Take a boat trip to the Great Barrier Reef

The Great Barrier Reef is to Australia what rolling savannahs are to Africa. Calling it “another world”, as the commonest cliché has it, doesn’t begin to describe the feeling of donning masks and fins and coming face to face with its extraordinary animals, shapes, and colors. There’s so little relationship to life above the surface that the distinctions one usually takes for granted – for example between animal, vegetable, and mineral – seem blurred. While the respective roles of observer and observed are constantly inverted as shoals of curious fish follow the human interlopers about.

With vibrant coral reefs and an extraordinary array of marine life, the Great Barrier Reef is one of the most diverse ocean habitats in the world, and also one of the best things to do in Australia. It is the largest coral reef system on the planet, reaching along almost the entire length of the Queensland coastline in northeast Australia. Get ready to encounter giant clams, majestic sea turtles, graceful stingrays, reef sharks, an incredible variety of tropical fish, and of course spectacular coral formations. If you head out on an overnight tour, you can even jump in the water for some nocturnal diving. Just be sure to book your tour with an eco-friendly company that promotes preservation and respect for the reef. Most people visit the reef from Cairns, but Port Douglas and Cape Tribulation are two other great places to base yourself for a Great Barrier Reef trip.