# Postpone September trip to Reef?



## Rachface24 (Feb 1, 2011)

Hello there, 

My bf and I are travelling to Australia to visit my sister and her husband for the first time this September. Our original plans were to visit Sydney where they live, as well as Ayers Rock and the Great Reef probably out of Cairns. 

However with the flooding and now the cyclone, I'm wondering if we should postpone the reef visit. We really want to go, but we don't want to go if the water is murky and the area is severely damaged. My sister will be there for a least the next 5 years so we could theoretically go to the reef when we visit again. Then again I've also read online that 3 years after pollution/flooding is when some spiny starfish invade the reef, so I'm concerned I may be worse off waiting. 

Any suggestions?


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## Wanderer (Jun 16, 2007)

The water will not likely still be murky a couple of months later let alone in September but you cannot stop/rectify damage to coral, but the fish will still be plentiful and I've not heard about the spiny starfish abd they kind of spread into areas, often hitching a ride internationally with shipping.

A lot of people also think they need to go as far as Cairns for the GBR whereas it is a series of reefs and atolls spread over some 2000 km. and in fact some of the great areas are those less visited further to the south and google Lady Elliot Island where you can fly out to and they have a great combo package that includes Fraser Island, Lady Musgrave Island for good day trips from 1770 and perhaps a chance to also see migrating whales, or Heron Island being a boat trip from Gladstone.


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## accommodationplus (Feb 7, 2011)

Think about viting the reef out of Airlie Beach. There is a good Fantasea trip for the day that goes to a giant pontoon. 

Airlie Beach also offers other trips to the islands including famous Whitehaven Beach which i think you will like a lot.


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