Great Barrier Reef

The World Heritage Listed Great Barrier Reef is situated off Australia's east coast, and is the world’s largest reef system. Australia is home to 1/5 of the world’s reef areas, and almost all of this is situated on the Great Barrier Reef. There are 600 islands surrounding the reef, including the beautiful DunkIsland which is covered with lush, tropical rainforest. The reef stretches across a vast 200km of the Queensland coastline, and contains hundreds of individual coral reefs, lakes, and sand cays.

People visit the coral reef for various different reasons – to snorkel, scuba dive, fish, cruise in a glass-bottomed boat for fantastic ocean views, take scenic flights or helicopter rides over the reef, explore the surrounding unspoiled rainforest or relax on the golden sands of one of the neighbouring beaches. The Great Barrier Reef is a wildlife haven, and home to species such as dugongs, green turtles, dolphins and whales, 1500 species of fish, and over 200 species of birdlife. Its scorching hot weather (although there is heavy rainfall in the wet season), tropical rainforest, golden sandy beaches, and a clear, turquoise-blue ocean make it one of the world's leading holiday destinations.