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Australia, Inspiration, Oceania · November 29, 2018

20 Photos to Inspire You to Visit the Great Barrier Reef

Ever dreamt of seeing the amazing landscape of the Great Barrier Reef from the air? Here are 20 photos that will inspire you to travel to the Great Barrier Reef, including the iconic Heart Reef. Taking a helicopter ride is one of the best activities to do beside snorkeling.
Ever dreamt of seeing the amazing landscape of the Great Barrier Reef from the air? Here are 20 photos that will inspire you to travel to the Great Barrier Reef, including the iconic Heart Reef. Taking a helicopter ride is one of the best activities to do beside snorkeling.
Ever dreamt of seeing the amazing landscape of the Great Barrier Reef from the air? Here are 20 photos that will inspire you to travel to the Great Barrier Reef, including the iconic Heart Reef. Taking a helicopter ride is one of the best activities to do beside snorkeling.
Ever dreamt of seeing the amazing landscape of the Great Barrier Reef from the air? Here are 20 photos that will inspire you to travel to the Great Barrier Reef, including the iconic Heart Reef. Taking a helicopter ride is one of the best activities to do beside snorkeling.
Ever dreamt of seeing the amazing landscape of the Great Barrier Reef from the air? Here are 20 photos that will inspire you to travel to the Great Barrier Reef, including the iconic Heart Reef. Taking a helicopter ride is one of the best activities to do beside snorkeling.

Undoubtedly one of the top things to do on any visit to Australia, is seeing the Great Barrier Reef from the air! Why? This is totally a once in a lifetime, bucket list experience for anyone.

There are many reasons why you should consider investing in taking a helicopter flight over the reef. While it’s much cheaper to take a boat ride there, you don’t get to truly experience the grandeur of the Great Barrier Reef until you see it from above.

There are many places from which you can see the Great Barrier Reef. These include Hayman Island, Airlie Beach, Cairns, Port Douglas, Cape Tribulation, Mackay, and many more. We chose to base ourselves on Hamilton Island for our trip out to the reef.

If you’re not convinced, then check out these photos we took of the Great Barrier Reef from the Air on our recent trip.

Are you exploring Australia right now? Here’s everything you need to know about Flying in Australia during COVID!

  • Ever dreamt of seeing the amazing landscape of the Great Barrier Reef from the air? Here are 20 photos that will inspire you to travel to the Great Barrier Reef, including the iconic Heart Reef. Taking a helicopter ride is one of the best activities to do beside snorkeling.
  • Ever dreamt of seeing the amazing landscape of the Great Barrier Reef from the air? Here are 20 photos that will inspire you to travel to the Great Barrier Reef, including the iconic Heart Reef. Taking a helicopter ride is one of the best activities to do beside snorkeling.
  • Ever dreamt of seeing the amazing landscape of the Great Barrier Reef from the air? Here are 20 photos that will inspire you to travel to the Great Barrier Reef, including the iconic Heart Reef. Taking a helicopter ride is one of the best activities to do beside snorkeling.

How Do You Get to the Whitsundays?

Hamilton Island Airport is right near the Great Barrier Reef. We flew to Hamilton Island and stayed overnight during our recent visit to the Whitsundays. This was a great place to base ourselves for a visit to the Great Barrier Reef.

Related Post: A Guide to Visiting Hamilton Island in the Whitsundays

  • Ever dreamt of seeing the amazing landscape of the Great Barrier Reef from the air? Here are 20 photos that will inspire you to travel to the Great Barrier Reef, including the iconic Heart Reef. Taking a helicopter ride is one of the best activities to do beside snorkeling.
  • Ever dreamt of seeing the amazing landscape of the Great Barrier Reef from the air? Here are 20 photos that will inspire you to travel to the Great Barrier Reef, including the iconic Heart Reef. Taking a helicopter ride is one of the best activities to do beside snorkeling.
  • Ever dreamt of seeing the amazing landscape of the Great Barrier Reef from the air? Here are 20 photos that will inspire you to travel to the Great Barrier Reef, including the iconic Heart Reef. Taking a helicopter ride is one of the best activities to do beside snorkeling.
  • Ever dreamt of seeing the amazing landscape of the Great Barrier Reef from the air? Here are 20 photos that will inspire you to travel to the Great Barrier Reef, including the iconic Heart Reef. Taking a helicopter ride is one of the best activities to do beside snorkeling.

Scenic Helicopter Tour with Hamilton Island Air

Seeing the Great Barrier Reef from the air was the number one thing we wanted to do on our Whistunday itinerary. We booked our helicopter sightseeing flight with Hamilton Island Air, who were very professional and made our helicopter flight a really enjoyable experience. The pilot was very knowledgeable about all the reef formations and strategically positioned us in the air, so we could get amazing photos of the Great Barrier Reef.

  • Ever dreamt of seeing the amazing landscape of the Great Barrier Reef from the air? Here are 20 photos that will inspire you to travel to the Great Barrier Reef, including the iconic Heart Reef. Taking a helicopter ride is one of the best activities to do beside snorkeling.
  • Ever dreamt of seeing the amazing landscape of the Great Barrier Reef from the air? Here are 20 photos that will inspire you to travel to the Great Barrier Reef, including the iconic Heart Reef. Taking a helicopter ride is one of the best activities to do beside snorkeling.
  • Ever dreamt of seeing the amazing landscape of the Great Barrier Reef from the air? Here are 20 photos that will inspire you to travel to the Great Barrier Reef, including the iconic Heart Reef. Taking a helicopter ride is one of the best activities to do beside snorkeling.
  • Ever dreamt of seeing the amazing landscape of the Great Barrier Reef from the air? Here are 20 photos that will inspire you to travel to the Great Barrier Reef, including the iconic Heart Reef. Taking a helicopter ride is one of the best activities to do beside snorkeling.
  • Ever dreamt of seeing the amazing landscape of the Great Barrier Reef from the air? Here are 20 photos that will inspire you to travel to the Great Barrier Reef, including the iconic Heart Reef. Taking a helicopter ride is one of the best activities to do beside snorkeling.

