Where is Great Barrier Reef?

Great Barrier Reef is in Queensland coast, Queensland, Australia. The destination guide above maps the area; the drive-times panel further down lists distances to other Queensland destinations so you can pencil it into a longer itinerary.

When is the best time to visit Great Barrier Reef?

Based on 30 years of climate data, the most comfortable months at Great Barrier Reef are typically October, September, August — milder temperatures, lower rainfall, and longer sunshine hours. February tends to be the trickiest month weather-wise. School holiday weeks (Easter, late June–early July, late September, mid-December–late January) get busy and prices rise, so shoulder season is usually the sweet spot if you're flexible.

What's the weather like in Great Barrier Reef?

Summer daytime highs average around 31°C and winter overnight lows can drop to about 18°C. Annual rainfall sits at roughly 716 mm spread across the year. The climate panel above breaks every month down — daytime high, overnight low, monthly rain, sunny days — so you can match the trip to the weather you want.

How do I get to Great Barrier Reef?

Most travellers arrive by road. From Townsville it's about 193 km — roughly 11h 54m of driving via the main highway, conditions permitting. The drive-times panel above lists travel time and distance to every other Queensland destination so you can sketch out a road-trip route. Check road conditions in winter if your route crosses high country, and plan for breaks every ~2 hours.

Where can I stay near Great Barrier Reef?

We list 5 caravan and holiday parks in and around Great Barrier Reef above — powered sites, cabins, glamping, and big-rig-friendly options. Pet rules, dump points and shaded sites are noted on each park's page. For hotel-style stays, the Drive Times panel makes it easy to base yourself in a nearby town and day-trip in.

How many days should I spend at Great Barrier Reef?

Most travellers spend 1–2 days at Great Barrier Reef to cover the highlights without rushing. There are 8 bookable tours and experiences, 0 attractions and 0+ named viewpoints/landmarks listed for the area on this page — plenty to fill a weekend, more if you slow down and explore the outer reaches.

Is Great Barrier Reef good for families with kids?

Great Barrier Reef is generally suited to families — outdoor space, accommodation options for all budgets, and a slower pace away from the major cities. The "What else is around" panel above lists everything nearby; if a museum, aquarium or wildlife park is what your kids want, check the closest larger town for those.

Is there public transport at Great Barrier Reef?

Coverage varies — major destinations have train and bus links from the closest capital, but smaller regional towns rely on infrequent coach services. The most reliable way to explore the wider area is a hire car or your own vehicle. If you're using public transport, plan around the timetables and check the night before you travel; rural routes are often once or twice a day.

How much does a trip to Great Barrier Reef cost?

Budget travellers can do Great Barrier Reef on roughly $120–180 per person per day (caravan park, cooking your own, free walks); mid-range $200–350 (hotel, paid attractions, eating out once a day); higher-end $400+ (boutique stays, tours, fine dining). Fuel is the big variable — Australia's regional driving distances add up. Tours and attractions in the listings above show prices in AUD where the operator publishes them.

Will I have phone signal at Great Barrier Reef?

Most named destinations in Queensland have at least Telstra and Optus coverage in town. Coverage drops off quickly outside built-up areas — particularly in national parks, valleys and along long stretches of highway. If you're heading into remote areas, download offline maps before you leave, tell someone your itinerary, and consider a PLB (personal locator beacon) for serious bush walks.

Great Barrier Reef

The world's largest coral reef system — dive, snorkel and sail across 2300 km of UNESCO-listed coastline.

