We will be taking a Smartour tour of Australia, NZ and Tahiti. Included in the price of the tour is a trip to Green Island and a glass bottom boat tour of the reef near there.

Green Island is much disparaged on this board and clearly is not the ideal GBR location. We have two days in Cairns, one of which includes the free all day tour to Green Island. I've been trying to decide whether to 1) go on the free tour on the first day and pay for to go to the outer reef on the second day; 2) go on the free tour and go to Karunda or somewhere else on the second day; or 3) skip the free tour-pay for one on one day and go to Karunda on the second day.

Given the cost of the total trip, I hate to pay for another boat, but on the other hand who knows when I'll be back. What are your thoughts?

I'll quote Pat Woolford here: '...to the locals, Green Island is not considered a reef destination.'

If you are at the GBR you might as well do the reef properly. Otherwise you might return home and inform people in your local gym that they would be disappointed with the GBR and better off snorkelling in Fiji (I'm still shaking my head in amazement at a previous posting on that subject).

I took the advice of this forum and did some serious snorkelling further out - and it was the hightlight of my trip.
I am inclined to take option 1. The last thing you want happen is to hear someone in the tour group telling you how much they enjoyed the free trip - and you spend the rest of your life wondering whether you have been a dill. If the free tour turns out to be a lemon it would only make the paid trip out to the reef more enjoyable for it.

Oh - I can see how hard this must be.
Option 1 is good - previous poster gives the reason why. But it's not what I would do - though I have the advantage of having been there already several times. And it also depends, of course, on your own preferences.

I've never really understood why Kuranda is such a "must see" except that it is an easy outing to include in a package. Much better to spend the day you would spend on that on a day tour to the Daintree. There are all sorts of options - from upmarket escorted to cheap and cheerful. And do your own thing re the reef too.

Just my few cents' worth.

stillhouse, I'd forget the Green Island thing with such limited time, Smartours aren't giving away much here, the trip, booked locally, is from AU$58. Have a look at Ocean Spirit to Michaelmas Cay - or Reef Magic, far, far superior reef experiences on a day trip. They cost nearly 2-3 times as much, but believe me, they're worth it.

Kuranda seems to be another destination much disparaged on this board, and I think this is from those who don't know to walk 5 minutes out of the main and highly touristed main street. Right now the Barron Falls, less than 2km out of Kuranda Village on Jumrun rainforest walking track are in full flood, and if weather forecasts are correct they'll remain so for at least another month. There are no falls to equal these in Daintree and can also be viewed by both Kuranda Train and Skyrail.

NO NO NO NO NO...don't waste your time and money going to Green Island, unless you really really want to see white coral and pay loads of money to sit on a beach (although the sand is nice and the sea is ok to paddle in)

Muck

I'm in with those who say to skip Green Island. It looks mighty pretty from the ariel view that is published in all the brochures but it is BORING and not a GBR experience at all.

Get to the reef and you won't be sorry.

Regarding Kuranda...this is a personal thing. Some people like it and others are appalled by it. There are elements of the Kuranda trip that are very nice...the train trip is interesting and Kuranda itself has some nice shops, but there is a lot of hype associated with it. You get great views from the train and skyrail that may make it worth the trip. You also might just enjoy a day spent browsing around Cairns, hanging out at the Esplanade water/pool scene, etc.

But go to the reef...Michaelmas Cay is lovely as are other options. Green Island is a tourist trap. Just my 2 cents

Thanks for your responses. I really love snorkelling and was seriously thinking of booking a trip to the outer reef, regardless of whether I decide to go to Green Island. However, we will be there in November when the box jelly fish are also "visiting". I've read multiple warnings that it is not safe to assume that the jellyfish will not be found on the outer reef. Is there any point in going there in Nov.?

No-one can say with 100% surety that there are no box jelly fish on outer reef. But the chances of being stung are miniscule, just be guided by the crew of your boat, and if there are any doubts hire a lycra stinger suit from the operator. Will protect you from sunburn too, a far likelier hazard. November is one of the very best months of year for snorkelling with calm seas and good underwater visibility.