While spring brings flowers to the northern hemisphere, the waters off northeastern Australia are entering their own season of exceptional conditions. This is high season on the Great Barrier Reef, and the best time to see the longest coral reef system on earth at its most vivid.

Stretching 2,300 kilometres along the Queensland coast, the reef is home to more than 1,500 species of fish, over 400 types of coral, and 2,900 individual reefs, a scale that is genuinely difficult to absorb until you are floating above it.

Flynn Reef, Milln Reef, and Norman Reef in the Outer Reef area are all accessible by day trip from Cairns and offer spectacular diving and snorkelling. For the clearest water and the most vibrant coral gardens, Agincourt Reef near Port Douglas is particularly recommended. Visibility here can extend to 30 metres on a good day, turning a dip into the underwater world into something close to flying. Many coastal resorts also offer their own reef access packages; contact your hotel directly for details.

Getting there: Fly to Sydney with THAI, then connect to Cairns and choose your preferred dive package. Click here