Great Barrier Reef in January/February??
Aug 4th, 2014, 12:52 PM
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Great Barrier Reef in January/February??
Help please.....I welcome all opinions & advice from those of you familiar with this area..... My wife and I will be traveling to Australia for the first time. We always imagined visiting & snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef as part of such a trip, but now I'm concerned with the time of the year......
We'll be in Melbourne for the Tennis Australian Open around January 25-28, so I don't have a lot of flexibility on the timing, and I'm reading that it's not the best weather, plus it's the time when the waters get infested with marine stingers. The question: Since it's quite a significant detour to get there, do we still go to GBR? or do we skip it in favor of a different area? We do have the choice (if it makes a difference) of going before or after the Open (third week in January vs. first week in February??
Thanks in advance for your opinions,
A.C.
We'll be in Melbourne for the Tennis Australian Open around January 25-28, so I don't have a lot of flexibility on the timing, and I'm reading that it's not the best weather, plus it's the time when the waters get infested with marine stingers. The question: Since it's quite a significant detour to get there, do we still go to GBR? or do we skip it in favor of a different area? We do have the choice (if it makes a difference) of going before or after the Open (third week in January vs. first week in February??
Thanks in advance for your opinions,
A.C.
Aug 4th, 2014, 02:30 PM
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At least with the first week in Feb schools will be back. It will be hot and humid up north, so I guess it depends on your tolerance for that kind of weather.
You might consider Lady Elliott Island at the southernmost part of the reef.
You might consider Lady Elliott Island at the southernmost part of the reef.
Aug 6th, 2014, 12:37 AM
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Lady Musgrave is also worth considering. It is the southernmost island in the reef.
As said above it will be hot about 23min to 31max (ave) and 78%humidity. You can expect 434mm of rain in the month or 17 inches.
But if you are doing a lot of swimming and staying in Air Conditioned places you should cope.
Designated swimming areas are protected from stingers etc. so only swim in those places.
http://www.great-barrier-reef.com/gr...f-weather.html
A general travel tip for everyone. Go where you want to go, when the opportunity presents itself. THEN adapt to the weather.
If this is on your "must do" list then do it.
Never worry about the weather. You could go at the perfect time and be trapped by unseasonal weather. We trekked in the Himalayas for ten days and only saw mountains on two of them. Saw plenty of snow and cloud though! But we DID see them. If we hadn't gone we would never have seen them.
We have been to Europe twice in the "Off Season" once in Autumn and once in Winter. Both times we had a fantastic holiday and got to see and do everything we wanted, despite people saying we were crazy. We are both teachers and have to go when there are school holidays.
GO FOR IT.
As said above it will be hot about 23min to 31max (ave) and 78%humidity. You can expect 434mm of rain in the month or 17 inches.
But if you are doing a lot of swimming and staying in Air Conditioned places you should cope.
Designated swimming areas are protected from stingers etc. so only swim in those places.
http://www.great-barrier-reef.com/gr...f-weather.html
A general travel tip for everyone. Go where you want to go, when the opportunity presents itself. THEN adapt to the weather.
If this is on your "must do" list then do it.
Never worry about the weather. You could go at the perfect time and be trapped by unseasonal weather. We trekked in the Himalayas for ten days and only saw mountains on two of them. Saw plenty of snow and cloud though! But we DID see them. If we hadn't gone we would never have seen them.
We have been to Europe twice in the "Off Season" once in Autumn and once in Winter. Both times we had a fantastic holiday and got to see and do everything we wanted, despite people saying we were crazy. We are both teachers and have to go when there are school holidays.
GO FOR IT.
Jul 20th, 2016, 12:42 AM
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peterSale thank you so much for your encouraging words! I am planning a trip to Australia from the 29th December until the 11th and have been having second thoughts regarding the itinerary we have drafted. Two of the main concerns were related with weather: should we go to Cairns on the 2nd of January? Now I know: yes. The other question is a bit more complicated though: should we visit Uluru for one day? Not only the weather is tough, but also we have just one day to use... Not to mention the cost it is...
Either way, thank you for those words, they were really helpful!
Either way, thank you for those words, they were really helpful!
Jul 21st, 2016, 08:46 PM
#5
Interesting advice re the weather. I think some destinations like cities don't really get effected by the weather, but others really are weather dependent. I also know what type of weather I enjoy, what I can tolerate and what I hate. These feeling can effect my time at a destination. So I say that one should go where they want when they want. But I strongly believe that the weather is just one factor to consider when a decision on where to go and when.
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