10 of the most environmentally conscious Great Barrier Reef tours

Kristie Lau-AdamsBy Kristie Lau-Adams
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Be treated to world-class snorkelling and diving, or just sit back in total awe, by signing up for one of the best Great Barrier Reef tours.

Sprawled across more than 348,000 square kilometres, the Great Barrier Reef flows with rainbow coral gardens, robust marine life and sparkling turquoise waters. While the reef’s health has notably deteriorated in recent decades, coral restoration and water improvement efforts are working to secure the Far North Queensland marvel’s future. The best Great Barrier Reef tours are also doing a superb job in educating visitors while immersing them in its unique beauty.

Amid the admirable initiatives happening here, a string of environmentally responsible Great Barrier Reef tours are working to shine a light on the reef’s intricacies while showcasing just how special this place is. Focused on paving a sustainable future for the world’s largest coral reef system. Here are ten of our favourite tours to sign up for.

1. Reef Magic’s Reef Indulgence Package

abundant fish and coral reefs at Reef Magic Pontoon, Great Barrier Reef
Discover the horseshoe-shaped Moore Reef. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland)

Departing from: Cairns

Hear the ins and outs of conservation efforts straight from the horse’s mouth thanks to Reef Magic’s Reef Indulgence Package . Departing from Cairns via a chopper and destined for the company’s own pontoon located on the outer reef, the tour takes a bird’s eye view of this stunning corner of the world before guests take part in a lab tour led by a marine biologist. While fascinating intel is provided, so are canapes, champagne, a private snorkelling tour followed by lunch and a glass-bottom boat tour before guests are swept back up and over the reef to Cairns. Prices start from $1,499 per person with a two-guest minimum.

2. Wavelength’s Full Day Outer Reef Snorkel Tour

vibrant and abundant coral reefs in Port Douglas
See vibrant coral reefs on a snorkel tour with Wavelength. (Image: Tourism Australia)

Departing from: Port Douglas

Speaking of first-hand wisdom, Wavelength’s Full Day Outer Reef Snorkel Tour offers a leisurely day on the outer reef led by marine biologists. While reef talks offer a genuine debrief on the Great Barrier Reef and the environmental threats it faces, guided snorkelling across three locations is also steered by the experienced experts. Expect morning tea, gourmet rolls for lunch, complimentary underwater photos and, if you’re travelling in the cooler months, even the odd whale sighting as the Great Barrier Reef tour familiarises guests in style. Prices start from around $298 per person.

3. Sunlover Reef Cruises’ Reef & Island tours

a scenic flight over the Great Barrier Reef with Sunlover Reef Cruises
Go on a scenic flight over the reef with Sunlover Reef Cruises. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland)

Departing from: Cairns

Sunlover Reef Cruises’ Reef & Island tours offer travellers an action-packed immersion while adhering to strict environmentally responsible practices. Choose from two varieties: the ’10-Minute Scenic’ which includes a 10-minute scenic flight over the reef, a buffet lunch at Fitzroy Island and plenty of time for snorkelling, or the ‘Fly Out | Cruise Back’ which includes a 25-minute flight from Cairns to a private pontoon, buffet lunch at Fitzroy Island, snorkelling and a catamaran cruise back to Cairns. Prices start from $475 per person.

4. Quicksilver’s Great Barrier Reef Tour

Departing from: Port Douglas

Spend a day onboard Quicksilver’s Great Barrier Reef Tour, where a catamaran will escort you to the underwater wonderland of Agincourt Reef, one of the best snorkelling and diving spots on the Great Barrier Reef. Prefer to stay dry? An underwater observatory and semi-submersible coral reef viewing platform means you can experience a diver’s view of the reef in air-conditioned comfort. A marine biologist presentation is also included, as is morning and afternoon tea, a buffet lunch and all snorkelling gear. Prices start from $325 per person.

5. Sailaway’s Great Barrier Reef tours

a Great Barrier Reef tour with Sailaway
Explore the dreamy Mackay Cay onboard a luxury catamaran. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland)

Departing from: Port Douglas

Leading eco-tourism operator Sailaway offers snorkelling tours with marine biologists as well as relaxing sailing tours, which – running mostly on wind power – offer the most sustainable way to experience the Great Barrier Reef. Various tours are on offer, including explorations of dreamy Mackay Cay and the white sand Low Isles coral cay, while your mode of transport comes in the way of luxury catamarans. Afternoon tea and a buffet lunch, plus snorkelling equipment and reef talks, are typically included. Prices vary a lot so check the website to find your tour’s current cost.

6. Passions of Paradise’s Full Day Great Barrier Reef Tour

a 25-metre sailing catamaran, Great Barrier Reef Tour with Passions of Paradise
All aboard the 25-metre sailing catamaran with Passions of Paradise. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland)

Departing from: Cairns

With its 25-metre sailing catamaran and a deep desire to spread reef protection education, Passions of Paradise’s Full Day Great Barrier Reef Tour is a great example of sustainable reef tourism. Journey from Cairns to two outer reef locations in search of sea turtles, colourful fish and a variety of corals. The Great Barrier Reef tour also provides an opportunity to meet with an eco-accredited marine naturalist, while all snorkelling gear, a chef-prepared lunch and fruit, morning and afternoon tea are also included. Prices start from $260 per person.

