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The area to the east of Queensland was
flooded at the end of the last Ice Age, creating ideal conditions for a coral
reef.
Coral reefs are among the oldest and most
primitive forms of life, dating back at least 500 million years. Getting
there:
You can either drive
from Brisbane or take a coach bus or fly. Major domestic and international
airports are found in Cairns, Gladstone, Mackay, Rockhampton and Brisbane.
Over a dozen islands also have small airfields. Major
centres for visitors to the reef are Cairns, Airlie Beach, Cardwell, Port
Douglas and Cooktown.
You find less tourists north of Port Douglas and Cooktown but also fewer or no
facilities.
| When
to go: |
| Generally speaking the best time to visit the barrier
reef, particularly up far-North, is April to October, as during summer the waters are home to
stingers and cyclones and wet weather. Not all areas are however
affected and local knowledge should be sought when deciding destination. |
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Reef
Hazards
|
 Sharks,
Rays, Box Jelly Fish and other nasty creatures can sometimes be
a real problem. Click Here to read more. |
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Coral
Cays |
| A
coral cay is an island composed entirely of debris from the
reef. While coral below the water surface is continually
growing, dead coral is ground by wave and wind action onto the
leeside of the reef, eventually building up above the high tide
mark as a sand bank that constantly shifts with wind and water
action. As the cay enlarges and becomes more stable, birds begin
nesting on its apex. Seeds are brought to the island by nesting
birds. Guano helps the seeds germinate and, on some cays up to
30 species of plants thrive. Although cays become more stable as
guano cements reef debris and vegetation takes hold, they are
always changing shape. Of the Great Barrier Reef's 300 coral
cays, 69 are vegetated.
Although the continental
islands have fringing reefs, it's around the cays that diving
and snorkelling are superior. Just three resort islands are
cays--Lady Elliot, Heron, and Green--the rest are continental
islands.
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The
great barrier reef is the largest coral reef in the world.
It stretches more then 2000 km from north of Cape York all the way
down to Bundaberg.
The reef is the largest complex of coral
reefs and islands in the world. The region actually doesn't consist of
just one long reef but more than 2100 individual reefs. There are some 300 reef shingle islands
and coral cays; about 100 of them permanently vegetated. There are also about
600 continental or high islands often with fringing reefs around their
margins.
 The Reef is home to an astonishing
diversity and abundance of life forms. There are around 400 different
types of hard and soft corals, about 400 molluscs (clams, snails and
their kin), and countless thousands of different sponges, worms,
crustaceans (crabs, shrimps and their relatives), echinoderms (starfish,
sea urchins, sea cucumbers and their relatives) and other less familiar
creatures. This immense variety of invertebrate life forms provides a
backdrop to some 1,500 species of fish of all descriptions. The Reef is
also a breeding ground for a number of rare and endangered animal
species. Humpback whales come from the Antarctic to give birth to their
young in Reef waters. Six of the world's seven species of turtles breed
on the Reef, and dugong make their home among the sheltered seagrass
beds.
The Great Barrier Reef is truly one of the
world’s greatest natural wonders. A stunning wonderland of bright
corals, exotic marine life and dotted with idyllic tropical islands.
Whatever your budget or the activities you want to enjoy - diving,
snorkelling, hiking or just lying on the beach.
Explore the submerged mountaintops of the Coral Sea reeds, witness
humpback and minke whale migrations, see car-size cod. Excellent
visibility shallow waters and a thriving dive industry mean world-class
and accessible diving and snorkelling for any level of expertise.
The actual reef doesn't come in contact
with the mainland; it comes very close near the northern tip of Cape
York and is as far from the coast as 200 km off Mackay. While in the
south the outer reef is almost continuous and narrow, in the north it is
broken and up to 80 km wide.
Ironically, many visitors don't see the
actual barrier reef (often called the outer reef), but instead
limit their travels to the resort islands between the reef and the
mainland. These islands are continental in origin, having been
isolated from the mainland when the sea level rose at the end of the
last ice age. Along the outer reef are more than 300 coral
cays, low islands of coral debris that have built up on the
barrier reef itself. Of the great variety of reef types found off
Queensland's coast, three are very distinctive: fringing reefs
develop around continental islands, ribbon reefs are narrow
strips on the edge of the Continental Shelf, and platform reefs
grow on the shelf as oval-shaped lagoons. As well as these common reefs,
there's an array of other types, each a different shape due to wave
action, currents, and wind.
The reef's allure is undeniable. It's
Australia's most popular holiday destination, with resorts on more than
20 islands, and towns such as Airlie Beach exist only to serve
reef-bound travellers. But this popularity is also the reef's biggest
enemy. The entire reef ecosystem is a delicate balance of nature that
has evolved over thousands of years. Its importance is recognized by
UNESCO, who has listed the entire reef as a World Heritage Area. Other
large parts of the reef are protected by the Great Barrier Reef Marine
Park.
| WHAT
IS A CORAL REEF? |
WHO
LIVES HERE? |
| A
coral is a tiny marine polyp. It is the
living part of the coral reef. There are many different kinds of
corals. These are what gives the coral reef its colourful
appearance. Corals feed mostly on plankton. Coral grows in warm
climates where there is clear salt water and sunlight. They
don't like pollution.
A coral reef
is a natural barrier made of the bodies of living and dead
coral. It is normally just below the surface of the water.
It is made of two parts the:
- white part is made from the
bodies of zillions and zillions of polyps which have died
over hundreds and thousands of years.
- colourful part is the living
part of the coral reef. It is made up of living polyps.
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- 1500 species
of fish
- 400
different types of coral
- 4,00
molluscs (like clams and the sea slug)
- 500 species
of seaweed
- 215 species
of birds
- 16 species
of sea snake
- 6 species of
sea turtle
- Whales visit
during winter
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HOW
DO PEOPLE DAMAGE THE REEF?
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Carelessness
- Walking on them.
- Dropping anchors on them.
- Dragging diving gear over them.
- Breaking them and taking them home as souvenirs.
- Knocking and grounding boats on them
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Pollution
- Sewerage
- Oil spills
- Fertilisers
- Pesticides
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Fishing
- Over fishing
- Explosives
- Poison
- Drag Nets
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Quick
facts: |
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The Great Barrier Reef
extends over 2000 km along the Queensland coast from Gladstone in the
south to Cape York in the north.
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More than 2900 individual
reefs and 71 coral islands.
Islands and reefs are
typically in remote locations. Access is via resort stays, day trips
with tour operators or self-sail rentals.
Currently 23 resorts. Several
are built on coral islands and many have their own fringing reef.
Resort
accommodation ranges
from backpacker budget through to exclusive luxury.
All resorts offer a year round
season.
Jumping off points for the
islands are all serviced by road, rail and air.
Most resorts offer shuttle
services between the resort and the nearest mainland town.
Resort activities vary
according to the locale and style of each resort.
Typical activities are
swimming, snorkelling, scuba diving, coral viewing, reef walking,
sailing, yacht charter, jet skiing, parasailing, sailboarding, kayaking,
catamarans, canoes, big game fishing and whale watching.
Reef is home to spectacular
marine life and bird populations. National parks are common on the
islands and park rules apply.
Learn to dive classes are
available in most centres and resorts.
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