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Salut,
Meilleure periode pour la barriere, pendant l'hiver austral. Quant a Cairns c'est la destination phare car la plus proche des recifs et proposant le plus grand nombre de possibilites de plongee. Mais sur presque toute la cote du Queesland tu as moyens de trouver ton bonheur, peut-etre un peu plus cheres...

Bon vent sous les flots

Mon Francais est tres pauvre ainsi Anglais repondre.
The best time to visit the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) is in October, November. The sea is calm and the water warm. In June and July the air temperatures are good but the wind is strong (SE) and the water cold. Cairns and Port Douglas are the best centres for trips to the reef. Cheap diving courses are available in Cairns. Stay at a beach north of Cairns (Trinity, Palm Cove) as Cairns has no beach, just mudflats. Don't go to Green Island as the reef is very poor.
The best reef to see is out of Port D and is Agincourt Reef and I found Poseidon to be the best boat to go on. If your Anglais is okay see www.tripadvisor.com for much advice. You will need some Anglais in Oz but Aussies just love the French accent!

hello,

My English is too poor, but I'll truy to speak with you in English;

I'll be in Australia This Friday to Sydney; I would like to visite "LORD HOWE ISLAND". Could you tell me how I need to do ? If I can take the ferries or if I have to take a plane?

Thank you for your response.

Michèle.

I wouldn't recommend October and November as it is the beginning of the stingers season and you'd have to wear a stinger suit to go bathing or snorkelling. A pain.

Desolé - too late. You can only fly to LHI from Sydney or Brisbane. LHI I think is the most beautiful island in Australia. It has a lagoon with coral but not as good as the GBR but still pretty good.
Also wearing a stinger suit is no problem - it also stops you getting sunburnt which very easily happens when snorkelling. I don't wear one as the chances of being stung out on the reef is very small.

My message was in reply to your first message on this thread.

I did reply to michèle aloth on another thread she opened on the forum regarding LHI.

There are no stingers on LHI.

It is true that the chances of being stung out on the reef are very small, however charters don't take the risk (neither do their insurances).