Visiting Whitehaven Beach

You know that beautiful white sand island that you see in all the Tourism Australia advertisements. That’s Whitehaven Beach on Whitsunday Island. It’s actually not possible to stay on Whitsunday Island, unless you stay on a yacht or camp there. There are no hotels. But we reckon that nearby Hamilton Island is the best place to stay in the Whitsundays.

We chose the Heart Reef & Whitehaven Stopover tour, which meant we got to spend an hour frolicking on the whitest sand beach you’ve ever seen!

Related Post: 50+ Famous Landmarks in Australia to Add to Your Bucket List

  • Ever dreamt of seeing the amazing landscape of the Great Barrier Reef from the air? Here are 20 photos that will inspire you to travel to the Great Barrier Reef, including the iconic Heart Reef. Taking a helicopter ride is one of the best activities to do beside snorkeling.
  • Ever dreamt of seeing the amazing landscape of the Great Barrier Reef from the air? Here are 20 photos that will inspire you to travel to the Great Barrier Reef, including the iconic Heart Reef. Taking a helicopter ride is one of the best activities to do beside snorkeling.
  • Ever dreamt of seeing the amazing landscape of the Great Barrier Reef from the air? Here are 20 photos that will inspire you to travel to the Great Barrier Reef, including the iconic Heart Reef. Taking a helicopter ride is one of the best activities to do beside snorkeling.

Best Time to Visit

We visited the Great Barrier Reef in March and were blessed with incredible weather. However, March is right at the end of the wet season and tropical storms are common. Most people recommend September (Spring) as the best time of year to visit the Whitsundays.

Feeling Inspired? Here are 10 Bucket List Places to Visit when the world opens for travel again!

  • Ever dreamt of seeing the amazing landscape of the Great Barrier Reef from the air? Here are 20 photos that will inspire you to travel to the Great Barrier Reef, including the iconic Heart Reef. Taking a helicopter ride is one of the best activities to do beside snorkeling.
  • Ever dreamt of seeing the amazing landscape of the Great Barrier Reef from the air? Here are 20 photos that will inspire you to travel to the Great Barrier Reef, including the iconic Heart Reef. Taking a helicopter ride is one of the best activities to do beside snorkeling.

Have you got any additional tips for seeing the Great Barrier Reef from the air, or from the sea? Let our readers know about them in the comments below.


Read More About Australia:
  • 50+ Famous Landmarks in Australia to add to your Bucket List
  • Flying in Australia during COVID: Everything You Need to Know!
  • 10 Amazing Stops Along The Great Ocean Road
  • Where to Find the Best Laneways in Melbourne
  • A Guide to Visiting Hamilton Island in the Whitsundays
  • The Ultimate LUXE Guide to Hayman Island
  • A Weekend Guide to Noose Heads: Where to Stay, Eat & Play
  • 20 Photos to Inspire You to Visit the Great Barrier Reef
  • The Ultimate Guide to Port Douglas
  • How to See Tangalooma Wrecks on Moreton Island
  • Ultimate 6 Day Tasmania East Coast Road Trip Itinerary
  • The Ultimate Travel Bucket List

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Planning a trip soon? Here is a list of the websites and resources we use for booking everything from flights, to accommodation, tours, and more:
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  • Tourradar | Intrepid for multi-day experiential and adventure tours
  • Priority Pass for airport lounge access in hundreds of locations around the world
  • Skyroam to stay connected to WiFi everywhere I go 
  • iVisa to apply for entry visas for most countries in the world
  • World Nomads for the most comprehensive worldwide travel insurance

About the Author:

Amanda Twine is the founder and creator of Fly Stay Luxe – a luxury travel blog sharing informative travel guides, food guides, hotel reviews, itineraries and tips about how to make luxury travel more affordable.

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Pin This Post for Later:
  • Ever dreamt of seeing the amazing landscape of the Great Barrier Reef from the air? Here are 20 photos that will inspire you to travel to the Great Barrier Reef, including the iconic Heart Reef. Taking a helicopter ride is one of the best activities to do beside snorkeling.
  • Ever dreamt of seeing the amazing landscape of the Great Barrier Reef from the air? Here are 20 photos that will inspire you to travel to the Great Barrier Reef, including the iconic Heart Reef. Taking a helicopter ride is one of the best activities to do beside snorkeling.

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In: Australia, Inspiration, Oceania · Tagged: Australia, Bucket List, Destinations, Hamilton Island, Luxury Travel, Photography, Queensland, Summer, Travel, Travel Advice, Travel Tips, Whitsundays

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Comments

  1. theadventuretomeim says

    December 13, 2018 at 6:19 am

    These pictures are beautiful! I cannot wait to head to Aus and try my hand at scuba diving, there’s nothing like golden sands and sparkling blue seas!

    Reply
    • Amanda Twine says

      December 13, 2018 at 9:21 am

      Thanks! I’m so excited for you. You should definitely consider doing a heli tour as well. The reef is spectacular from the air (as you can see).

      Reply

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