (60 miles) off the coast, so keep your eyes open for tracks. Mainland or continental islands... including the Whitsundays, Percys, Keppels, Palms, Family, Frankland, Sir Charles Hardy, Forbes, Albanys and others in the Torres Strait... carry unique vegetation, human history and excellent beaches.

When visiting any island, stay well away from nesting birds, turtles or other wildlife. Human intervention can create major disturbances to some species. Before stepping on an island, check that you haven't got any seeds in your socks, clothes or shoes. Always carry plenty of water and be sun-safe.

Be aware of crocodiles on the mainland... estuarine crocodiles occupy creeks and estuaries along Queensland's coast, but rarely on islands located 100 km (60 miles) out to sea but they have been known, particularly the salt water crocodile - so always be careful.

National Park staff post numerous signs whenever there is a risk of a crocodile encounter.

If you find yourself in crocodile territory (mostly mainland rivers), avoid repetitive behaviour and be careful near the water's edge. Although it's the unseen crocodiles that are the problem, don't let the threat of them keep you indoors.
A second species, the freshwater crocodile, occurs in inland freshwater sources. It is smaller and not considered as dangerous as the saltwater species.

Reef walking
Many reefs of the Barrier reef expose at low tide at certain times of the year, allowing visitors to walk on the reeftop. Reef walking is the most fantastic way to learn about marine life, especially if you have a naturalist on tap to help you identify the various inhabitants and their behavioural patterns. Many organisms you'll see when you dive you'll also find on the reef top. So reef walking gives you the luxury of time to observe the marine environment from another perspective.

There are procedures to follow if you reef walk:

• use common sense
• follow the local instructions
• avoid damage to you and the substrata
• watch the rising tide

When you walk on the reef
You may ask yourself: Doesn't walking on coral kill it? In some cases yes, but a reeftop is usually a combination of sand grooves, coral patches and dead surfaces, which are actually extremely rich algal turfs full of crustaceans and worms. These areas are extremely robust and quite safe to explore with a guide... Without a guide it is important to walk in the areas designated by GBRMPA (Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority), as some areas are much more fragile than others.

For an enjoyable and successful reef walk, follow these few hints:

Plan your walk
- check tide times so you don't get caught out
- allow one hour each side of low tide
- tell someone where you are going
- check local rules

Wear a hat, long-sleeve shirt, strong shoes and socks to protect your ankles.

• Do not touch any animal unless a guide hands it to you.
• Use maximum protection sunscreen but be sure not to get it on the animals.
• Try using a mask or a bucket or container with a transparent base to see into deeper water.
• Put your camera on a short strap so when you bend over you don't dunk it...and bring plenty of film.

Remember, every surface of the reef has life growing on or in it:

• Always watch carefully where you put your feet
• Walk in sandy tracks between living coral
• Avoid walking near edges of pool, where coral is fragile and can collapse.
• If you turn over a boulder, make sure it goes back the way you found it!
• Leave reef life alone -- remember, touching some organisms can put you in hospital. Refer to our web section First Aid Afloat

Things you buy
Australia is a signatory to CITES (Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species) so it is illegal to trade in turtle shell, dugong, many shells, coral, black coral and the like. Treat your time on the reef as a 'national park' experience and limit yourself to souvenirs such as T-shirts, videos, books and your own photos... and leave the marine life where you find it!

Items from marine organisms (jewellery, shell mementos etc.) that are for sale in shops were probably obtained legally, but it is best if these products were never sold at all - it's likely that these items were collected in a non-sustainable fashion and to the detriment of their environment.