Over the past several months, we have covered more than 20 of the top national parks in the state of Queensland. Then we spent the last couple months recapping the blog posts on the National Parks of Queensland in a 5 part series. This last recap covers the undisputed most well-known landmark in Australia is the Great Barrier Reef. However, not many people realize that it is also a national park of Queensland. It has been in the news as of late and also a controversy about whether or not The Great Barrier Reef should still keep its protected status and World Heritage Listing. In this blog post, we will recap our previous blog posts highlighting how diverse, precious, and amazing the Great Barrier Reef is.
Boating over the Great Barrier Reef Photo Credit: great-barrier-reef.com
Our 5 previous Queensland National Park Recaps included:
A recap of 4 of Queensland’s National Parks in Part One: Boodjamula National Park, Bunya Mountain National Park, Carnarvon National Park, and Girringun National Park.
Then, in part two on the National Parks of Queensland, we featured Great Sandy National Park, Lamington National Park, Springbrook National Park, and Whitsunday Islands National Park.
Our 3rd recap of Queensland’s National Parks included Main Range National Park, and then 3 national parks in Channel Country: Currawinya National Park, Diamantina National Park, and Munga-Thirri National Park.
National Parks of Queensland Part Four gave you a review of Barron Gorge National Park, Kutini – Payamu National Park, Wooroonooran National Park, Hinchinbrook National Park, and Bowling Green Bay National Park.
In Part 5 of our Queensland National Parks series, we highlighted Noosa National Park, Glass House Mountains National Park, Kondalilla National Park, and Mapleton Falls National Park.
And now, this post is all about the mack-daddy of all of Australia’s national parks: Great Barrier Reef National Park.
Great Barrier Reef National Park
Great Barrier Reef Map Photo Credit: Google Maps
Great Barrier Reef Aerial View Photo Credit: Wikipedia
The last national park on our list is the biggest one and probably the most famous. The Great Barrier Reef is a protected national park that encompasses a great deal of ocean, reef, and islands. Instead of a national park title, it is called Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. Here are some statistics about this amazing destination:
The Great Barrier Reef is the largest coral reef ecosystem on Earth.
It represents about 10% of all the world’s coral reefs.
The Great Barrier Reef is one of the seven natural wonders of the world.
The reef and surrounding waters of the Coral Sea support a huge diversity of marine plants and animals, such as sea turtles, reef fish, sharks, hard and soft corals, and migrating whales.
The reef stretches 2,300 kilometres along the Queensland coast and includes over 2,900 reefs, and around 940 islands and cays.
It supports a $6 billion tourism industry, recreational and commercial fishing and represents a unique way of life for coastal communities along the Reef coast.
Top 5 Port Cities of the Great Barrier Reef
Last year, we featured Great Barrier Reef 5 Top Port Cities and Things to Do on the Great Barrier Reef. There are quite a few cities along Queensland, Australia’s eastern coast that are the mainland destinations for visitors planning on taking excursions out to the reef and its islands including Cairns, Port Douglas, Townsville, Mackay, and Rockhampton.
Port Douglas
Port Douglas Car Hire Map Photo Credit: Budget.com.au
Port Douglas is the northernmost large port city on the Great Barrier Reef. Port Douglas is on the far north side of the Great Barrier Reef known as the Far North of Queensland. Hiring a car in Port Douglas is a great idea because it means you will be able to tour around the city and surround including the nearby Daintree Rainforest. The Daintree Rainforest is the oldest and largest continuous rainforest in the world; it is an experience that you should not miss if you are near in northern Queensland. Port Douglas’ Four Mile Beach is a popular beach resort area for beach fun, boating, surfing, and fishing. There are also tours available where you can learn about the aboriginal culture and history of the region. While on land, you can also tour around Barron Gorge National Park or Kutini – Payamu National Park or take the road trip known as the Trip to the Tip or The Savannah Way.
