Trip to Australia around the corner. Need advice on Great Barrier Reef.

[divebrasil]

Hi Guys,
My wife and I will be able to make a last minute xmas/new year trip to Australia and we plan to spend 5 nights in Cairns so I can dive the GBR for the first time. She is a non diver and gets sea sick so we won't be doing a live aboard.

I would like to get your recommendation for day trip operators. Can the day trips reach the outer reefs? Are there any good dives also on inner reefs, or even shore dives?

Also, would be good to get suggestions for other things to do around Cairns besides diving. I know there are some rainforest and other tours, but it's hard to tell if it's a tourist trap from looking at their websites.

Thanks so much for helping.

[Cnz Diver]

Hey, we live in Cairns and based on what you have said above, I would perhaps recommend a day trip on Reef Magic, they have a pontoon that is located on the Outer Reef, I would recommend this over a more dedicated dive boat as your wife would have more to do on the reef and if she does suffer from sea sickness at least she would have a stable platform under her feet when you get to the reef, you can still do a couple of dives if you like and they do take you off the pontoon to some pretty good dive locations. Your wife can enjoy snorkeling and a semi-sub tour while you are diving. Although you can dive off the Islands (Green and Fitzroy) in Cairns, the outer reef is still the best place to dive.

Other stuff to do around Cairns can include a trip on Skyrail, a day tour up to the Daintree or you can even hire a car and spend a day on the Tablelands.

If you want any further info, I would be happy to help you out, you can find me on my links below...

[divebrasil]

Thanks, I will look into this options. Would a 3mm wetsuit be appropriate for diving there? What do people usually wear?

Thanks

[divebrasil]

Cnz Diver, I sent you an email on your website. I am the one with the Brazilian Website BrasilMergulho.com.

Thanks