GBR Islands - which to stay?
 

Hi all,
This is my first posting here. We are going on our honeymoon in mid-September to the east coast of Australia and we don?t have a booked itinerary yet (except for Sydney) as I?m afraid of making a mistake on which island to stay at in the GBR. We are taking a diving certification course now so we definitely want to include diving (albeit novice) on the trip, but also want to relax and explore the islands, wildlife, etc.

Tentative itinerary is:
7 days in Sydey (including day trips to Hunter Valley and Blue Mountains)
2-3 days to drive to Brisbane
Fly from Brisbane to GBR Islands (which one to stay at?)
5 days on island to snorkel and dive and relax
Fly to Cairns
3 days at Cape Tribulation area
Fly to Sydney then home to Chicago

Heron seems closer to the reef but seems more for hard-core divers than we are. Hamilton is the ?safe? choice, with plenty to do and lots of activities. Hayman is the pricier choice but Hook Island is close by with good dive spots.

Any thoughts on these islands or our itinerary in general? I need to book in the next week as I?m nervous about availability, etc. Also, the discount hotel sites seem truly a bargain compared to what the travel agent has been quoting me. Any problems with these bookings that anyone is aware of? Thanks much!

Even though I was born & breed in Sydney, I would cut your stay in Sydney down to 4-5 days. This would still allow you to do the harbour cruise, visit the beaches (not swimming weather in September), Blue Mtns and also the Hunter Valley, with an extra day to spare.
Personally, I would have opted to fly to Hamilton Island, stay a few days, which will allow to take the diving trip to the outer barrier reef, or visit other island, eg. Whitsunday Island with its pure white sand. Then catch the boat back to Shute Harbour, and have a "rental car" waiting for you, then drive north towards Cairns, visiting enroute the following places:
Townsville (Magnetic Island), Ingham/Cardwell (Hinchinbrook Island),
Tully (Dunk Island), then into Cairns. *** This drive from Shute Harbour north to Cairns is very scenic***
Then with the extra time, you could spend a couple of days in Cairns (lots to see in the region), and then drive up to Cape Tribulation, as per your itinerary.

Hi LauraM - Since you'll be certified divers, why not take a liveaboard dive boat and forget the islands. Tusa Dive's "Spirit of Freedom" out of Cairns is quite luxurious for a dive boat and does a 3day/3night trip to Cod Hole (near Lizard Island) and Ribbon Reefs or a 4day/4night on Coral Sea reefs which are beyond the GBR or a 7day/7night combination of both. This would give far more variety of diving experiences than from one island. www.spiritoffreedom.com.au Daily reef trips are also available with Rum Runner from Cape Tribulation beach which is closer to GBR than the other islands you have mentioned.

Thanks for your responses! Pat - we decided early on that we were going to stay on "terra firma" while on our honeymoon, i.e., no cruises, although it's a good idea to see a lot of the area in a short while. I don't think I can rely on my sea legs for that long. Tropo - your suggestion is intriguing. I will have to quickly research the towns you mentioned and determine if that route will be more worthy than driving from Sydney to Brisbane (our travel agent recommended several spots to stop on the way).

Any other comments are welcome. Thank you!

Laura, what towns between Sydney & Brisbane did your travel agent recommend. I might be able to advise further about each town or even alternative coastal or inland routes.

Laura: I would emphatically and unreservably recommend sticking with Heron Island as a destination to see the GBR in Sept. Unlike Hamiliton and Hayman, it is right on the reef and is relatively non-commercialized. It is a place both for hard core divers and novices alike - even snorkelers (like me) and non-swimmers are well catered-for. The accommodations are very nice and the food is great. I would go back in a heartbeat.

Ralph, CT, USA (presently on the Gold Coast, Queensland)

LauraM, I agree with Ralph regarding Heron Island. The islands in the Capricorn/Bunker Group (includes Heron)are fantastic for scuba diving. Heron is "on" the Barrier Reef, and soon as you step off the beach, you are swimming across coral. They also have an optional of staying on Wilson Island, near Heron for a few nights in a tent cabin, with other limited guests to ensure privacy, and a true feeling of living on a coral island. Of course, a chef is on the island, to look after your taste buds.
Another island (not far from Heron) which has accommodation, is Lady Elliot Island, which can be reached by a twin engine plane, and also has tent style cabins, or villas, etc. This island is designed solely for diving, in my opinion. checkout their website...www.ladyelliot.com.au

Four of us from Florida will be visiting Oz this November. We don't snorkel or dive and are not interested in swimming or beaches. With limited time (21 days) for Oz and NZ, should we skip GBR? Substitute GOR? Or Brisbane? or Tasmania? Help, please. Jerry

Hi LauraM-
I just returned from my Australia Honeymoon on Thursday. If you still need / want any rec's I can share our trip schedule. If you've alreay planned have a great trip!!

-Amanda

Oooppps...my email is:
[email protected]
-Amanda (in Chicago)

Tropo: Our travel agent recommended stopping at Port Stephens, Coffs Harbour, and Byron Bay. We also have a night's free stay in Surfer's Paradise, so I don't think we could overnight in all those places.

I read up on the route from the Whitsunday Islands to Cairns and it sounds fantastic. It would also save us an airflight. Thoughts on the two routes?

