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Australia, Oceania, Queensland · November 29, 2018

20 Photos to Inspire You to Visit the Great Barrier Reef

20 Photos to Inspire You to Visit the Great Barrier Reef
20 Photos to Inspire You to Visit the Great Barrier Reef
20 Photos to Inspire You to Visit the Great Barrier Reef
20 Photos to Inspire You to Visit the Great Barrier Reef
20 Photos to Inspire You to Visit the Great Barrier Reef
20 Photos to Inspire You to Visit the Great Barrier Reef
20 Photos to Inspire You to Visit the Great Barrier Reef
20 Photos to Inspire You to Visit the Great Barrier Reef
20 Photos to Inspire You to Visit the Great Barrier Reef
20 Photos to Inspire You to Visit the Great Barrier Reef
20 Photos to Inspire You to Visit the Great Barrier Reef
20 Photos to Inspire You to Visit the Great Barrier Reef

Undoubtedly one of the most iconic Australian landmarks and a top thing to do on any visit to Australia is to see 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 and the beautiful islands that surround it, until you see it from above.

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

check out these amazing photos we took of the great barrier reef from the air!

20 Photos to Inspire You to Visit the Great Barrier Reef
20 Photos to Inspire You to Visit the Great Barrier Reef
No time to read this now? Pin it for later!

Did You Know? We use ads to help pay the bills so we can continue to publish free travel advice. We also have affiliate partnerships, so when you click through and make a purchase or book your stay from one of our blog posts, we may receive a small commission (at no extra cost to you). Thank you for supporting Bucket List Seekers! Read our Disclosure Policy for more details.


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 in the Whitsundays and is one of the closest airports to the Great Barrier Reef. We flew to Hamilton Island and stayed overnight during our trip 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 Whitsunday itinerary. We booked our helicopter sightseeing flight with Hamilton Island Air, who was 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.

Read Next: The Ultimate World Travel Bucket List – 150+ Places to See Before You Die

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 around the world this year!

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.


Planning a Queensland adventure? Read more:
  • Ultimate Australia Bucket List
  • Best Queensland Island Holidays & Resorts
  • Hamilton Island Travel Guide
  • Hayman Island Travel Guide
  • Noosa Heads Travel Guide
  • Port Douglas Travel Guide
  • Tangalooma Wrecks & Moreton Island Travel Guide
  • Best Beaches on the Sunshine Coast

Planning a trip soon? Here’s a list of the websites we use for booking our trips:
  • Skyscanner for the best flight deals
  • Booking.com for the best rates on hotels
  • HomeAway for the best price on apartment and home rentals
  • Rentalcars.com for quick and easy car rentals
  • Luxury Escapes | Expedia for luxury package holiday deals and tours
  • Get Your Guide | Klook | Viator for booking day tours and attraction tickets
  • Tourradar for a wide selection of multi-day tours
  • Safety Wing for the most comprehensive worldwide travel insurance

Did You Know? We use ads and affiliate links on this website. When you click through and make a purchase, we may receive a small commission (at no extra cost to you), that helps us pay the bills to keep running this blog as a free resource. We only recommend products we use ourselves. If you’re planning to book a trip soon, please consider clicking through the links in this article, so that we can continue to provide free travel guides, just like this one! Please see our Disclosure Policy for more details.


About the Author:

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

Connect with us on Facebook | Instagram | X | Pinterest. If you found this article helpful, please share it with your friends!


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In: Australia, Oceania, Queensland · Tagged: Australia, Bucket List, Destinations, Hamilton Island, Luxury Travel, 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!

    Log in to 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).

      Log in to Reply

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A Guide to Visiting Hamilton Island in the Whitsundays

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