Frommer's Australia from $50 a Day 13th Edition - To Parent Directory

256
CHAPTER 6 . QUEENSLAND & THE GREAT BARRIER REEF
Papua New Guinea; it’s home to over a thousand species of fish, hundreds of
varieties of corals, thousands of kinds of shellfish, and uncountable sponges,
worms, starfish, and sea urchins; in short, the Great Barrier Reef is the Eighth
Wonder of the World. The Great Barrier Reef is a World Heritage Site and is the
biggest Marine Park in the world.
INTRODUCING THE GREAT BARRIER REEF
The Reef is not a plant, but a conglomeration of tiny animals called coral polyps.
They coat themselves in limestone to keep safe, and as they die, the limestone
bodies cement into a reef on which more living coral grows. And so it goes, the
endless building of a megametropolis of coral polyp skyscrapers just under the
surface of the water.
You will see three kinds of reef on the Great Barrier Reef—fringing, ribbon,
and platform. Fringe reef is the stuff just off the shore of islands and along the
mainland. Ribbon reefs create “streamers” of thin long reef along the outer edge
of the Reef, and are found north of Cairns. Platform, or patch reefs, are splotches
of coral emerging from the continental shelf along the Queensland coast. Platform
reefs are the most common, and what most people think of when they refer
to the Great Barrier Reef. Island resorts in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park
are either “continental,” meaning they are essentially part of the Australian landmass,
or “cays,” crushed dead coral and sand amassed over time by water action.
Dazzling coral and fish life surround cays. Continental islands may have terrific
coral, some coral, or none at all.
Along with dazzling fish, the Reef is home to large numbers of green and loggerhead
turtles, one of the biggest dugong (manatee) populations in the world,
sharks, giant manta rays, and sea snakes. In winter (July–Sept) humpback whales
gather in the warm waters around the Hervey Bay and the Whitsunday islands
to calve.
You can snorkel, dive, fish (recreational fishing is permitted in most zones of
the Reef), or fly over the Reef. The “Outer Reef,” the network of platform and
ribbon reefs that lies an average of
Reef Tax
Every passenger over 4 years old
must pay a A$5.50 (US$3.60)
Environmental Management
Charge (EMC), commonly called
“reef tax,” on every visit to the
Great Barrier Reef. This money
goes towards the management
and conservation of the Reef.
Your tour operator collects it
when you pay for your trip.
65km (41 miles) off the coast (about 1
hr. to 90 min. by boat from the mainland)
is what most people are referring
to when they talk about the Great Barrier
Reef. You should get out and see
that, but there is plenty of fringing reef
to explore around the islands closer to
the mainland.
Learning about the Reef before you
get there will enhance your visit. Reef
Teach (& 07/4031 7794) is an
evening slide show and talk by Paddy
Colwell, a marine biologist and diver.
He shares much valuable information and history about the Reef: how it was
formed; how coral grows; what dangerous creatures to avoid; how to take successful
underwater photos. It’s offered throughout the year at 14 Spence St., Cairns,
Monday through Saturday at 6:15pm, and costs A$13 (US$8.45) per person.
Townsville is the headquarters of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park
Authority, and a visit to its showcase, Reef HQ (see “The North Coast: Mission
Beach, Townsville & the Islands” later in the chapter), is a superb introduction.
The star attraction at the aquarium is a living reef ecosystem in a