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Home › Great Barrier Reef Tours from the Whitsundays › 1 Day Outer Great Barrier Reef Adventure at Hardy Reef

1 Day Outer Great Barrier Reef Adventure at Hardy Reef from the Whitsundays

Adults from $279

Discover the Hardy Reef on a 1-day tour filled with adventures like scuba-diving, snorkelling, and scenic helicopter flights.

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This day trip takes you on a catamaran to the Reefworld Platform (Hardy Reef) where you can spot marine life through the underwater viewing chamber, and experience snorkelling and scuba diving, and more.

  • Travel to the Great Barrier Reef to a pontoon with underwater viewing chamber
  • Savour a delicious buffet lunch, and morning and afternoon tea
  • Presentations by reef experts
  • Indulge in snorkelling, swimming, and diving in the world of spectacular corals
  • Enjoy bird’s eye view of the reef from scenic helicopter ride (additional cost)

Travel aboard a high-speed catamaran to a pontoon on the reef that features a water slide, an underwater observation chamber and a large semi-submersible deck for relaxing in the sun. In addition, there are dedicated activities for kids and presentations by reef experts throughout the day.

You will be served morning and afternoon tea and a sumptuous lunch catered by a renowned restaurant from Airlie Beach. The colourful corals and the abundance of marine fauna will leave you astonished while you enjoy this protected area for snorkelling. If you want to indulge in more activities, you can go for a scenic helicopter ride or certified diving at an additional cost.

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Schedule

Departures: Daily

  Start Finish Duration
Airlie Beach Departure 8:00am 6:15pm 10 Hours
Hamilton Island Departure 9:00am 5:15pm 8 Hours
Daydream Island Departure 7:30am 5:45am 9 Hours

Pricing

NOTE: Pricing valid for travel between 1 April 2020 and 31 March 2021.

Concession rate applies to Seniors, please present your ID (required) upon boarding.

Ticket Price
Adults $279
Children (4-14 yrs) $129
Concession $274
Family (2+2) $729
Infants (0-3) Free

Extras

Book your Extras now so you don’t miss out!

     
Hotel Transfers Return Transfers from Airlie Beach Hotel Accommodation (Per person) $12.50/Adult
$6.50/Child
Guided Snorkeling Tour For a deeper understanding of the Hardy Reef take a guided Snorkeling ‘Reef Safari.’ An expert will accompany you to points of interest and explain exactly what you are seeing. (Per person) $59/Adult
$35/Child
$160/Family
Scuba Dive Introductory Dive (Per person – Adult/Child) – A magical place to take your first dive, you will be provided comprehensive training. Once ready to take to the reef you will be accompanied by fully certified PADI/SSI Instructors to guide your adventure. $139 1st Dive
$59 2nd Dive
Scuba Dive Certified Dive (Per person – Adult Only) – As an experienced diver you can enjoy guided dives at selected sites featuring a large variety of coral and an abundance of marine life. $109 1st Dive
$59 2nd Dive
Scenic Helicopter Flight For the best viewing of the reef take a Scenic Helicopter Flight. We will take you over the iconic Heart Reef. This is sure to be one of the most unique and memorable experiences you can find. TBC at Pontoon

Transport

Boat

Group Size: 250ppl max

Inclusions

  • Unlimited snorkeling including all the equipment
  • Morning Tea
  • Buffet Lunch
  • Afternoon Tea
  • Semi-Submersible
  • Underwater Viewing Chamber
  • Waterslide
  • Kids Activities
  • Expert Presentation
  • Wetsuit Hire
  • National Park Fees

Reefworld Platform (Hardy Reef)

  • Sun Deck with Shaded Areas
  • Swimming and Snorkeling Zones
  • Flotation Aids Available
  • Rest Stations in the Water
  • Lifeguard Station
  • Underwater Observatory
  • Change Rooms with Fresh Water Showers
  • Dive Station
  • Reef Experts on Site

Rated: 43210 (4.4/5 based on 29 customer reviews)