7. Dreamtime Dive & Snorkel

diving at the Great Barrier Reef with Dreamtime Dive & Snorkel
Join local Indigenous sea rangers on a Dreamtime Dive & Snorkel day tour. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland)

Departing from: Cairns

One of the few Great Barrier Reef tours to embrace Indigenous culture and creation stories as part of its reef showcase, Dreamtime Dive & Snorkel delivers a deeper understanding and appreciation of the largest living coral reef structure on Earth. You’ll visit two outer reefs within Gunggandji Sea Country, not before being treated to an Indigenous welcome and acknowledgement, and a morning tea spread. Then, once the first snorkelling location wraps, a buffet lunch will be served and it’s straight onto the second reef. Taste bush foods along the journey, too. Prices start from $225 per person.

8. Ocean Spirit Cruises’ Discover Michaelmas Cay tour

a sea turtle swimming at Michaelmas Cay
Swim with sea turtles at Michaelmas Cay. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland)

Departing from: Cairns

Combine boat and beach time on a chilled day out from Cairns with Ocean Spirit Cruises’ Discover Michaelmas Cay tour . A two-hour motorised sail onboard a 32-metre sailing catamaran will land you at Michaelmas Cay, a small sand cay encircled by a spectacular fringing reef. It’s also a protected sanctuary for migratory seabirds. Once here, opt for a snorkel in the cay’s shallow waters, try an introductory scuba dive, cruise the semi-submarine for a diver’s perspective on the reef, watch a fish-feeding presentation, observe the bird life or simply relax in your own little slice of paradise. This is both an eco-friendly and family-friendly option, with prices starting from $276 per adult and $144 per child.

9. Big Cat Green Island Reef Tours’ Full-Day tour

guests admiring marine life from a glass-bottom boat, Big Cat Green Island Reef Tours’ Full-Day tour
See the reef from a glass-bottom boat. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland)

Departing from: Cairns

For a day out on a rainforest-clad coral cay, just say yes to Green Island, 28 km off the coast of Cairns. Big Cat Green Island Reef Cruises’ Full-Day tour whisks you over to snorkel, dive and swim in its bath-like warm waters, plus you can pay a little extra to see the reef from a semi-submarine or a glass-bottom boat. Green Island holds traditional and contemporary significance for the Guru-Gulu Gungandji people, so expect to learn how its Indigenous roots work in harmony within the wider Great Barrier Reef ecosystem. While you’re on the tiny island, snap up the chance to visit a crocodile sanctuary, home to the largest captive varieties. Prices start from $120 per person.

10. Frankland Islands Reef Tour

the Frankland Islands Reef Tour, Great Barrier Reef
Take a cruise to the pristine white sands of the Frankland Islands. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland)

Departing from: Cairns

Start the day with a rainforest river cruise before a quick skip – the shortest open water crossing of any day tour from Cairns – to Normanby Island in Frankland Islands National Park on board the Frankland Islands Reef Tour . The Great Barrier Reef tour will place you right on the Great Barrier Reef with its vibrant fringing reefs teeming with all manner of marine life, including turtles, octopuses and anemone clownfish. Lunch and transfers from select Cairns accommodation are also included with prices starting from $250 per adult.

For more travel tips and itineraries, read our ultimate guide to visiting the Great Barrier Reef

Kristie Lau-Adams
Kristie Lau-Adams is a Gold Coast-based freelance writer after working as a journalist and editorial director for almost 20 years across Australia's best-known media brands including The Sun-Herald, WHO and Woman's Day. She has spent significant time exploring the world with highlights including trekking Japan’s life-changing Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage and ziplining 140 metres above the vines of Mexico’s Puerto Villarta. She loves exploring her own backyard (quite literally, with her two young children who love bugs), but can also be found stalking remote corners globally for outstanding chilli margaritas and soul-stirring cultural experiences.
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What it’s really like to stay on the world’s largest sand island

    Kassia ByrnesBy Kassia Byrnes
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    Exploring the world’s largest sand island starts with the perfect K’gari homebase.

    The morning light is still soft, but it’s already a perfect sunny day. We left our K’gari homebase at Kingfisher Bay Resort  with our guide, Peter Meyer, at 9 am to make the most of our time to explore all that the world’s largest sand island holds. The size of K’gari is hard to grasp until you arrive here. This is no sandbar. Stretching 120 kilometres, unique lakes, mangrove systems, rainforest, 75 Miles of beach, historic shipwrecks, small townships and even one of Queensland’s best bakeries are all hidden within its bounds.

    But first, one of the island’s most iconic sights: the pure silica sand and crystal clear waters of Lake McKenzie.

    Laying eyes on it for the first time, I’m finally able to confirm that the photos don’t lie. The sand is pure white, without the merest hint of yellow. The water fades from a light halo of aqua around the edges to a deeper, royal blue, the deeper it gets (not that it’s particularly deep, six metres at most). The surface remains surprisingly undisturbed, like a mirror.

