Reef Islands
There are many islands scattered off the Queensland Coast in several different island groups. Many cater for day trips, overnight stays, or both, offering widely varying standards of facilities accommodation. Not all islands off the coast are on the reef. Some are continental islands, some coral cays. Some of the continental islands have coral gardens off the beach, others do not. Some islands are teeming with marine life, and others have little. Check the specific destination guides, to see if the island you are thinking of visiting is a snorkeller's paradise, or just a nice place to pull up a deckchair and relax.
The islands that are not on the reef, generally run some sort of day trip by boat to the reef. Some of these trips, especially those in the Whitsundays, can pick up from the mainland prior to picking up from one or two islands, servicing daytrippers from the islands to the coast, coast to islands, and coast and islands to the reef. In these cases, prices are usually similar to what you would pay from the coast. However, there are some islands typically the premium ones that offer their own trips, and these can cost considerably more.
By Day Trip Reef Boat
Day trips to the reef run from most of the length of the Queensland Coast. Generally speaking, the further north you leave from, the shorter the trip to the reef, as it approaches the coast near Cape Tribulation.
The general trip plan for the major operators provides for a early morning departure, Tie up a few hours later off a pontoon or cay where they have purchased rights, usually lunch is available or included and a late afternoon return to port. They always return to one or two specific locations, and it is not unusual for several boats to be within a few hundred metres of each other.
These types of trips are offered at least from the mainland coastal towns out of Cape Tribulation, Port Douglas, Cairns, Townsville, Airlie Beach Shute Harbour, Mackay, Gladstone, and 1770 from north to south. Check destination guides for more information, as not all trips run every day from every town.
Charter Or Independent Boat
It is possible to hire a yacht or launch, or to do an independent charter. The seas inland from the reef tend to be calm. It is possible to hire a boat as a group with no boat licence.