Mackay Reef tours from Cape Tribulation, Queensland

Yes. It is possible to do a Great Barrier Reef tour from Cape Tribulation in far north Queensland. Ocean Safari runs small group snorkelling trips to the Mackay Reef, about 20km from the beach.

To book a small group Mackay Reef tour from Cape Tribulation, head this way.

For more information, read on.

How close is Cape Tribulation to the Great Barrier Reef?

As James Cook discovered when crashing there in 1770, the Great Barrier Reef comes close to Cape Tribulation. In fact, the Great Barrier Reef is 20km offshore of Cape Tribulation.

This makes Cape Trib an excellent base for reef trips. Particularly if you’d prefer a smaller group than some of the big Great Barrier Reef tours heading out from Cairns and Port Douglas.

Ocean Safari runs small group trips in a RIB, which cuts across the sea fast. This gets would-be snorkelers to the reef as soon as possible. The half day trips cost from $179.

Great Barrier Reef tours from Cape Tribulation: Snorkelling on the Mackay Reef

It’s something of a bumpy ride out to Mackay Reef from Cape Tribulation if the wind is up and the sea is choppy. But that’s all part of the adventure, and once you’re underwater, this is quickly forgotten.

Those who’ve been to the Reef several times can forget how extraordinary it is for a first timer. The sheer variety makes it spellbinding no matter how many times you go down, though. Green brain corals mix with wafting staghorns, and massive schools of fish float around. The parrotfish nibble at the coral, the anemonefish hide in the anemones, the occasional grouper shocks with sheer size.

Cape Tribulation reef tours: Under the water

But what’s particularly memorable at Mackay Reef are the giant clams. And they are giant. Some have deep blues, some look almost leopard print, but all do that weird pulsating thing, ready to close any time something comes near.

It’s a world that’s remarkably easy to get lost in. And when the time to leave comes, it’s no surprise that several snorkelers are still happily lost in it.

Should you wish to visit the Great Barrier Reef from Cape Tribulation, it’s 142km north of Cairns in far north Queensland. It takes about two hours and 40 minutes to drive from Cairns to Cape Tribulation in a hire car, including the car ferry crossing of the Daintree River into the sort of rainforests where cassowaries live.

Other highlights of Cape Tribulation include Myall Beach, Cape Tribulation Beach and Mason’s Swimming Hole.

More Queensland towns to visit

The massive markets of Eumundi

Platypus-viewing hotspot Yungaburra

The coloured sands of Rainbow Beach

Bee Gees hometown Redcliffe

Golden Gumboot-hosting Tully