8 tours

5 caravan parks

8 articles

📷 13 photos

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Tours in Great Barrier Reef

See all 8 tours →

The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef system, composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for over 2,300 kilometres (1,400 mi) over an area of approximately 344,400 square kilometres (133,000 mi2). The reef is located in the Coral Sea, off the coast of Queensland, Australia, separated from the coast by a channel 160 kilometres (100 mi) wide in places and over 61 metres (200 ft) deep. The Great Barrier Reef can be seen from outer space and is the world's biggest single structure made by living organisms. This reef structure is composed of and built by billions of tiny organisms, known as coral polyps. It supports a wide diversity of life and was selected as a World Heritage Site in 1981. CNN labelled it one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World in 1997. Australian World Heritage places included it in its list in 2007. The Queensland National Trust named it a state icon of Queensland in 2006. A large part of the reef is protected by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, which helps to limit the impact of human use, such as fishing and tourism. Other environmental pressures on the reef and its ecosystem include runoff of humanmade pollutants, climate change accompanied by mass coral bleaching, dumping of dredging sludge and cyclic population outbreaks of the crown-of-thorns starfish. According to a study published in October 2012 by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the reef has lost more than half its coral cover since 1985, a finding reaffirmed by a 2020 study which found over half of the reef's coral cover to have been lost between 1995 and 2017, with the effects of a widespread 2020 bleaching event not yet quantified. The Great Barrier Reef has long been known to and used by the Aboriginal Australian and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and is an important part of local groups' cultures and spirituality. The reef is a very popular destination for tourists, especially in the Whitsunday Islands and Cairns regions. Tourism is an important economic activity for the region, generating over AUD$3 billion per year. In November 2014, Google launched Google Underwater Street View in 3D of the Great Barrier Reef. A March 2016 report stated that coral bleaching was more widespread than previously thought, seriously affecting the northern parts of the reef as a result of warming ocean temperatures. In October 2016, Outside published an obituary for the reef; the article was criticised for being premature and hindering efforts to bolster the resilience of the reef. In March 2017, the journal Nature published a paper showing that huge sections of an 800-kilometre (500 mi) stretch in the northern part of the reef had died in the course of 2016 of high water temperatures, an event that the authors put down to the effects of global climate change. The percentage of baby corals being born on the Great Barrier Reef dropped drastically in 2018 and scientists are describing it as the early stage of a "huge natural selection event unfolding". Many of the mature breeding adults died in the bleaching events of 2016–17, leading to low coral birth rates. The types of corals that reproduced also changed, leading to a "long-term reorganisation of the reef ecosystem if the trend continues." The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Act 1975 (section 54) stipulates an Outlook Report on the Reef's health, pressures, and future every five years. The last report was published in 2019. In March 2022, another mass bleaching event has been confirmed, which raised further concerns about the future of this reef system, especially when considering the possible effects of El Niño weather phenomenon. The Australian Institute of Marine Science conducts annual surveys of the Great Barrier Reef's status, and the 2022 report showed the greatest recovery in 36 years. It is mainly due to the regrowth of two-thirds of the reef by the fast-growing Acropora coral, which is the dominant coral there.

Background information about Great Barrier Reef adapted from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Next 7 days at Great Barrier Reef

Live forecast from Open-Meteo. Updated each time the page loads.

Loading forecast…

Best time to visit Great Barrier Reef

Based on 30 years of weather data. Sweet spot: Aug, Sep, Oct — mild temperatures, low rainfall and plenty of sun. Avoid Feb, Mar if you can — typically the wettest or hottest stretch of the year.

Jan

30°

25° low

142mm

Feb

31°

26° low

176mm

Mar

30°

25° low

128mm

Apr

29°

23° low

52mm

May

28°

18° low

32mm

Jun

26°

18° low

28mm

Jul

26°

18° low

18mm

Aug

25°

19° low

11mm

Sep

27°

20° low

10mm

Oct

27°

22° low

19mm

Nov

30°

24° low

30mm

Dec

30°

25° low

70mm

Daytime high (large) · overnight low (small) · monthly rainfall (blue bar). Climate normals: 1991–2020 from Open-Meteo's ERA5 reanalysis.

Beach & ocean conditions at Great Barrier Reef

Typical wave height around 1.7 m over the next two weeks. a wetsuit makes winter swims much more pleasant.

Avg wave height

1.7 m

Sea-surface temperatures from Open-Meteo's ERA5 reanalysis. Wave forecast from the GFS Wave model — check official sources before swimming, paddling or boating.

Drive times to and from Great Barrier Reef

Real road distance and driving time to other destinations in the state. Click through for fuel estimates, suggested overnight stops, and tours along the way.

