Hi
I am looking to spend 2-3 days on a liveaboard to explore the reef. I am looking to board at the southern most port possible as we have already been to the Reef by Port Douglas (Cairns) and will be driving up from Sydney to embark.

Anyone with experience (pros and cons) and advice on whether an 8 year old would be permitted (for snorkelling, not diving).
Thanks,
Barbara
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topping

Bchen - I'll stand corrected on this and will apologise profusely if I'm wrong but I don't think there is much, or any, selection of liveaboards on southern end of GBR, especially with an 8 yo.

Bchen

We sailed for 3 days through the Whitsunday Is. group, continental islands w/in the reef itself w/ lovely fringing coral. We sailed on the Solway Lass out of Airlie Beach. I don't know about lower age limits.
A/D

Try Bundaberg, which is near the southernmost point of the reef (220 Kms north of Brisbane), and has a few live aboards, among them Salty's (www.saltys.com.au).

I'm sure there's more in the area...

thanks for the tips and info

Are there liveaboards geared or at least welcoming snorkelers for northern reefs? More north the better? A week would be ideal. Problem with liveaboard is that it's for divers. They generally don't like snorkelers and treat us like second class citizens.