Iโm officially going to dub Australia as our bucket list country. We have been excited about all of the countries that weโre visiting, but itโs safe to say that the entire family was most excited about visiting Australia. Roo was excited because Australia is the home of the frilled lizard, I was excited because of all of the excellent animal experiences, and all of us were incredibly excited because Australia is the home of the Great Barrier Reef. This is by far one of my favorite aspects of Worldschooling. Your child can express an interest in a particular subject or country, and instead of looking through a book or watching YouTube videos we have the privilege of getting on an airplane and experiencing those things firsthand.
When planning our Australia trip from Indonesia, I noticed that there was an inexpensive fare from Bali to Cairns. Cairns is the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef, so it was a no-brainer to book that ticket as quickly as possible! Once we booked the plane tickets to Cairns then came the big task of figuring out how a family of four with two adults, a five-year-old, and an infant was going to be able to experience the Great Barrier Reef.
I spent hours scouring the Internet, looking through Tripadvisor reviews, forums, blog posts, and utilizing Instagram as inspiration but it was information overload and made it a bit difficult to locate a company that would accommodate all of our needs. Thankfully, all of that research paid off, and we had a fantastic time on the reef. So, to help you save some valuable time, here are some quick tips to for taking kids to The Great Barrier Reef!
Table of Contents
Where to Stay
There are quite a few accommodation options that provide you direct access to the Cairns Marina, as well as the Esplanade, Boardwalk & Lagoon. We stayed at the Cairns Coconut Holiday Resort, which is a short 12-minute drive from the Marina. With its wide variety of accommodation options and its family-friendly amenities, it was completely worth the trip.
Set Expectations
One of the cornerstones of raising a child on the spectrum is planning everything out but also setting realistic expectations. There is a reason the Great Barrier Reef is considered a bucket list destination, one of those primary reasons, aside from the gorgeous reef itself, is that it is expensive. A family of four can anticipate spending anywhere between $400 to 500 USD for a tour to the outer reef. Those prices will fluctuate based on factors like if youโre going to a pontoon, if youโre snorkeling versus scuba diving, and any what any add-ons.
Which Reef Tour Company?
We decided to go with Great Adventures because they were family-friendly with a pontoon that offered activities for our family members who were not snorkeling. I also really liked that Great Adventures provided an option to visit Green Island. Unfortunately, I ended up booking the wrong tour, which didnโt include the stop at Green Island, but this turned out to be for the best. When choosing your reef tour operator, there are a couple of things to consider.
- How exactly do you want to experience the reef? Are you hoping to snorkel or scuba dive to get up close and personal or would you prefer to stay dry to view the reef, such as through glass bottom boat or underwater observatory?
- Are you looking for a full day experience? A vast majority of the tour providers that go to the outer reef travel to a pontoon. The pontoon is an activity center in the middle of the ocean, which makes the reef easily accessible for snorkeling or scuba diving, but also allows guests to view the reef through a semi-submersible tour. Most tour operators spend about 4 hours at the pontoon, giving you plenty of opportunities to experience everything on-board.
- Food? In and your excitement and booking youโre out or restore donโt forget to consider whether your tour operator offers a meal. Our tour included a snack both going and coming from the reef, coffee, and tea, as well as an all you can eat buffet at the pontoon.
Getting to the Reef
Regardless of which tour operator you decide to go with they all leave from the Cairns Harbor at the Fleet Terminal building. Depending on if youโre going to Green Island or straight to the outer reef will determine what time you need to arrive. I recommend being at the harbor at least an hour before your departure time; this will allow for you to locate your tour operator check in, grab a bite to eat, and get in line. Having a child on the spectrum (or most kids quite frankly), usually means waiting in line is difficult, so if you are traveling with another adult, it may be helpful to have them wait in line while you have an alternate activity like grabbing something to eat. Standing in line is crucial as it will determine where you sit on the boat. Our tour was sold out which made for a crowded experience, and while there were seats for everyone, depending on your child (or your) comfort with wind noise, grabbing a coveted indoor seat will depend on being in line early.
The ride out to the reef takes between 1.5-2 hours, and the ride can be a bit bumpy, so if you are prone to seasickness be sure to bring your Dramamine with you! On the journey out to Green Island, which is the first stop, videos play throughout the boat explaining life on the reef, but if you are sitting outside it is impossible to hear it with the wind noise. Great Adventures crew members also circulate the boat providing information about add-on experiences for both Green Island and the Outer Reef. Be sure to clarify which location you are upgrading for and double check that you have enough time for the add-on.
Experiencing the Reef
Once you arrive at the reef, your options on how to spend your time are truly limitless. Because Roo & I wanted to get up close and personal, we opted to go straight to the snorkel gear, while Christa and Lightning Bug spent time sunbathing.
All of our snorkel gear was included in the price of the tour, which included a stinger suit, flotation vest, fins, goggles, and a snorkel. In hindsight, I would have brought our own snorkel mask, only because it was difficult for Roo to figure out how not to let water into the tube. This resulted in a lot of gulped water and even some tears. There are lots of add-ons available to the base price, such as helicopter tours, SNUBA, and scuba.
I will admit, being on a pontoon in the middle of the ocean and then being expected to climb off that pontoon to snorkel is incredibly intimidating, especially with a small child. One of my favorite features of the Great Adventures pontoon was that there were wide platforms at the bottom of the steps, that allowed for you to be waist deep in the water, but also provided a launching point for your snorkeling adventure. In addition to the platforms, there were โrest stationsโ in the swimming area. These are designed to allow for you to hang off of them while taking a break, these are great for adults, but do not work so well for children as they move around a lot in the water, and it can be challenging to hang on to it.
What to do on Dry Land
As I mentioned earlier, Christa and Lightning Bug spent a large portion of their time sunbathing and people watching. There was also an upper level of the pontoon where they could watch Roo & I snorkel. Great Adventures offers a semi-sub experience, and while it was nice to be able to get a peek under the sea, Christa reported being underwhelmed by the view and marine life they saw. This is understandable because the boat can only get so close without damaging the reef. An alternative was the underwater viewing area on the lower deck of the pontoon. This allows for members of your family who donโt want to get in the water to also experience parts of the reef.
Lunch
After all of that swimming, you will work up an appetite. Great Adventures, as well as many other reef tour companies, offer an all you can eat buffet. The buffet had a variety of options to choose from including a plethora of seafood options. Be sure to keep an eye on your time while snorkeling so that you donโt miss out on some of your favorite food items. The staff on our pontoon tried to regulate portion sizes, but some guests were piling multiple plates to the ceiling with shrimp leaving little for the rest of the tour participants.
Verdict
The Great Barrier Reef was a fantastic experience for the entire family. Being able to tie in our experiences at the reef in our Worldschooling curriculum made it that much better. I would strongly encourage parents to gauge their small childrenโs swim abilities BEFORE snorkeling. Keep in mind this is open water, and you cannot stand up on the reef. Roo was on the verge of a meltdown for a large portion of snorkeling due to her beginner swimming skills. Aside from that visiting the Great Barrier Reef, was one of the most breathtaking experiences I have had on this trip thus far! It is a splurge, but of so worth it!
