Husband & I are going to Sydney in April to visit daughter on college exchange. Need advice. Figure we'll stay around Sydney then to to GBR. We have 14 days.

We both are PADI certified & want to dive once or twice. We don't want large touristy area, but we do like very comfortable hotel with character.

Any suggestion for GBR?

Aside from Sydney and GBR where else should we go?

THANKS!!

I would do a liveaboard trip. There is also another small cruiser which goes from Cairns to Townsville over 3 days and calls into a lot of wonderful coral cays, islands etc for either snorkling or diving. Its a great trip.

The Atherton Tablelands are great for wildlife if you are into that sort of thing but April is the least pleasant time of year. Often wet though not much rain and it is cool by north Queensland standards so take a coat.

Have you seen my trip report? We went on the liveaboard Spirit of Freedom and had a blast (and the divers on board also enjoyed themselves.) We would also recommend Atherton Tableland, and especially the town of Yungaburra which has lots of listed buildings and a river where you can go platypus spotting. You can also dive out of Airlie Beach, but it is quite a touristy town (but nice). We stayed in the Lord Nelson Hotel in the "quiet" part of the Rocks in Sydney and it was very historic.
Sally in Seattle

What is a liveaboard, and can snorkelers go on it?

LilRicky, put simply, a liveaboard is a dive boat which you stay on overnight or more as the boat moves around the Great Barrier Reef. Google "liveaboards North Queensland" for a selection and to see which goes where. Most are happy to take snorkelers for trips within the GBR; beyond Reef into deeper waters of the Coral Sea is for certified divers.