Queensland / great barrier reef with family

[robcap]

Hi all,
sorry if there are similar posts but I have not been to the forum for a while and I fail finding the "search in a particular forum" function ....

SO

Going somewhere warm in mid June (from Melbourne) for 8 days. Never been to the great barrier reef (despite 4 years in the country), so that's a possibility.
Travelling with wife (former diver now, just a little bit more than a snorkeler
and 2 yo baby (still to young ... 6 more years and she'll do the bubble maker :bubblefish

I need a baby friendly place, with good diving. Is that asking too much?
Nice beach and possibly nice house reef.
possibly not big resorts or that kind of stuff.

I cannot afford been on a boat all day as the rest of the family would claim daddy back, so 3 hours trip to get to a dive site is out of the question.

thanks

PS I'll post something similar in the Pacific Island forum to get your feelings about Vanuatu.

 

[bracko]

Port Doglas would be probably the better place to stay, it's much more family friendly, less backpackers and more laid back. most people I know who have been to PD have stayed in serviced apartments.

there are day boats out from there. I've not dived out of PD but many people here have, I believe the quicksilver boat is highly regarded.

most of the boats (all?) are pretty much all day events, 8-4pm but that's 3 dives so potentially you could only dive every second day to balance the family committments.

an "option" is Green island which is off Cairns by a 40odd minute boat trip. I haven't been there, but i am lead to believe it's not what you'd call serious reef diving, shallow, not much coral and not much life (in comparison).

 

[Aquapro Dive Services]

Port Douglas is much quieter then Cairns and has nice beaches in the town (Cairns beaches are 10 mins drive north), so if you are looking for beach front accomodation then Port would be the better bet.

As Bracko says Quicksilver have large (up to 250 people but rarely that many) boats traveling to Agincourt Reef (very nice diving!) and moor up next to a pontoon so the family can walk around and go on glass bottom boats, underwater observatory etc.

Cairns has more options for diving but probably more for the dedicated diver / snorkeller. If you decide to go to Cairns, then there are similar operators (Great Adventures ) to Quicksilver but I would probably go Reef Magic as it is a smaller boat then the huge Great Adventures ones and also goes to a pontoon with underwater observatory, glass bottom boats etc and is very geared up for families. Cairns Day Diving Trips With Reef Magic To Marine World On The Great Barrier Reef

Green Isnas is beautiful and Great Adventures run there 3 times a day (1 hour trip) and there is a crocodle farm, nice beach, food outlets etc, but the diving is rubbish. Its off small tenders that run 3 times a sday and go to the fringing reef around the island and is OK for novice divers but is about 10m average depth and poor viz. For certified divers it is not really a great choice.

Personally I would look at the pontoon options out of Port (Quicksilver) or Cairns (Reef Magic or Great Adventures).

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

 

[Air One]

No...bad idea...can't remove the post

 

[MA]

Heron Island?

 

[thanksforallthefish]

Lady Elliot Island has some good dives ... only 20 mins by boat to the furthest, unfortunately no house reef and all dives are by boat.
It does have great snorkelling and is family friendly


Vanuatu ... dived there in 92, did not think the diving in Villa was very good, but the Coolidge was.

Most of the dives we did in Vanuatu were wreck dives, there were only a few reef dives and the only one of those i considered good was Black Sands Cave??

as i said that was 19 years ago, so things could be quite different now

 

[Ghanguss]

Dunk Island is close to Cairns

 

[Air One]

Dunk Island is close to Cairns

This island was on Yasi's way. I guess that the damages could have been important.
My bad idea was Orpheus island but it's quite expensive and I'm not sure that it's a baby friendly place.

 

[dancollyer]

The Cod Hole is situated north past Cooktown and almost opposite Lizard Island, I know there is some great diving there from experience. The Cod Hole is a reef that got its name from the large potato cods that frequent it. Port Douglas is ok but be prepared to open your wallet, although with the downturn in tourism in the region you may find a good deal up that way!

 

[Aquapro Dive Services]

Lizard Island has a no kids policy, so no good for families. Pretty sure Orpheus is same.
Dunk is very family orientaited and should have fihished its cyclone rennovations by time you want to travel.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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