Heart Reef & Whitehaven Beach
A must-see at the Great Barrier Reef is the Heart Reef, though I must say its smaller than expected (third photograph, center).
A personal recommendation: Whitehaven beach is paradise, and my photos simply don't do it justice. Accessible only by seaplanes that drop you beachfront, your feet will melt into the fine, fine sand. (Full disclosure: I took some home with me). Make sure your seaplane returns to pick you up, however! There's no other way off the island, and no known inhabitants...
Tour operators will charter seaplanes to fly guests over the reef. The colors are astounding, and changes in depth and darkness depending on the weather and time of day.
Typical tours to the more remote areas of the reef will include seaplane transfer for an aerial view, in conjunction with a boat tour for snorkeling opportunities. Without a underwater camera, I was unable to take any pictures of the dynamic life beneath the surface. Suffice it to say, however, the real attraction of the Greater Barrier Reef lies underwater.
Personally, I felt the overall vista from the plane was more impressive, though the heart remains a symbol of the reef.
Breathtaking. I rarely encounter places that appear exactly as their presumably retouched photographs, but Whitehaven is one such place.
Seaplanes leaving and pick-up content guests. There's a real temptation to hide, and stay on till the next plane arrives. Make sure to get on the last one out, though, as there's likely no fresh water on the island.
I was a little miffed to leave Whitehaven, no amount of time spent on that beach will ever, ever be enough. The flight back, however, was just as scenic, as the water changed colors depending on the depth of the water.
