Located in the Coral Sea off the north-east coast of Australia, the Great Barrier Reef is one of the greatest natural wonders of the world and in 1981 was listed as a World Heritage site. It measures 348,700 square kilometres in area and is about 2,300 kilometres long, running from just north of Bundaberg to the tip of the Cape York Peninsula. The Great Barrier Reef contains over 3,000 reefs, which vary in size from 1 hectare to over 10,000. It also includes 760 fringing reefs, 300 coral cays and 618 continental islands. As the world's largest coral reef ecosystem, the Great Barrier Reef is home to a large population of dugong, 1,500 species of fish, 400 species of coral, 4,000 species of mollusc, 500 species of seaweed, 215 species of bird, 16 species of sea snake and six species of sea turtle.
Popular past times on the Great Barrier Reef include scuba diving, snorkelling and jet skiing. These tours can all be arranged from the rainforest coastal town of Mission Beach which has two juxtapositions - on one hand it is an adrenaline junkies paradise with white water rafting and skydiving and on the other hand it's an extremely relaxing place to spend some time lazing in the sun.
Mission Beach has a surprising diversity of businesses. It is well stocked with bars and restaurants but also supports businesses as diverse as website designers and real estate agencies. |
