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The Great Barrier Reef is on so many backpackers bucket lists and when you visit, you’ll see why – spoiler alert – it’s EPIC! There are loads of trips to choose from and many different ways of seeing all that the reef has to offer – we’re talking catamarans, sailing boats, speed boats and even a helicopter ride to see it from above.

It 100% has to be on your Aussie bucket list – if it’s not, what are you playing at! It’s an epic spot, it’s one of the seven wanders of the world and it’s incredibly easy to access and we’re gonna tell you how…

Spending a day at the GBR is a guaranteed day of full on mermaid fun – when you visit you will see exactly what we mean. The place is out of this world.

If you’re already a pro at diving or just love a good ol’ snorkel and want to check out the reef, we’re going to tell you exactly how to go about doing that, what the boats are like and how the whole thing works.

Grab your fins and snorkel and let’s gooooooo…

Click images to see more.

What are the boats like?

There are many different boat trips that you can hop on to see the reef.

To check them out, click here

But, if you wanna know what the boats are like, keep reading…

As an example, we’re going to be referring to the Passions of Paradise tour, because it’s the best rated 3 day 2 night live aboard option and we can provide the 10% RatPack discount to this.

The boat is a 25 metre high performance catamaran that sails you from Cairns to two difference outer reef locations. All the equipment you need is on board (snorkels, fins, masks etc). It has an upper deck and netted deck trampoline, ideal for chilling out before dives. There is also a hot lunch, fruit and morning and afternoon tea provided – epic stuff!

Let's talk about scuba diving!

It goes without saying, the underwater world of the GBR is beautiful. A once in a lifetime experience.

So, if you’re keen to do a dive – rather than just a snorkel – we can hook you up with that no problem.

So long as you book in advance (drop us a message on WhatsApp when you’re ready), we can get you a dive at a special backpacker rate of $45.

The team on board  provide all the equipment and tuition – an intro dive will give you 20 – 30 mins to discover the reef & you’ll go to a maximum depth of 10 metres! You do not need any prior experience!

The deets

  • You can do an intro dive without ANY experience
  • If you are a complete beginner and the crew on board will give you all instructions you need including instruction, safety briefing and train you up about all the equipment.
  • All equipment needed is included on the boat.
  • An instructor will be with you on the dive.
  • There is also an under water photographer to snap up some epic shots, leaving you hands free and not having to worry about snapping the shots.

Ready to check out the reef?

The Great Barrier Reef is like NO other and should be right up there on your bucketlist for your Aussie trip… Don’t leave it til you get to Cairns to book this epic experience, we recommend getting this one locked in around a week before you want to try a dive as there is limited availability at that epic discounted backpacker rate…

  • We can book you a dive at a special backpacker rate of $45
  • Fancy getting your PADI Open Water certificate? We can help you choose the right course for you and of course get you a sick discount!
  • Not keen on diving? NO worries! There are also epic options for snorkelling which you can check out here
  • What are your other options for checking out the Reef? Read our blog post here for some epic tips and tricks from the crew..

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About the Author: Sammy
You can never EVER forget where your from – In my case Manchester, UK. But for now and for...

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