Australian Offshore & The Great Barrier Reef

Located at the point where two UNESCO World Heritage sites – the Wet Tropics of Queensland and the Great Barrier Reef – gently curve to the shoreline, Cairns is graced with inspiring natural attractions in all directions. Active discovery is enjoyed with kite surfing, swimming, snorkeling and Zodiac excursions; beyond the coast are mountains, rainforests, eucalyptus, waterfalls, lakes, rugged ravines and farmlands fed by freshwater streams.

Regarded as a sacred place by the Dingaal Aboriginal people, pristine Lizard Island is nestled on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Queensland. The granite island, graced with powdery white beaches and fringing reefs, is perfect for hiking, swimming and snorkeling. Within its grasslands, acacia woodlands and mangroves can be found its most famous resident, the yellow-spotted monitor. Its waters are a kaleidoscope of marine life, including coral gardens of colorful tropical fish and giant clams.

Aptly named, this “ribbon” of ten individual coral reefs is strung along the continental shelf, constituting approximately 125 miles of the Great Barrier Reef. Within its warm, gentle currents are fluorescent shades of life, blanketed by turquoise waters and forming some of the best diving locales in the world. Caves, coves, canyons and curious creatures from the docile potato cod to the flame-red scorpion fish await underwater explorers and recreational snorkelers in this isolated haven.

Headland with rocky outcrops, sand dunes, Hinchinbrook NP. Dense mangrove communities along shoreline, 31 species of mangrove, extensive offshore beds of sea grass, perfect food for Dugongs (manatee-like). Islands interior sport cloud mountains supporting fragile heath vegetation, rainforest and eucalypt forest. Birds: Beach-stone Curlew.

Part of a submerged coastal mountain, Magnetic Island sits off the coast of northeastern Queensland, Australia, in Halifax Bay, an inlet of the Coral Sea. It was originally named Magnetical by British navigator James Cook, who believed the compass on his ship was affected by the island. Home to beautiful beaches and a spectacular national park, this mountainous island of rocky granite headlands and towering pines features an abundance of wildlife, including koalas, rock wallabies and brushtail possums.

Palm-fringed, powdery beaches, forested hills and the crystal-clear waters of the Coral Sea are the hallmarks of the Percy Isles, nestled within Australia’s Northumberland Islands off the tropical coast of Queensland. The largest of the three islands in the group, Middle Island, is a national park boasting nearly 600 species of flora and fauna. A quirky A-frame hut on one of the beaches houses memorabilia from yachts that have visited. The serene island is perfect for beach strolls and water sports.

Set within Australia’s Capricornia Cays National Park, Lady Musgrave is a 35-acre coral cay on the Great Barrier Reef. Sitting at the southern tip of a large protected blue lagoon, this jewel of an island is a hot spot for reef walking, snorkeling, diving, and bird watching. Underwater spectacles include schools of pelagic fish, sea snakes, manta rays, and reef sharks. Its forested landscape attracts a host of seabirds, including white-capped noddy terns. Equally impressive is the nearby Lady Elliot Island, a key habitat for green and loggerhead sea turtles.

The UNESCO World Heritage-listed Fraser Island faces sparkling Hervey Bay, a whale watcher’s paradise of sheltered waters that often serve as a calf nursery for humpback whales. Fraser Island itself is home to stunning tropical rainforests, lakes and beaches where nature lovers can marvel at the incredible array of wildlife, including dingoes, wallabies, sugar gliders, sand monitors, and over 350 species of birds.

Sydney belongs to the exclusive club of cities that generate excitement. At the end of a marathon flight there's renewed vitality in the cabin as the plane circles the city, where thousands of yachts are suspended on the dark water and the sails of the Opera House glisten in the distance. Blessed with dazzling beaches and a sunny climate, Sydney is among the most beautiful cities on the planet.With 4.6 million people, Sydney is the biggest and most cosmopolitan city in Australia. A wave of immigration from the 1950s has seen the Anglo-Irish immigrants who made up the city's original population joined by Italians, Greeks, Turks, Lebanese, Chinese, Vietnamese, Thais, and Indonesians. This intermingling has created a cultural vibrancy and energy—and a culinary repertoire—that was missing only a generation ago.Sydneysiders embrace their harbor with a passion. Indented with numerous bays and beaches, Sydney Harbour is the presiding icon for the city, and urban Australia. Captain Arthur Phillip, commander of the 11-ship First Fleet, wrote in his diary when he first set eyes on the harbor on January 26, 1788: "We had the satisfaction of finding the finest harbor in the world."Although a visit to Sydney is an essential part of an Australian experience, the city is no more representative of Australia than Los Angeles is of the United States. Sydney has joined the ranks of the great cities whose characters are essentially international. What Sydney offers is style, sophistication, and great looks—an exhilarating prelude to the continent at its back door.