From Sydney to Cairns - enjoy the Great Barrier Reef diving

Enjoying balmy temperatures of between 15° and 26° Celsius with little to no rainfall, June to October is unmistakably the best time to arrive in the region. Bringing a whole new understanding of winter, Southern Hemisphere Australia offers ideal weather hand in hand with cheaper accommodation in certain parts. Thanks to these winter lures, Cairns hotels and excursions become fully booked pretty quickly, so it’s wise to book Great Barrier Reef tours ahead of time to lock down a place. If considering a summer vacation to the Great Barrier Reef (between November and May), be aware that this is locally known as ‘stinger season’ when – as well as more rain and poor visibility – deadly box jellyfish arrive on the scene in great numbers.

Making the trip from Sydney to Great Barrier Reef will take you 2,400 kilometres north up the east coast past a great number of exceptional offshore islands, all ideal for an overnight trip to break up your 26-hour road trip to Cairns, by bus or car. Of course, the much easier alternative would be to fly from Sydney to Cairns in just three hours, with awesome plane-window views up for grabs on any clear day. Otherwise, the train is also a scenic option to consider, which – despite taking some 40 hours – provides the chance to stop in Queensland’s capital, Brisbane, along the way.

Doing their best to make visitors feel at home, Cairns locals are generally very accepting of LGBT lifestyles, particularly in the area surrounding the official gay beach. Although the gay community is on the small side, you’ll find that the gay scene is easy to locate thanks to a whole host of online information. The summer is especially vibrant for LGBT vacationers, couples and singletons alike. Aside from socialising on glittering beaches, visitors can take advantage of the town’s varied nightlife, with gay hotspots popping up all around town. Log on to meeting platforms such as Gaydar, Grindr, PlanetRomeo, RealJock and Scruff to have the best access to the local gay scene, or ask around during the day. While it’s easy to find cute gay couples on the gay beach and multiple nudist beaches here, you can also try mingling on the private beach of Cairns’ best gay resort, the LGBTQIA+ adults-only Turtle Cove Beach Resort.

Visible from space and split into four distinct areas that support a diversity of life within fringing reef, patch reef, barrier reef and atoll, Australia’s Great Barrier Reef is a true gift from mother nature herself as one of the seven natural wonders of the world. Thanks to massive conservation efforts within the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park – funded by as much as $200 million AUD per year – the reef and its marine life benefit from long-term sustainability plans backed by science.

The Australian Institute of Marine Science is even going as far as to plant lab-grown coral onto the reef to ensure its future amid rising ocean temperatures and acidity levels. Tourism sadly remains as one of the biggest threats to the reef but this is largely offset by the environmental management charge every visitor must pay along with the additional $6 billion AUD that tourists generate for the region each year. Visit the reef responsibly with a reputed tour agency, checking the eco-credentials of the company before booking. And, while swimming with the fishes, be sure to follow your guide’s orders and not wear sunscreen!

On top of ubiquitous snorkelling and diving tours, non-swimmers can rejoice in the fact that they don’t have to get wet to enjoy the beauty of the reef. Glass-bottom tours operate both day and night, with the opportunity to stay overnight on a Great Barrier Reef liveaboard cruise ship while anchored near the reserve. It takes a bird’s eye view however to fully appreciate the reef in all its glory. To get some perspective on the reef’s mosaic qualities, visit one of the nearby offshore islands and hike to a local vantage point. Fitzroy Island is one such choice, where various trails run through rainforest towards its highest point. As well as taking in the epic views from the top, take a moment to appreciate the native wildlife found here, such as the Orange Footed Scrub Hen and the elusive Green Triangle Butterfly.

Another fun alternative, on neither land nor sea, is a trip to a floating adventure park where tethered pontoons host wet ‘n’ wild water slides, assault courses and diving boards, alongside rentable snorkels and sea walking gear. All heavily regulated to ensure no harm is done to the reef below, these at-sea water parks can please both your inner child and eco-conscious mind side-by-side.

Whether you want a resort vacation, wildlife safari, city break, luxury cruise, wellness retreat, honeymoon, once-in-a-lifetime adventure or weekend escape, the trip curation experts at Mr Hudson make travel planning a breeze. Find out how we can handle the finer details of vacationing in style.