Review: Whitsundays Great Barrier Reef Day Trip
Top Oz Tours offers a great range of Whitsundays tours and experiences. You can book this tour here.
A shiver shoots up my spine as my feet touch the water for the first time.
Seconds from now I will take my first breath underwater as I scuba dive on Queensland’s famous Great Barrier Reef. It feels like my heart is beating out of my chest, and the oxygen tank on my back seems to weight a ton. I briefly envisage my helpless body sinking to the ocean floor. Perhaps I should have stuck to snorkelling on this Great Barrier Reef day trip from Airlie Beach and Hamilton Island in the stunning Whitsunday Islands. Before I take the plunge, let me take you back to where this adventure began!
Watch our video of top things to do in Airlie Beach and the Whitsundays:
Ten Great Things to Do in AIRLIE BEACH and the WHITSUNDAYS, Australia | Ultimate Travel Guide
Queensland’s Airlie Beach has long been a popular stop on the east coast backpacker trail, but today it’s a holiday hot spot for anyone wanting to experience the extraordinary beauty of the Whitsunday Islands and Great Barrier Reef. Think turquoise waters, amazing beaches, palm trees swaying in the breeze, and incredible snorkelling and diving.
We’re staying on Hamilton Island — the jewel in the crown of the Whitsundays, which are situated off the north Queensland coast. Flying into Hamilton is a magical experience; the Coral Sea is dotted with small islands — most edged by white sandy beaches. My partner and I sit in complete awe as we gaze out the aircraft window at the magnificent vista below.
Once we’ve checked in, it’s time to explore. The island is relatively small (it takes just 30 minutes to travel around the entire circumference in a golf buggy), but it’s packed with activities. You can ride go-karts and quad-bikes, play a variety of water sports, or enjoy a round of golf on Dent Island (a short 10-minute boat transfer away). However, the top choice for most visitors is to snorkel or dive on the Great Barrier Reef, and we decide to book the popular Outer Reef Day Trip with Cruise Whitsundays.
Having started its journey in Airlie Beach on the mainland, the sleek catamaran departs Hamilton Island at 9am for the journey out to Cruise Whitsunday’s permanently moored pontoon on the edge of Hardy Reef — known as ‘Reefworld’. There are around one hundred guests on board the three-level vessel, but it can accommodate up to three hundred passengers. We’re visiting the region in the off-season and I’m grateful for the extra breathing space!
We first hear of the option to scuba-dive on the reef for an additional fee from the crew over the loud speaker. Content with the complimentary snorkelling, diving is not something I’ve considered. However, when we learn that a licence is not required, my partner and I make a snap decision to give it a go. Straight away I feel a pang of anxiety, but there’s no turning back.
Fifty shades of blue surround the vessel as we tie up alongside the pontoon. I feel even more nervous as we disembark. Clutching my stinger suit, flippers and mask, I head to the diving area, where the staff help me suit up.
As I stand up for the first time, I am shocked at the weight of the oxygen tank. I waddle down the ten steps to the reef entry point where my instructor is waiting. She takes my hand. A mix of emotions engulfs me. Can I do this? Am I safe? I kneel down and breathe through my mouth piece as I enter the ocean. Wow! I CAN do it!
My partner is holding our instructor’s other hand. She grips both of us firmly and I begin to relax. In an almost dream-like state I simply surrender myself to the ocean. I have to, and I’ve never seen such beauty.
I reach out to touch a butterfly fish. There are hundreds of them! Schools of fish invade our personal space. The multi-coloured parrot fish and large groupers are the most magnificent creatures I have ever seen. A coral wall cascades down to the ocean floor about 15 metres below us. It looks like a busy underwater city.
Our guide doesn’t take us more than 10 metres below the surface and we’re never far from other divers. She is also in control of our BCD (buoyancy control device), so all we have to focus on is enjoying the experience. It’s amazing, although I have to admit that I thought the coral would be more vibrant and colourful. Sadly, coral bleaching has taken its toll. Nevertheless, the reef is enchanting.
Around mid-afternoon we begin the journey back to Hamilton Island, and I promise myself I’ll return one day to explore more of this exquisite world beneath the waves.
You can book this tour here. Browse our full range of Whitsundays tours and experiences here.
Cover image: Tourism and Events Queensland. Additional images: Bigstock
About the writer
Maxine Steinmetz was born and raised on the Gold Coast and now works as a radio journalist for Southern Cross Austereo on the Goldie. Maxine previously worked for Princess Cruise Lines, which took her far and wide — across Europe, North America, Asia and Australia. A true adventurer who loves to get off the beaten track, Maxine has also backpacked through Western Europe, and at the age of just 13, took the opportunity to study French as an exchange student in Tahiti. Wanderlust runs deep in her veins!
