Travel Cairns, Australia

From Cairns to Green Island and the Great Barrier Reef

December 24th, 2009

Cairns is the best place to explore the pristine island of Green Island and the Great Barrier Reef.

There are several tours to different locations on the Great Barrier Reef and there are lots of brochures available around Cairns. Just head to any given internet point or ask the staff at your hotel.

Arriving by ferry to Green Island Arriving by ferry to Green..

We had a good deal with our tour which included a day tour at the Great Barrier Reef with snorkelling, glass boat viewing, diving, lunch and a personal photographer because we could add a morning stay at Green Island for free. So we had a discount on our Great Barrier Reef tour which costed us about 150 AUD pp instead of 200 AUD and got the Green Island Day trip which normally costs 73 AUD for free!

In the morning we left by ferry to Green Island where we spend about two hours on the gorgeous beach but you can also decide to explore the islands DayDream Resort, visit the Crocodile Zoo or enjoy some of the many watersport activities like parasailing or a ride on a jet ski.

Green Island was really peaceful and a good place to relax. We actually saw a turtle coming by swimming through the clear waters so even if we didn't snorkel here we can tell wildlife is great!

After a break on the beach we took the boat ferry to continue our tour to the Great Barrier Reef. It was a good idea to add the Green Island trip as the reef is all about water activities and there is no beach. The ferry boat will bring you to a permanent platform located around the reef and on this platform which functions a little bit like a little harbor you can enjoy your lunch ( it has a kitchen on the platform), get a tan ( there is a second 'floor' which can be reached by stairs) or get enthusiastic in the water.

Green Island jetty from Cairns Green Island jetty from..

There's plenty of time to explore the Great Barrier Reef by snorkelling, diving or flying around it. The platform actually has its own helicopter service which you can book during your stay. Snorkel and diving gear are included which isn't the case on many other tours and you can also enjoy a glass boat ride or visit the onboard acquarium.

For people who want to experience a dive but dont have a PADU certificate their is a ocean walk. It will cost you a 140 AUD extra to rent the huge helmet and gear but you will be able to walk accross the ocean floor and say hello to some of the worlds most gorgeous marine life.

The beach on Green Island, off The beach on Green Island,..

The onboard photographer made pictures of everybody on tour (in and out of the water) during the whole day and you could purchase them on the way back to Cairns. They were 22 AUD a picture.

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Travel Tips for Cairns Australia:

Where to stay in Cairns: -

What to do in Cairns: Make sure to get a good deal on your Great Barrier Reef trip as a lot of operators don't include lunch or gear.

Where to eat in Cairns: -

Travel Pictures of Cairns, Australia

  • Arriving by ferry to Green Island Arriving by ferry to Green Island
  • Green Island jetty from Cairns Green Island jetty from Cairns
  • Day trip to Green Island Day trip to Green Island
  • The beach on Green Island, off The beach on Green Island, off
  • Beach pictures Green Island Beach pictures Green Island
  • Beach patrol on Green Island, QLD Beach patrol on Green Island, QLD
  • Amazing clear waters at Green Island Amazing clear waters at Green Island
  • Beautiful beach at Green Island Beautiful beach at Green Island
  • Day trip to Green Island from Cairns Day trip to Green Island from Cairns
  • Day tour from Cairns to Green Island Day tour from Cairns to Green Island
  • On the ferry to Great Barrier Reef On the ferry to Great Barrier Reef
  • From Green Island to the Great Barrier Reef From Green Island to the Great Barrier Reef
  • Coral viewing at Great Barrier Reef Coral viewing at Great Barrier Reef
  • Amazing coral at the Great Barrier Reef Amazing coral at the Great Barrier Reef
  • Glass Bottom Boat at the Reef Glass Bottom Boat at the Reef
  • Boarding the glass bottom boat Boarding the glass bottom boat
  • Great Barrier Reef coral viewing Great Barrier Reef coral viewing
  • On a day trip from Cairns to the Reef On a day trip from Cairns to the Reef
  • The Great Barrier Reef platform The Great Barrier Reef platform
  • On the GBR sun deck On the GBR sun deck
  • Getting a tan at the upper deck Getting a tan at the upper deck
  • Snorkelling platform at Great Barrier Reef Snorkelling platform at Great Barrier Reef
  • Snorkelling at The Great Barrier Reef Snorkelling at The Great Barrier Reef
  • On the Great Barrier Reef day tour On the Great Barrier Reef day tour
  • Diving the Great Barrier Reef Diving the Great Barrier Reef
  • Maori Wrasse at Great Barrier Reef Maori Wrasse at Great Barrier Reef
  • Maori Wrasse fish at Great Barrier Reef Maori Wrasse fish at Great Barrier Reef
  • Great Barrier Reef marine life Great Barrier Reef marine life
  • Underwater observatory at Great Barrier Reef Underwater observatory at Great Barrier Reef

Weather

Cairns Weather

Mostly Cloudy
21 °C | 69.8 °F

Traveller

Mari photo
Name: Mari
Age: 26-33
Travel type: Couples vacation

Travel Blog

From Cairns to Green Island and the Great Barrier Reef
Continent: Oceania
Country: Australia
City: Cairns
Period: Dec 2009
Lenght of stay: 3 days
Views: 6703

Travel Review

Liked: The tour was very complete and made it a enjoyable day.
Disliked: The pictures were a little bit expensive
Trip Rating: Excellent

Map of Cairns, Queensland

Map Cairns Australia