    Arriving with our guide before 10 am means that no one else is around when we get here. Which means we have the pleasure of breaking the smooth surface with our own ripples as we enter. As a self-confessed wimp with chilly water temperatures, my fears are quickly assuaged. Even in the morning, the water stays around 23 degrees – perfect for lazing about all day. But we have more sights to see.

    Exploring K’gari

    ariel of in lake mckenzie on k'gari fraser island
    Relax in the warm waters of Lake McKenzie. (Image: Ayeisha Sheldon)

    This was the Personalised 4WD tour offered by Kingfisher Bay Resort, and my absolute top pick of experiences. Over the course of the day, we had the freedom to create our own bespoke itinerary (plus a provided picnic lunch along the way), with an expert guide who had plenty of stories and local expertise to give context to what we were looking at. From the history of the SS Maheno shipwreck, which survived the First World War only to be washed ashore by a cyclone in 1935, to a detailed description of how an island made of sand could sustain such diverse flora.

    If it’s your first time to K’gari, the Beauty Spots Tour is another great option. Departing daily from Kingfisher Bay Resort (you’ll start to notice a trend, as many of the tours do start and end here), an air-conditioned, 4WD bus takes guests to the island’s most iconic locations, including the best places to swim, like Lake McKenzie and Eli Creek. The latter offers a gentle current, perfect for riding with a blow-up tyre out towards the ocean.

    The next day, for a look at a completely different side of K’gari, I joined one of Kingfisher Bay Resort’s Immersive Ranger-guided tours to kayak through the mangroves of Dundonga Creek. This long, snake-like stretch of creek winds its way inland from the ocean outlet we entered by, at times too narrow for three kayaks to be side-by-side. Small insects buzz from leaf to leaf, while birds call overhead. Occasional bubbles indicate we’ve passed some fish that call this place home.

    kayak tour through the mangroves at k'gari island
    Learn about the island’s mangroves from your Ranger. (Image: Reuben Nutt/ TEQ)

    If kayaking isn’t for you – or if, like me, you simply want more – other ranger-led experiences include nature walks and a dedicated Junior Eco Ranger Program for kids ages five to 12 (these run every weekend, and daily over the peak December holidays). Just ask for a timetable of upcoming tours when you check in.

    While during whale season, Hervey Bay Whale Watch & Charters operates tours from the hotel’s jetty to get up close to the famous Humpback Highway of Hervey Bay, from 7 November to 31 May, attention turns to the Aqua Oasis Cruise . Departing from the resort every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday for resort guests, adventure along the island’s remote western coast, pointing out wildlife like dolphins, turtles, flying fish and eagles along the way.

    The cruise drops anchor so guests can jump into the water using the boat’s equipment – from SUP boards to inflatable slides and jumping platforms. Then refuel with a provided lunch, of course.

    Unwind at sunset

    two people drinking cocktails at sunset bar, kingfisher bay resort
    Unwind at the Sunset Bar. (Image: Sean Scott)

    As much as days on K’gari can be filled with adventure, to me, the afternoons and evenings there are for unwinding. Sunsets on K’gari are absolutely unbelievable, with Kingfisher Bay on the west side being the best spot to catch the colours.

    The Sunset Bar , located at the start of the resort’s jetty and overlooking the beach, is the ultimate location for sundowners. Let chill beats wash over you as you sip on cool wines, beers and cocktails in a relaxed, friendly vibe. Personally, a cheese board was also absolutely called for. As the sun sinks, the sand, sea and horizon turn a vibrant shade of orange, with the jetty casting a dramatic shadow across the water.

    When the show is over, head back to the hotel for dinner at the Asian-fusion Dune restaurant, or the pub-style Sand + Wood. But if your appetite is still whetted for more lights and colours, the evening isn’t over yet.

    Settle into the Illumina stage for Return to Sky, an immersive light and sound show leading viewers on a captivating journey through K’gari’s stories and landscapes.

    Indulge and disconnect

    woman setting up massage room at kingfisher bay resort Island Day Spa
    Find bliss at Island Day Spa. (Image: Jessica Miocevich)

    Of course, there is a type of traveller who knows that balance is important, day or night. While Kingfisher Bay Resort offers more than one pool for guests to spend all day lounging by (they’ll even serve you food and drinks while you do it), you’ll find me at the Island Day Spa.

    The masseuses could match the magic hands of any big city spa, and I felt the warm welcome as I walked into the light, breezy reception. Choose from a range of botanical facials, beauty treatments and soothing massages using traditional techniques (obviously, I couldn’t go past a relaxing massage). All products used contain organic, native botanical ingredients with nutrient-rich plant extracts to soothe skin and mind. To really indulge, try out one of the packages, couples treatment or even a pre-wedding day offering.

    Getting there

    kingfisher bay resort 4wd tour driving passed ss maheno on k'gari island
    The world of K’gari awaits. (Image: Jessica Miocevich)

    Getting to K’gari is shockingly easy. Find daily flights into Hervey Bay from Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney. Kingfisher Bay Resort offers a shuttle bus between the airport, their headquarters in Hervey Bay and the ferry to take you to K’gari.