When I think of Australia, I think of the Great Barrier Reef—and it was hard to imagine visiting the country without visiting its most prized treasure.

So we were off to Airlie Beach in the Whitsundays, a small beach town less hectic than Cairns (a popular city further north from which to visit the reef). It was great that Vikram’s brother Ashvin could join us for this part as well!

We did a few different activities from here, including a day on a sailboat and a visit to Whitehaven Beach, consistently rated as a top-five beach in the world.

But the highlight was definitely our time at the reef itself. Our tour already included snorkeling at the reef, and we could also select from a few optional activities. I sprang for an introductory scuba dive, and Vikram and his brother chose to do a helicopter ride over the reef.

Below

When a crew member asked us if we’d be interested in a scuba diving—and that it was possible to do it without any scuba diving experience whatsoever—I knew that I had to do it. I’ve always loved swimming and frolicking in the sea, but had never really had a good opportunity to try scuba.

While it would have been cooler to actually have gotten certified and do my own dive, I was very content with the introductory version. We spent about five minutes getting used to the breathing on an underwater deck attached to the pontoon. Then a guide took two people at a time around the reef for up-close views of breathtaking (well, not literally, thank goodness) coral and colorful fish.

Things I learned under the sea:

• Giant grouper look shockingly like sharks to the untrained eye. (But luckily, we didn’t see any actual sharks.)
• To counter the pressure increases as you dive, you need to pop your ears every half-meter or so.
• I was more nervous that I realized—at the end of the dive, my jaw hurt from how hard I had been biting down on the mouthpiece!

Above

I loved the scuba diving, but one of the best ways to experience the reef is to see it from above. Other diving sites may offer more pristine coral, but the Great Barrier Reef is unrivaled in its sheer size and scope. It stretches over 2,000 km—greater than the distance between Seattle and Los Angeles.

Accordingly, a helicopter ride is in order.

Vikram and Ashvin rode a small boat out to a helipad in the middle of the sea, and from there took off on an unforgettable 10-minute helicopter ride over the reef.

Travel Notes

• I was happy with our choice to go to to the Whitsunday Islands. We could visit the reef (and it’s less damaged in this area than further north toward Cairns), and it was also fun to visit the surrounding islands and beaches.
• Be sure to do an “outer reef” tour if coming from Whitsundays. Many of the island tours offer snorkeling, but it’s of “fringe reef” and far less impressive than the true reef. That being said, we loved sailing around the islands and hanging out at the perfect Whitehaven Beach.
• “Stinger” (AKA jellyfish) season is from November through May. Some of these jellyfish are extremely poisonous, so you must wear very attractive stinger suits when swimming and snorkeling. Tour companies will provide these for you.