Great Barrier Reef with Family

[alam555]

Hello again,
I will travelling with family to the Cairns for 6 days in August. First time to australia and probably the last as my wife and I never go back.

Wife and kids don't dive but snorkel. We have three kids, 9, 5, 1. I love to dive and haul my gear all over the world.

I want to make sure I really enjoy the reef but need advice as to where to stay and spend the most time. I am considering staying in Cairns and taking some daily charter to the reef for the dive.

Question: Where should I stay? Is Cairns the best place to stay with family and enjoy the reef. We don't care much for the city attractions. Is an Island lodging practical? which one?

thank you for all the great feedback as always

 

[Cnz Diver]

Hi Alam555,

If you do not want to stay in the city perhaps look at staying at Palm Cove, Palm Cove is about half way between Cairns and Port Douglas, this way you could possibly take a day trip from each location.

 

[Aquapro Dive Services]

There is plenty to do for a family in Cairns and there are playgrounds and the lagoon which are water based parks for young kids, as well as plenty of tours available.

Accommodation varies and there are apartments (self catering) as well as family rooms in most of the hotels.

Island accommodation can be expensive and there is not so much out of Cairns itself. Green Island is the only real island accommodation here and it is very expensive and not really geared up for children. Fitzroy used to be more family orientated but not sure if it is running yet.

As for diving the best bet would be to look at ref trips that have the pontoon fixed at the dive site so the family can walk around and would have activities like an underwater observatory and snorkelling in contained environments with life guards availably. Makes it easy with a 5 year old and a baby.

Best one would be Reef Magic Cairns Day Diving Trips With Reef Magic To Marine World On The Great Barrier Reef

There are others like Great Adventures but these are more expensive and lean towards the Asian markets.


Cairns Discount Dive And Snorkel Trips. Live Aboard And Day Trips To The Great Barrier Reef

 

[ScottFromUtah]

I am going to Cairns in January 2012. I'll be there only one day with my wife. She is a non-swimmer, so she will probably just wait on the boat.

How deep are the typical Great Barrier Reef dives? If some people snorkel while others scuba dive, it can't be that deep, can it?

 

[Aquapro Dive Services]

Dive sites vary and depends who you go with. Most sites are about 15m on average as they have to be less than 12m for intro divers, and shallow enough so snorkelers can see something. There are still good shallows for snorkelrs though.
Some operators have deeper sites out back of the moorings or get to sites by tender. Average 18m.

Like I said above, if your wife is a non swimmer she would be better looking at Reef Magic that I linked to above. They have a stable pontoon, glass bottom boats and semi subs (sit below the wter line and look out the windows) and also an underwater observatory. She can still see underwater and all the GBR without getting wet. Better than sitting bored on a boat just for divers and snorkelers!

 

[Going Down....]

Hi Alam,

Consider coming up to Port Douglas. It is 70km north of Cairns, and is fantastic for the whole family (especially if you want to get away from the city). It's full of cafe's and restaurants, close to the rainforest, and is actually the closest point to the Great Barrier Reef. Many operators leave from Port Douglas to head out to the reef. I am a scuba diving instructor as well as a manager of a hotel in the area, so can help you out with both diving and snorkelling advice (non biast as I don't run either), plus can help you with accommodation for the family. Drop me a line if you want more info: info@driftwood-mantaray.com.au

Cheers