From Cairns onto the Great Barrier Reef with Ocean Free & Ocean Freedom
Are you going Down Under? lucky you. Biting your teeth during the long flight, but hey, you have something. This also gives you the chance to discover Australia's Great Barrier Reef with the best spots, islands, hotels and places for diving. You can access the reef from different ways, but we did so from Cairns with Ocean Free & Ocean Freedom. We will explain why we did that below.
A highlight of your trip to Australia will undoubtedly be diving and snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef. From Cairns you can easily explore the reef, and the “Ocean Freedom” and “Ocean Free” boat tours offered by Cairns Premier Great Barrier Reef and Island Tours are ideal for this. Which of the two should you choose? We'll get to that in a moment. First what both tours have in common is that they are very guest oriented, serve small groups and offer eco-accredited snorkeling and SCUBA diving tours.
The story begins with Perry, who has been in the Cairns diving industry since 1988 and has been involved with Ocean Free since 1992. Together with Taryn he bought this boat in 1996. In 2005 they expanded their fleet with a second ship, Ocean Freedom. Ocean Freedom has since undergone an impressive renovation and now reaches the reef in under an hour at a speed of 23 knots, giving you six hours on the reef. During this tour you will visit two beautiful locations: Upolu Cay Reef and Outer Edge Upolu Reef. Ocean Free has also had several updates and is the perfect choice for an exclusive sailing trip. This boat has a unique mooring one kilometer from Green Island, allowing for a combination of a sailing, reef and island experience.
It can be quite overwhelming when you take the plunge into the sea. But whether you are an experienced or novice snorkeler or diver, the crew makes it super easy. After a short briefing and with good equipment, you dive and/or snorkel in search of reef sharks, sea turtles, schools of fish and giant shells. If you book Ocean Freedom, you can enjoy the reef at several times, including a glass bottom boat, snorkeling tours and the option for scuba diving.
If you choose Ocean Free, you choose a relaxing day. The boat is a smaller sailing boat (maximum 25 guests and a spacious crew) compared to the large yachts you often see. The mooring at Green Island, away from the crowds, offers the chance to explore the reef in peace. Also nice: the staff does their utmost to ensure that everyone feels safe and can fully enjoy all the activities. The food on board is delicious, with morning tea, lunch, several snacks, fruit, sweets and even wine (at an additional cost).
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