Great Barrier Reef

You can swim, snorkel, dive and sail the World Heritage-listed Great Barrier Reef, a living masterpiece so large it can be seen from outer space. It stretches more than 2,000 kilometers along the Queensland coast, and you can explore it from the mainland, the islands, or on a cruise.

Our favorite mainland towns are Palm Cove or Port Douglas, north of Cairns. Both are small beach towns with a relaxed tropical lifestyle where you can explore the shops and restaurants all within walking distance of your hotel. Day trips are available to the Reef for snorkeling, diving or deep-sea fishing, the Daintree Rainforest and Cape Tribulation, Kuranda, or the Atherton Highlands for sunrise hot air ballooning.

Australia’s northernmost resort island, Lizard Island is located right on the magnificent Great Barrier Reef, fringed with colorful coral reefs and 24 powdery white beaches. Sensational diving opportunities abound in this Marine National Park and snorkelers are rewarded for little effort with coral gardens, brightly colored tropical fish and giant clams just moments from the island’s beaches. Discover secluded, pristine beaches, enjoy deep sea game fishing, bush walking, sailing, a glass bottom boat trip, or perhaps indulge in the spa.

If cruising is more your style, consider a 3,4 or 7-day cruise aboard the Coral Princess, small-ship Great Barrier Reef cruising at its best.

Great Barrier Reef

Spend your days relaxing on the beach, swimming, snorkeling, diving or sailing in this incredible World-Heritage-listed area

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We traveled to New Zealand this year for a great adventure exploring the country. This trip was 4 years in the making due to the Covid pandemic. We booked in 2019 with Esplanade and they planned a fantastic trip. The Esplanade team worked with us seamlessly over the years as we booked and Covid cancelled our trip at least 3 times. When we finally were able to travel in 2023, they had everything perfect. We were really expecting a lot of confusion due to the multiple bookings and cancellations, but Esplanade had everything perfect at every turn. The accommodations, excursions, transfers, etc. were all planned even better than we could have imagined. We highly recommend Esplanade Travel and will be using them again on our next adventure.

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