Travelguru Cathy Bartrop says:

Up there on most people’s ‘things to do before…’ list is a visit to the Great Barrier Reef. And no wonder, it truly is an awesome natural spectacle whether you explore it above or below water level. For a once-in-a-lifetime Australia trip, ‘Sydney, Rock and Reef’ is the classic combination and one that works exceptionally well. The advantage of accessing the reef from Tropical North Queensland is the added bonus of the Rainforest experience.

Although Cairns is the best known gateway for the region, there are many options for places to stay – Port Douglas and Palm Cove both offer plenty of choice for world class resort hotels. Or consider getting even closer to nature and get the best of both worlds by combining a few nights at one of the rainforest resorts with an island escape.