Great Barrier Reef Archives

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20 interesting facts about the Great Barrier Reef

23rd June 202214th July 2018 by Atlas & Boots

We share the most interesting facts about the Great Barrier Reef gathered on our week-long visit

We’ve all seen pictures of the Great Barrier Reef: a pearl-string of reefs and lagoons boasting every imaginable shade of blue. This natural wonder in Australia teems with life.

Marine animals here vary from microscopic plankton to whales weighing 100 tonnes. It is a riot of colour, a carnival of life. Clownfish of bursting orange curl next to fish of luminous blue. It is a true spectacle – but what exactly is the Great Barrier Reef? Is it really bigger than Italy and can it really be seen from space?

Exploring Cooktown, Captain Cook’s historic landing site

6th May 202011th July 2018 by Peter

We visit Cooktown in the far north of Queensland where Captain James Cook beached his crippled ship and helped found a giant country

If you’ve seen a map of Australia, you’ve seen the huge, remote Cape York Peninsula, an area bigger than the UK, but with a population of just 18,000. Home to Australia’s northernmost point, Cape York Peninsula points upwards towards the Torres Strait and New Guinea in the northeastern corner of the continent-sized island of Australia.

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8 of the best dive sites in the Great Barrier Reef

9th April 20207th July 2018 by Peter

We spent seven days diving in the world’s largest reef system – and loved every minute. Below we share some of the best dive sites in the Great Barrier Reef

As travel bloggers, we are at times guilty of hyperbole. When it comes to diving in the Great Barrier Reef, however, there is no overstating. The coral reef here is simply magnificent.

We spent seven days aboard the 35m catamaran Coral Expeditions II, a small ship that accommodates a maximum of 44 passengers (our trip had 22).

Diving Steve’s Bommie in the Great Barrier Reef

24th January 20234th July 2018 by Kia

A first-hand report of diving Steve’s Bommie in the Great Barrier Reef including information on when to go, how to get there and what to expect

It started with a whisper, as if he were revealing a state secret or the coordinates of Atlantis. His shoulders eased into the buttery leather of his seat, his stance loose and casual, as if this were any other drink on any other evening of our small-ship expedition across the Great Barrier Reef. His tone, however, betrayed something different: a low and certain intensity, alerting us to the fact that this dive would be like no other.

He would need special dispensation from the captain, said Colin, our dive instructor on the expedition. We’d have to leave early and take the dinghy and be back before breakfast. Nothing was guaranteed, but he’d talk to the captain and we’d wait and see.

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How travellers can help protect the Great Barrier Reef

21st December 202030th June 2018 by Peter

Our tips on how you can help protect the Great Barrier Reef, the largest living structure on the planet

The Great Barrier Reef in Australia is a natural treasure and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is the largest reef system on the planet and comprises 900 islands, 2,900 reefs with 400 types of coral, 1,500 species of fish and 4,000 types of mollusc! It is also under threat.