RalphR and Tropo: My reservations about Heron is that it doesn't seem like a resort per se with all the amenities (it is our honeymoon after all and my fiancee does not want to "rough it" on this trip). Perhaps the guidebooks I've been reading are outdated.... How would you describe the accomdations? Is the "reef experience" that much different on Heron vs the others? Thank you!

LauraM, firstly from Sydney to Coffs Harbour is an easy 6 hours drive (Coffs H'br being my wifes home town), then an easy drive from Coffs to Surfers Paradise. Surfers is a bit too touristy for my liking, but may suit u & your husband, its probably like your Miami Beach. I should explain, I am a person, who seeks out places, off the beaten track, and which are not touristy. Both Heron Island & Lady Elliot Island are "coral islands" right on the barrier reef, but they are small islands, and you really need to enjoy lots of diving, whereas, islands in the Whitsunday Group are continental islands, close to the mainland, with fringing coral, and day trips out to the barrier reef. The Whitsunday Islands will offer a lot more day activities, walks, cruises to the reef & other islands, and would no doubt be the best choice for your trip & seeing its your honeymoon, I would opt for somewhere like Hayman Island, Brampton Island, or Hamilton Island. (PS. We had our honeymoon on "Brampton" Island many years ago, and we are returning to this romantic island for our wedding anniversary, next year)
Another aspect to keep in mind, is the weather in Queensland for mid-September will be much nicer than Sydney or NSW north coast. September is our spring, but in Nth Qld, you should be swimming.
I don't think you would be disappointed with the drive from Shute Harbour/Airlie Beach (near Whitsunday Islands) to Cairns. It is such a beautiful drive. Try to make it a 2-3 day drive.
P.S. Byron Bay has nice beaches, but it has been taken over by backpackers, and it my opinion, has lost some of its appeal.
Would love to hear about your trip, and your thought of various places visited.

Laura:The Heron resort is not your typical resort in that activities are almost exclusively exclusively centered on the reef - diving, snorkeling, reef walking, semi-submersible, fishing trips, helicopter rides, and Wilson Island trips. Only non-reef activities would be tennis, pool, and lying on the beach. It is one of the very few islands that is actually right on the reef so the "reef experience" is far better than say, Hayman, Hamilton or Brampton. My guess is that the standard of food/accommodation on Heron is in the upper middle as compared to other islands - top third most certainly. In no way would you be "roughing it" as you put it. Chances are you will enjoy the reef so much that the relative lack of other activiies (limited shopping, no golf, sailing, etc) will not make much difference. I've posted several times on the subject of Heron - just click on my screenname and you should get a list of my past postings. More info there.

Tropo's suggestion of Brampton Island is a good one. Went there in 2002 and loved it, though for entirely different reasons than Heron. I enjoyed sailing from the beach and the absolutely beautiful walks the island and up Brampton Peak. Snorkeling was quite disappointing however. Accommodation/food was good, though not quite as nice as Heron.

Regarding driving up the coast, there are lots of nice beaches to see in the various towns along the way. Byron Bay is definitely worth a look, despite its backpacker reputation. The walk from the lighthouse along the cliffs is spectacular and is an excellent place for spotting dolphins and whales. Having just driven up to the Gold Coast from Coffs Harbor the other day, and having driven Sydney-Brisbane several times before, my recommendation is to stay off the main road (the Pacific Hwy) as much as you can. It isn't particularly exciting. Diversions inland to Barrington Tops, Armidale, Lamington and other places in the Great Dividing Range would be well worth your while (and a bit of extra time) to see some lovely Australian countryside, rainforests, waterfalls, wildlife, etc. We did the Armidale-Coffs Rd last Sunday. Very pretty and lots of interesting and beautiful places to stop.

Ralph

I agree with Ralph! I have been to both Brampton and Heron, and would go back to each in a heartbeat.. Heron is the unparalled reef experience, and the reef can fill your entire day, other than the wonderful meals and relaxation. (and if you are lucky enough to be there in turtle nesting or hatchling season, that's a whole nother dimension of awe)
It's really a nice place -- I was pleasantly surprised because I had been expecting something less from the guidebooks in terms of comfort. Brampton is perhaps a bit more luxurious, but not a big difference. It's more beautiful and varied, gorgeous pool, variety of beautiful beaches,some secluded, the hikes are great, the lounging is spectacular. We also had good snorkeling there but only on a boat that went further away from the island.. there's no comparison with Heron there. But there were kangaroos and butterflies and goannas and those great hikes. Really, you just can't go wrong!

Amanda - I emailed you the morning of 7/21. Please let me know if you did not receive it.
Thank you, Laura M

As a follow up to the discussion on Heron Island, I should have mentioned that the accommodation on the island has been considerably upgraded in the last few years. This might explain some of the discrepancy between guidebooks and people's recent experiences. When I was last there in 2001, the old Turtle cabins (with shared bath facilities) had been knocked down and were being replaced with new units with ensuite baths. (We stayed in one of the Heron suites on the upper floor. Right on the beach with an excellent view of the reef and tidal lagoon.)

Also in 2001, the restaurant had been recently upgraded and the old gift shop had been torn down to afford a view of the reef from the restaurant. A new shop was in the process of being built elsewhere.

Hope to get back there again sometime to see how it all turned out!