Frommer's Portable Australia's Great Barrier Reef
Chapter One
Introducing Australia's
Great Barrier Reef
The statistics are formidable, but nothing can prepare you for the
reality of the Reef. Experienced divers on their first time here are as
awed as snorkelers who've donned mask and fins for the first time.
The Great Barrier Reef stretches more than 2,000km (1,250
miles) along the east coast of northern Australia. It is home to 1,500
kinds of fish, 400 species of corals, 4,000 kinds of clams and snails,
and countless sponges, worms, starfish, and sea urchins. It covers an
area bigger than the size of England, Scotland, and Wales, a mere
348,700 sq. km (134,633 sq. miles). And if that's not enough, try
this: it's the only living thing on Earth visible from the moon. Some
call it the Eighth Wonder of the World.
So where to start? Take heart-it may be awesome in scale, but a
trip to the Great Barrier Reef is entirely manageable with good planning.
That's where this book comes in, designed to give you the
lowdown on some of the best sites to snorkel and dive this magnificent
piece of nature and to provide tips on how to make the most of
your experience. We tell you about the top dive and sno ... read full excerpt from Frommer's Portable Australia's Great Barrier Reef ebook
