The Great Barrier Reef, off Australia's east coast, is one of the wonders of the natural world. It is World Heritage listed and is one of Australia's, and the world's, premier holiday destinations. The combination of glorious weather (be aware that it rains a lot in the wet season!), pristine rainforest, white sandy beaches, and an ocean varying in hue from blue to turquoise to green, ensures it's where the world wants to go to lie on the beach, swim, surf, snorkel, sail, bushwalk and birdwatch.

The area abounds with wildlife, including dugong and green turtles, varieties of dolphins and whales, more than 1500 species of fish, 4000 types of mollusc and more than 200 species of birdlife. The Great Barrier Reef system consists of more than 3000 reefs which range in size from 1 hectare to over 10,000 hectares in area. The reef is scattered with beautiful islands and idyllic coral cays and covers more than 300,000 square kilometres.

The coral has, over the years, brought many ships to grief - Cook's own Endeavour hit the reef and almost foundered - if it had, and Cook and his crew had perished, Australian history would be quite a different story. One of the most famous wrecks is that of the HMS Pandora, which foundered in 1791. The Queensland Museum has been leading archaeological digs to the Pandora since 1983 and its most recent was completed in February 1999.

There are many different types of coral, some are slow growing and live to be hundreds of years old, others are faster growing. The colours of coral are created by algae. Only live coral is coloured. Dead coral is white.

The Great Barrier Reef is one of the world's great natural wonders. You can visit it on a day trip, sail around it, camp on a coral cay or check into one of the many resorts.

The Reef, however, doesn't just sit off the coast, you have to make an effort to get there. Although I've intended to dive on the reef, ot around to it. One of the drawbacks of diving is that you have a limited time to explore. There's so much accessible wonder on the reef, snorkelling allows you to see a lot more for a lot longer. For those who don't want to get wet, you can see it from underwater viewing platforms, glass-bottom boats and semi-submersibles. The following is a thumbnail guide to a number of the islands.

The Southern Reef Islands - Offshore from Bundaberg to Rockhampton

Lady Elliot Island is a small coral cay that has significant bird rookeries and turtle nesting. There’s a low-key resort (budget to deluxe) offering a casual atmosphere to accommodation. The best part is you are actually staying on the reef, so there are no boat rides to get there. Step off the beach and snorkel, swim or scuba dive in the worlds richest marine eco system.

Lady Montague also has turtles, prolific bird life and a navigable lagoon. Camping only (permit required).

The whole of Heron Island is a national park. Again turtles come ashore to lay eggs from December to March and hatching happens from February to May. The reef experience is exclusively for guests with the emphasis is on exploring and discovering the natural attractions. On Heron, meals are included in the tariff and there’s a range of resort accommodation to suit different budgets. Excellent diving and snorkelling and children are welcome.

North West Island is the second largest cay and is for camping only. It's a breeding site for common noddy and wedge-tailed shearwaters and turtles also come ashore.

Great Keppel has 30km of white, sandy beaches and a variety of accommodation from tents & cabins to a resort. Contiki Resorts cater for the 18-35 year olds ?an attraction or deterrent, depending on your holiday wish list. Nearly half the guests are singles and Contiki will arrange (same sex) room shares.

Brampton Island has a national park and wildlife sanctuary with beautiful beaches, bushwalking (there's a koala colony) and a snorkelling trail with an underwater map. There's resort style accommodation to suit all tastes with the A to Z of activities and facilities. After a refurbish that includes a new cocktail pool, Brampton is now targeting honeymooners. Children are okay but there are no organised activities.

Lindeman is home to Club Med so there's golf and organised activities. There are secluded beaches with great bird and butterfly watching. The resort has 3 restaurants, 3 bars and 218 comfortable rooms, most have a terrace offering ocean views. Children are welcome from age two at the Petit and Mini Club Med (no crache though) and the island is ideal for families with teenagers.

Daydream is a small volcanic rock and coral island with dense foliage and a luxury resort that caters for couples and families. Owned by Novotel, the resort recently undertook a 40 million dollar refurbishment and has excellent facilities including a kids club, health spa and film screen at the water's edge.

The uninhabited Whitsunday Islands offer bush and beach walking and camping only. A day trip to Whitehaven Beach is popular with yachties and day-trippers (from Airlie Beach or Hamilton/Hayman islands) simply because it's arguably the world's best beach. The softest, whitest sand, stunning scenery and the fact that it is a bit inaccessible make it a wonderful experience.

Orpheus is a small island surrounded by coral reefs offering 4.5 star, mostly beachfront, resort accommodation. No children here ?it's a romantic island with secluded beaches and a maximum of 66 guests at any one time. Award winning chefs specialise in fresh seafood daily and all meals are included in the tariff. For a romantic evening, Dine with the Tides under the stars on the wooden jetty The island appeals to honeymooners and international travellers and the fact that 40% of guests are having their second or third holiday there speaks volumes.

Australia Travel