My husband and son (10) and me are travelling to Cairns over the Christmas holidays starting christmas day.

I have seen that there are so many tour operators to go to the Great Barrier Reef, that it gets confusing. Wanting to spend the whole day at the reef. Any suggestions on who to go with please? Any idea if they operate Christmas day and boxing day.

Also if we need to choose a day trip between Kuranda and Daintree which one should be... We have just 4 days in all, and i know that is short, but have to fit it in that.... Any suggestions are welcome

Daintree for the scenery.

What are you doing at the reef? If it's snorkeling or diving, there are tons of operators you can book with and be fine, just pay the extra (if they charge it) for the guided diving tour. And you should spend as much time at the reef as you can because it takes two hours to get there by boat at high speed on a diving boat (40 mph or more) from Cairns -- take any necessary seasickness precautions. The reef is not just a 10-minute ride from shore with the outboard motor purring along.

If you're doing a glass-bottomed boat tour or similar, look for some of the better tour companies like Australia Pacific or AAT Kings.

Not all reef trips are running on Christmas Day, Reef Magic is one that is. Its a good all-rounder, and suitable for a 10yo. www.reefmagiccruises.com - it takes 90mins from Cairns city to its pontoon on Moore Reef. Also offers both certified and introductory diving (extra charge), however minimum age for diving is 12 years. I'd book early for this as I know they're filling up fast for Christmas Day.

Skyrail/Kuranda Train closes on Christmas Day. A good day trip from Cairns to Daintree/Cape Tribulation is Billy Tea Safaris, www.billytea.com.au but also not running on 25th Dec.

All tours, both reef and landbased, will run on Boxing Day.

Before we can recommend where you go with the three days not spent at the reef we should know what your interests are.

Can one do a self drive trip to Daintree from Cairns? I thought of hiring a car for 25.12 since most things are closed and going by ourselves. And then take a tour for a day trip to the Great Barrier Reef 26/12 and then 27th probably trip to Kuranda

At the Reef, we basically want to go snorkelling, glass bottom boat or submarine type of seeing the reef. Not really into diving etc

Its so confusing seeing all the various tours to GBR... and the price just varies from 125- 200 bucks per head... I cant really see the difference from one to another... Can someone help as to what i should look for.... Some of them say 2 reefs visit....
We would like to snorkel ... not into diving

Buku, you can drive to Daintree in a couple of hours
http://maps.google.com.au/maps?f=d&s...09&ie=UTF8&z=9

buku, I have the same dilemma as yours - what to do on 25/12. I have today rented a car for two days 24th to 26th and will be driving to Daintree on Christmas day. I rented it through www.cruisingcarrental.com.au/

Thanks minsin.. I plan to do the same thing drive on 25th... but i can see that the cars are pretty steep those days...Will look up the site uve suggested. Thanks

The most important element in a reef trip is weather, if I were you I'd be picking the best day of the time you have here and doing the reef trip that day.

Buku, the variation in costs of reef trips is based on the vessel and overheads incurred by the operator, other inclusions such as a semi-sub, quality of food, and crew ratio per passenger. Obviously a catamaran such as Ocean Spirit's to Michaelmas Cay a AU$189pp on the top end is a far more expensive vessel to own and operate than say, Passions of Paradise at AU$139. Both these vessels are also running on Christmas Day.

In case you're not aware, there is no bridge across the Daintree River, the vehicular ferry (cost AU$20 return) normally runs between 6am-midnight, on Christmas Day it will run 7.30am-10.30am, then 2.30-5.30pm only.

Hi Pat, I also just went on the website and saw that the bridge is closed. Sigh! It would have been something we've never done before. The track is closed too. So, we should just drive past this?

Hi minsin, I think you might mean Mossman Gorge rather than Daintree River. If so, let me know, I do have some information on that.

Take a drive around the Atherton Tablelands on Christmas Day but if you do it on the 26th don't expect there to be room at any of the picnic spots after 8 am.

Pat, you are so right - it is the Mossman Gorge. I obviously did not read it well. We will still not be able to do the rainforest walking track and the suspension bridge, right? But is there something else similar? Thanks so much.

We are planning to do the Skyrail on 26th morning, but have to be back at Cairns airport at 1 pm, as our older child is arriving then. There will be too little time to do it afterwards and after a long flight, a bit too much to go there directly from the airport. Just planning to do a lazy day afterwards, with trip to Michaelmas Bay on 27th and Lizard on 28th. My family is either going to love it or hate me for setting such a pace...

minsin, the two hour walk has been reduced, but apparently the first stage of reconstruction of elevated boardwalk has now been completed.

Work on the replacement suspension bridge over Rex Creek has commenced, should be finished by March, 2010. Can't think of anything similar in that area, the MaMu rainforest canopy walk is in rainforest south of Cairns. www.derm.qld.gov.au/parks/mamu/index.html

You'll need to allow 90mins one way on Skyrail to include time at the two stops, less on return. Take the first Skyrail at 9.00am, and no later than an 11.30am Skyrail back from Kuranda, giving about an hour in Kuranda, this will get you down at about 12.30pam, giving you time to drive to airport and park by 1.00pm.

Busy trip.... at least you won't be bored!

They'll love it!

I certainly hope so...

Pat, thanks for all your advice. I am hoping to do the canopy walk in Cape Otway now when we are on the GOR. I am sure that both are very different, but even one will be good! We leave tomorrow... So excited!

Thanks Pat for all your tips