Great Barrier Reef is the largest coral formation in the world. The coral is located in the Queensland Pacific coast in Australia and tourists visit the corals for diving and watching the awesome marine life. There are three regions in the Great Barrier Reef including Whitsunday Islands, Green Island and Southern Reef Islands. Day trips to Great Barrier Reef are common and are run along Queensland Coast and most operators provide early morning departures to the corals. You can have such a trip organized from any mainland coastal town such as Cape Tribulation, Cairns, Douglas, Airlie Beach and Townsville. Also, as a tourist, you seek information about when the trips are provided as they are not offered on a daily bases from each of the towns.
Queensland Coast has numerous islands that are scattered all over and some of them are found in groups. Most of them not only cater for the day trips but also provide overnight stays as well and there are many accommodation facilities of different standards. However, some islands are not on the reef as some are coral cays and other continental islands.
Coral Gardens can be found off beaches of some of the continental islands while others have none. Also, while some of the islands have plenty of marine life others have quite little. As such, when visiting the Great Barrier Reef, you should check destination guides carefully so that you can select the nicest island depending on your objectives of travel.
Scuba diving is the main tourist activity in Great Barrier Reef and you will find international divers traveling here even though this has made the corals appear damaged and somehow overused. Port Douglas, Cairns and Townsville teach travelers diving classes which makes the dive industry very competitive in the coastal towns. Boat trips to the Great Barrier Reef are somehow cheaper and most of them even include meals.
As for travelers on a limited budget, these trips are a cheaper way of traveling even though you should check if the snorkeling site is suitable or not. Some islands even gave fringing coral reefs which makes snorkeling or diving from the shore possible. Southern Townsville has the Yongala wreck where the ship sank about a century ago. However, divers say that the bottom appears quite featureless and majorly comprising of coral and fish.
When going for diving trips to the Great Barrier Reef you should travel during the most convenient time as the weather condition can at times be unbearable. Seafood is the main cuisine at Great Barrier Reef which is quite delicious. Some of the areas are restricted for fishing and most restaurants offer reef fish also.
During the trips, alcohol is sold on board and most of the islands also have bars. Cocktails and party scenes are common sights at the Great Barrier Reef. You should be careful and stay safe from sharks, stonefish, jellyfish and sea snakes which are at times a serious threat at Great Barrier Reef.