We are planning our 2nd visit to the GBR and could sure use some advice.

Our first visit was a dream come true we fell in love with GBR, Australia and the people! We were there in Dec 2005 for 22 days and barely scratched the surface! We went from Melbourne, to Cairns, Dunk Island to Hamilton Island then to Sydney. This trip we are planning 25 days in the GBR area.

The only negative we encountered being there in Dec with the deadly jelly fish. We stayed at Kewarra Beach Resort in Cairns for only 4 days, while there the next beach north of us a little girl my sons age 7 was stung and killed. The rest of the trip we were in fear of the jellies. So finally to my questions:

When is the best month to visit Cairns/Port Douglas/GBR for scuba/snorkeling beach/water activities? Can you please suggest places to see/stay in that area?

We want to go back to Kuranda, we missed Daintree/Cape Tribulation last time. Heard of a wonderful fruit farm that is a must see. Can you suggest places to see and stay there?

Dunk Island was wonderful can you suggest another island that's a must see?

Last but not least, we have a little more flexibility in June-July-August as kids are out of school. However, I read in posts here that is not recommended for the areas we want to focus on due to winds, choppy weather etc. Can anyone confirm, give advice?

Many thanks we used this forum to plan the 1st trip everyone was wonderful, it was a dream come true!!

I always try and get people to go to Hinchinbrook Island which is not far from Dunk but which has a diversity of things to do and to see. It is the island that is in Nim's Island film which stars Jodie Foster. Do a Google search on it. Alternatively if your husband is Ok with trying out a spot of sailing then why not rent a catamaran or yacht in the Whitsundays and find your own lovely little island to play on - many are uninhabited and the sailing is fantastic.
The best months to go to be sure of no stingers are our cooler months or from March through to about October. The weather is not at its best in terms of wind but then again I always went up there at that time and I was not unhappy with the winds/weather when I went and with the fact that you will have plenty of time it should not be too bad for you anyway because if there is a day or so not is windy then those days you can be somewhere else other than on the reef!

P.S. just don't fly there with Jetstar!

Hi LizzyF,

Thanks so much for your advice. We just saw Nims last week and we loved it. I will surely check out Hinchinbrook Island. We do like to sail and loved the Whitsundays great advice!

I've been reading past posts about the weather sounds like October is the best month. If we have to chose our summer months due to our boys school schedule which do you prefer June, July or August?

May I ask if you can recommend stays and things to do in Cairns/Port
Douglas/Daintree/Cape Tribulation. Any advice you could provide would be greatly appreciated.

Pat Woolford is the person who can tell you more about Cairns and surrounds than I can - I was there a couple of years ago but she lives there and has a B&B - google Lilybank B&B Cairns OR do a search here on her comments which are very comprehensive. She too would be able to give you a better update on weather conditions for the different months I think too, as much as you can predict the weather conditions anywhere.
I do know the fruit farm that you are talking about as well and it is good - especially the ice-cream!
Anyway I will leave it for the experts of that area to give you the best ideas - which I am sure they will, especially Pat Woolford if she can ever work out what dreadful thing her husband has done to her computer!!!!!!!!!

I've been to PD about 5 times between the months of July and early September. I don't think you can go wrong with any of the months at which you are looking. It was always warm enough for me to live in my shorts and swimsuit and I was at the beach and in the water almost every day. The only time I found wind to be a factor was when we were booking snorkeling trips. We generally had 3-4 days to play with so we were able to book a trip on a day with relatively little wind. With 25 days to play with, you should have no trouble finding a good day to go out to the reef.

Thanks to everyone for the advice we really appreciate it!

It's good to know that the wind in June-July-August is not that much of a factor as we thought.

We've never been to PD any suggestions for a great place to stay things to do? We have two boys 10 and 7, we love the water, sports and love to explore.

Many thanks!

Things to do in PD (besides snorkeling):

1. Go to Breakfast with the Birds at the Rainforest Habitat
2. Do the 3km RT hike through the rainforest at Mossman Gorge. You can't miss the big swing bridge near the beginning of the hike, which should appeal to the kids.
3. Go to Daintree National Park. There are organized tours, but we prefer to do things on our own. We do some of the hikes and take a picnic lunch. Check the Daintree NP website for more info on the interpretive center, hikes and picnic areas. (We saw a cassowary while we picnicked on our last visit!)
4. Plan a stop at the Daintree Ice Cream Company for great ice cream made from tropical fruits, etc. (My favorites were passionfruit and wattleseed.) No vanilla and chocolate here!
5. Go to the Sunday market in the city park.

LizzyF - your right about Hininbrook Island, but we must keep it a secret, otherwise it will lose its appeal.
Unfortunately, in this weeks Sunday Mail Holiday section, Hininbrook Island was featured.

Thanks again for the wonderful advice!! Can you recommend a great place to stay in PD and any recommendations for snorkeling/scuba trips to GBR?

Trip to Lizard island or perhaps a good GBR Cruise provider?

Many thanks!