The Great Barrier Reef is located not far off the coast of Queensland, Australia. Tourists flock to the reef year after year to experience the awesome wonder of the world's largest coral reef system. Some of the easiest access to it is from the small coastal city of Cairns.

CNN named the Reef as one of the Seven Wonders of the World.http://www.cnn.com/TRAVEL/DESTINATIONS/9711/natural.wonders/There is an estimated 1500 different species of fish, 350 different corals, 4000 species of molluscs, and 10,000 species of sponge living in the Great Barrier Reef. There are also a variety of sharks, dolphins, turtles and sightings of migrating whales.http://www.divingcairns.com.au/marinelife.html

Many of the islands along the Great Barrier Reef are resort islands. A few of the more popular ones are Fraser, Lady Elliot and the Whitsunday Islands. The Whitsunday's more visited islands are Hamilton and Hayman; each island is a resort in itself, providing lodging, dining, activities and entertainment to guests.

From the mainland, most of the time from Cairns, tourists can take charters and tours out to the coral reef system to scuba dive, snorkel and swim in the over 2,900 separate reefs the Great Barrier has to offer. The most popular activity is scuba diving though. The Great Barrier Reef welcomes divers with warm, calm waters and a variety of marine life for viewing.

Many companies offer diving and snorkeling day trips to the Reef. These trips focus on the Inter Reef Gardens, and places like Green Island, Michaelmas Cay, Fitzroy Island, and other reefs close to these places. Day trip boats usually depart the marina around 8.00am and return about 5.00pm. Trips can include morning and afternoon teas and a lunch as well as the needed equipment.http://www.divingcairns.com.au/daytrips.html

• • The Mahalo Guide To Great Barrier Reef Hotels
• Concierge.com: Great Barrier Reef Hotels
• Frommer's: Cairns, Whitsunday Coast & Islands and Fraser Island Hotels
• Fodor's: Great Barrier Reef Hotels
• Lonely Planet: Fraser Island Places to Sleep
• TripAdvisor: Great Barrier Reef Hotel Reviews
• Wikitravel: Whitsunday Islands Camping
• Tourism Whitsunday: Whitsunday Islands Accommodations

• • The Mahalo Guide To Great Barrier Reef Restaurants
• Concierge.com: Great Barrier Reef Restaurants & Dining Destinations
• Fodor's: Great Barrier Reef Restaurants
• TripAdvisor: Great Barrier Reef Restaurant Review
• Hamilton Island Holidays: Hamilton Island Resort Restaurants
• Hayman Great Barrier Reef: Hayman Island Resort Dining
• Tourism Whitsunday: Dining & Nightlife on the Whitsunday Islands