To Atherton Tablelands

Photos from around Great Barrier Reef

BIG4 Lucinda Wanderers Holiday Park

park

Coral Coast Tourist Park

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BIG4 Kurrimine Beach Holiday Park

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Discovery Parks - Ayr

park

Discovery Parks - Townsville

park

AFTERNOON Ocean Safari Great Barrier Reef Adventure

article

MORNING Ocean Safari Great Barrier Reef Adventure

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Explore Dunk Island Full Day Tour | Mission Beach Day Return

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Wavedancer Low Isles

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Mike Ball Dive Expeditions

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Quicksilver Outer Barrier Reef

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Discover Australia: Must-Visit Destinations Down Under

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Dive The Queensland Cod Hole

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Frequently asked about Great Barrier Reef

Where is Great Barrier Reef?: Great Barrier Reef is in Queensland coast, Queensland, Australia. The destination guide above maps the area; the drive-times panel further down lists distances to other Queensland destinations so you can pencil it into a longer itinerary.
When is the best time to visit Great Barrier Reef?: Based on 30 years of climate data, the most comfortable months at Great Barrier Reef are typically October, September, August — milder temperatures, lower rainfall, and longer sunshine hours. February tends to be the trickiest month weather-wise. School holiday weeks (Easter, late June–early July, late September, mid-December–late January) get busy and prices rise, so shoulder season is usually the sweet spot if you're flexible.
What's the weather like in Great Barrier Reef?: Summer daytime highs average around 31°C and winter overnight lows can drop to about 18°C. Annual rainfall sits at roughly 716 mm spread across the year. The climate panel above breaks every month down — daytime high, overnight low, monthly rain, sunny days — so you can match the trip to the weather you want.
How do I get to Great Barrier Reef?: Most travellers arrive by road. From Townsville it's about 193 km — roughly 11h 54m of driving via the main highway, conditions permitting. The drive-times panel above lists travel time and distance to every other Queensland destination so you can sketch out a road-trip route. Check road conditions in winter if your route crosses high country, and plan for breaks every ~2 hours.
Where can I stay near Great Barrier Reef?: We list 5 caravan and holiday parks in and around Great Barrier Reef above — powered sites, cabins, glamping, and big-rig-friendly options. Pet rules, dump points and shaded sites are noted on each park's page. For hotel-style stays, the Drive Times panel makes it easy to base yourself in a nearby town and day-trip in.
How many days should I spend at Great Barrier Reef?: Most travellers spend 1–2 days at Great Barrier Reef to cover the highlights without rushing. There are 8 bookable tours and experiences, 0 attractions and 0+ named viewpoints/landmarks listed for the area on this page — plenty to fill a weekend, more if you slow down and explore the outer reaches.
Is Great Barrier Reef good for families with kids?: Great Barrier Reef is generally suited to families — outdoor space, accommodation options for all budgets, and a slower pace away from the major cities. The "What else is around" panel above lists everything nearby; if a museum, aquarium or wildlife park is what your kids want, check the closest larger town for those.
Is there public transport at Great Barrier Reef?: Coverage varies — major destinations have train and bus links from the closest capital, but smaller regional towns rely on infrequent coach services. The most reliable way to explore the wider area is a hire car or your own vehicle. If you're using public transport, plan around the timetables and check the night before you travel; rural routes are often once or twice a day.
How much does a trip to Great Barrier Reef cost?: Budget travellers can do Great Barrier Reef on roughly $120–180 per person per day (caravan park, cooking your own, free walks); mid-range $200–350 (hotel, paid attractions, eating out once a day); higher-end $400+ (boutique stays, tours, fine dining). Fuel is the big variable — Australia's regional driving distances add up. Tours and attractions in the listings above show prices in AUD where the operator publishes them.
Will I have phone signal at Great Barrier Reef?: Most named destinations in Queensland have at least Telstra and Optus coverage in town. Coverage drops off quickly outside built-up areas — particularly in national parks, valleys and along long stretches of highway. If you're heading into remote areas, download offline maps before you leave, tell someone your itinerary, and consider a PLB (personal locator beacon) for serious bush walks.