Cairns · Great Barrier Reef
Reef news Great Barrier Reef Blog Cairns tour news, tips and updates
Guides, seasonal updates and what our crews are actually seeing on the water — written in Cairns by the people who run the boats.
Simpson’s Diversity Index: the complete guide for Queensland Senior Biology
Simpson’s Diversity Index explained for Queensland Senior Biology Unit 3: the formula, a full worked example, richness vs evenness, and real reef fieldwork.
What eats coral? The reef’s corallivores, and the two we watch closely
Crown-of-thorns starfish, Drupella snails, parrotfish and more. What eats coral on the Great Barrier Reef, which ones matter, and what we do about it.
How to Check a Dive School Is Actually Accredited
There is no government register of dive schools. How accreditation actually works, how to verify a centre, and the red flags that matter more than any certificate.
Nine Questions to Ask Any Dive Centre Before You Book a Course
Price is the easiest thing to compare between dive centres and the least useful. Nine questions that expose what actually differs – plus the one not worth asking.
Learning to Dive on the Reef vs in a Pool: What Actually Changes
Same certification either way. What changes is whether you spend your first nine dives cold and half-blind, or warm and able to see.
Fitzroy Island vs Frankland Islands: Which Should You Visit?
Quick answer: Fitzroy Island or the Frankland Islands? These are very different kinds of island trip. Fitzroy Island is a single, developed continental island 45 minutes from...
Scuba Diving Courses in Brisbane vs Cairns: Which Is Worth the Trip?
Brisbane has genuinely good training conditions, so the usual argument does not apply. What does apply is a two-hour flight and a World Heritage reef at the other end.
Scuba Diving Courses in Melbourne: Certify at Home or on the Reef?
Melbourne’s dive sites are world-class and its water is 13 degrees. An honest look at where to do your first dives, and the referral option most people miss.
Great Barrier Reef by Helicopter: Flying to Moore Reef with Sunlover
Fly Out, Fly Back: the I Love Cairns family swaps the catamaran for a ZOOM Helicopters flight to Moore Reef, seeing the Great Barrier Reef from the air before spending the afternoon snorkelling the reef below.
Scuba Diving Courses in Sydney vs Certifying on the Great Barrier Reef
Same certification either way. An honest comparison of learning to dive in Sydney against certifying on the Great Barrier Reef — including what Sydney genuinely does better.
Learning to Dive in Your 60s and 70s: An Honest Guide
There is no upper age limit on scuba certification. What actually matters instead, what genuinely gets harder, and where to start if you are unsure.
Do You Need a Licence or Certification to Scuba Dive in Australia?
There is no diving licence in Australia. What certification actually is, what you can do without it, and the Queensland rules that apply on the reef.