GBR - help me plan a perfect trip!
 

Hi all,
My husband and I are headed to Australia in September for the first time. We have 13 days on the ground. We have 7 days for the GBR area. We are very interested in seeing the Daintree forest, sailing the Whitsundays, snorkelling (I can't scuba due to a congenital heart defect) and possibly doing the Kuranda Scenic Railway (we are willing to omit this). We love nature, and being outside, and learning about nature and history. Any recommendations on an itinerary to get the most out of our short time. We will be flying in from Uluru and we have a moderate budget. What are some areas of the GBR we must see, any good Whitsunday sailing recommendations or any recommendations for anything really?

Uh, where exactly are you flying into? The GBR extends more than a few hundred miles down Australia's eastern coast. Are you going to Brisbane or Surfers' Paradise or Port Douglas/Cairns (which seems to be the case considering you mentioned both Daintree and Kuranda).

How are you proposing to get from (presumably) Cairns to the Whitsundays? It's a 7+ hour drive or a flight to Hamilton Island and go from there.

What means "moderate budget"? You need to research what you believe you can and want to do - there are plenty of websites catering to Australia tourism for this.

I can fly into Cairns, Hamilton Island, or Proserpine, I haven't booked a flight yet, as the question says, I am trying to figure out the best way to structure my trip.

Yes, I am aware how far it is. We would fly. But, with only 7 days in the area I am unsure if it is a good idea to split the time between Cairns and the Whitsundays. Since Daintree is pretty high on my list I lean toward flying into Cairns, doing a few snorkel trips and a full day in the forest.

I'd fly into Cairns, stay in Port Douglas & rent a car or take day/overnight tours to the Daintree & hinterland.

You may be interested in a wildlife spotting day with someone like Alan Gilanders.

I love he Whitsundays, but with your time constraints, I don't think I'd split the time either.

Have the 7 days in Cairns.
I think the Whitsundays would be best enjoyed in summer and from a yacht. We went to Airlie Beach but it was underwhelming. Cyclone Debbie rushed through this area in April causing great damage so it may not be all fixed yet.
I loved the Kuranda rail trip and we did an outer reef trip from Port Douglas which was awesome.
If you are interested in the helicopter ride wait until the afternoon. We thought it was too expensive at $160 but after lunch the man tries to fill up the last flight and we got the ride for $80. Well worth it for a 'bucket list' 10 minutes of flying over the GBR.

Thank you guys for the input! We decided to rent a room in Port Douglas and stay put for the 7 days! I will look into the trip with Alanl And thanks for the advice about the helicopter ride, that is great to know!!