Cairns
Cairns Car Hire Map Photo Credit: Budget.com.au
The city of Cairns is adjacent to the north end of the Great Barrier Reef. It is also a good city to stay in for those traveling to the far north of Queensland. There are two car hire locations in Cairns. If you fly into the Cairns Airport, you can rent a car there. Cairns City also has a car rental location. Even though you would not be driving to locations on the Great Barrier Reef, it is a great idea to have your own car and the freedom to get around Cairns and the things to see and do in and around the mainland. You will want to have a car to get around and see all of the different sights in the city and the rainforests and national parks that are nearby. The Cairns City Esplanade is on the northern side of the city. On this quieter 2.5 km stretch of city, you will find the swimming lagoon, waterfront boardwalk, picnicking and barbeque spots, and a children’s water park. The southern side of the city is the main hub where The Pier complex is located with restaurants and shopping, more swimming lagoons, Reef Fleet Terminal, and the marina. Here are some other things to do near Cairns:
Things to Do in Cairns
Day Trip from Cairns
Wooroonooran National Park
Hinchinbrook Island National Park
Gorgeous Waterfalls of Girringun National Park
Townsville
Townsville Car Rental Map Photo Credit: Budget.com.au
Townsville is located along the central section of the Great Barrier Reef and is one of the more metropolitan cities on the coast of Queensland. Even though Townsville is an urban environment, there is still plenty of beach and reef fun in the sun to be had. You can hire a car in Townsville and that will give you the mobility to see and do things around the city and drive to port excursions. Some of the top things to do in Townsville and surrounds include visiting the Reef HQ Aquarium, the Billabong Sanctuary, and the Museum of Tropical Queensland. Nearby is Castle Hill, which is a pink granite monolith that is a popular hiking destination. Here are a few more holiday ideas to read about near Townsville:
Witness the Diverse Habitats and and Landscapes of Bowling Green Bay National Park
How Attracted Will You Be to Magnetic Island?
Explore the Remote Outback in Boodjamulla National Park
Mackay
Mackay Car Hire Map Photo Credit: Budget.com.au
Moving further south in Queensland, Mackay is located near the southern section of the Great Barrier Reef. It is the port city near The Whitsunday Islands and many other gorgeous locations on the reef. The city is known for its sugar production. There are two car hire locations in Mackay; you can hire a car in the Mackay city location or at the Mackay airport car rental location. Some of the must see places near Mackay include Hillsborough National Park and the Eungella National Park in the Pioneer Valley; it is the best place in the world to see the platypus.Read more about The Whitsunday Islands and Mackay.
Rockhampton
Rockhampton Car Hire Map Photo Credit: Budget.com.au
Rockhampton is the southernmost port city to the Great Barrier Reef. There are two car hire locations in Rockhampton; you can hire a car in Rockhampton City or visit the car rental location at the Rockhampton Airport. Also close by is the Yeppoon, where you can hire a car in the coastal city of Yeppoon. Rockhampton gives you close access to beautiful spots in the Great Barrier Reef such as Keppel Bay Islands National Park, Curtis Island National Park, and popular dive spots. On the mainland, you can visit Mount Archer National Park, Capricorn Caves, the Fitzroy River, plus great Aboriginal culture tours among many other exciting adventures.
Great Barrier Reef Excursions
Snorkelling the Great Barrier Reef Photo Credit: HeronIsland.com
Catamaran on the Great Barrier Reef Photo Credit: ReefCounter.com.au
Heron Island Resort Photo Credit: HeronIsland.com
SCUBA Diving the Great Barrier Reef Photo Credit: ReefCounter.com.au
In our blog post on Great Barrier Reef Excursions, we told you all about the different types of things you can do while vacationing on the Great Barrier Reef. There is so much outdoor adventures to be had, the possibilities are endless, but we still tried to best list them:
Snorkelling
SCUBA Diving
Glass Bottom Boat Rides
Luxury Live Aboard Holidays
Stay on a Great Barrier Reef Island
Partake in Beach Sports
Sit Back and Relax
Great Barrier Reef Island Getaways
Orpheus Island Coral Sea Infinity Pool Photo Credit: Orpheus.com.au
Haggerstone Island Layout Photo Credit: HaggerstoneIsland.com
Brampton Island Photo Credit: GreatBarrierReef.org
Great Keppel Island Beach Photo Credit: Wikipedia
We featured some of the many islands of the Great Barrier Reef in our blog post Great Barrier Reef Island Getaways. Not many people are aware that you can actually stay in the Great Barrier Reef on one of the islands. There are resorts and different types of accommodations on quite a few islands. They make for the best holiday where you can get away from it all and forget all the worries and the hustle and bustle of city life. The islands we features in our post include Orpheus Island near Townsville, Haggerstone Island near Cairns, Brampton Island near Mackay, and Great Keppel Island near Rockhampton.
Family Friendly Great Barrier Reef
Swimming with Sea Turtle Photo Credit: CairnsAttractions.com.au
Island Beach Fun Photo Credit: CairnsAttractions.com.au
Beach Snorkelling Photo Credit: CairnsAttractions.com.au
Glass Bottom Boat Ride Photo Credit: CairnsAttractions.com.au
Many families come to vacation on the reef each year. You may not immediately think of it as a family destination, but it certainly can be. We ran a two part series on the Great Barrier Reef with Kids and Great Barrier Reef with Kids Part Two. There are plenty of things for families to do together when visiting the Great Barrier Reef. Visit the islands, play on the beaches, snorkel on the beaches, go boating, and get a close up view of what it’s like to swim in the reef without swimming or getting wet in a glass bottom boat ride.