21321 “ The reef was a greyish/white (bleached). Fish species were minimal. Staff were friendly but not as knowledgeable as previous reef trips I have been on, they seemed to be reciting scripts they had memorised. Food was plentiful. ”
Damien — 13 January, 2020

54321 “ An amazing experience and a fun filled family day out to the GBR. The staff were superb, good buffet. Enjoyed the semi submersible. Lincoln 30 Dec 2020 ”
Lincoln Quinless — 1 January, 2020

54321 “ Amazing snorkelling and diving trip to Hardy reef! Can recommend this trip. A shoutout to Reeffree for helping us with our bookings and giving the best customer service (very quick and efficient replies) – well done! I would definitely recommend bookings through Reeffree. ”
Bianca — 30 December, 2019

54321 “ Great day.. Very caring staff, took good care for introductory divers. Lot of food options and they cater according to dietary restrictions (veg, gf etc.) ”
Narayan Joshi — 26 December, 2019

54321 “ Most special day of my life. Hardy Reef is such a magnificent place, I even swam with a giant sea turtle. Cruise Whitsunday was super organised, friendly and welcoming. I haven’t snorkelled in such an environment before and have a lot of respect for the open water. However, I felt super safe and watched by the crew at all times. The included submarine tour was a nice extra, especially because I kept losing my partner while snorkelling, so it was a great 30 minutes together watching the amazing marina. The underwater photographer took amazing photos and there are very decently priced. A bit weird was the tap payment system, but since there was food, water, snacks, coffee and tea included and available at all times, I didn’t have the urge to buy anything else. Thanks for everything! ”
Isabelle — 25 December, 2019

54321 “ Best day ever ”
Medani — 20 December, 2019

32121 “ It wasn’t for me didn’t really see any of the reef special fish. I’m gluten free and they didn’t really cater for that ”
Carla — 7 November, 2019

54321 “ Great time at the reef, great staff, awesome food, top effort ! ???????????????? ”
Elliot — 2 November, 2019

43211 “ Really excellent opportunity to see the outer reef and the Whitsunday Islands. Staff are friendly and caring, providing explanations in other languages and making new experiences like scuba diving accessible. The food was delicious, plentiful and special dietary requirements were well catered for. Seating is comfortable but I’d recommend bringing warm clothes this time of year as it can be a bit chilly during the voyage but the water was warm enough for snorkelling. I only wish that the staff had volunteered information regarding the health status of this part of the reef. ”
Heidi — 26 September, 2019

54321 “ What a fantastic day- full of activities, wonderful up close and personal experience with marine life at The Great Barrier Reef! Our family thoroughly enjoyed it. The staff were so kind and thoughtful – morning was too much trouble. Highly recommend this !! ”
Susan Hart — 12 May, 2019

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54321 “ It was an exciting and extremely well organised day. Staff were fabulous and made the cruise a relaxing, but action filled day. My grandchildren will now have great memories of their time up here. ”
E jenkins — 15 April, 2019

54321 “ You couldn’t have a better experience. Great rubbing shoulders with nature. Great food. Great staff. ”
James — 10 April, 2019

54321 “ Did this Cruise 10th Jan 2019 ,snorkling with my Daughter,SIL & grandchildren. Great experience for the kid’s. They gave the snorkling a go but I think the Ocean was a bit too big for them. My grandson got a sit on the captain’s chair & blow the horn for everyone to start to boarding the boat. Great day staff were excellent, friendly. Good Job guys! ”
Tracey — 20 January, 2019

54321 “ Such a great experience. There were 9 in our group including 3 teenagers. The team were very engaging and assisted the younger members during our scuba dive. Food was excellent and plenty to go around – all round excellent experience and money well spent. ”
Mairead Perkins — 7 January, 2019

32121 “ I’ve done the same tour 18 years ago. Guys, THE REEF HAS GONE! All that’s left is just dead grey concrete. Both times I’ve done the whole shebang – scuba, snorkeling, boat. Compare to 18 years ago is just chalk and cheese! On another hand the crew was outstanding! Full kudos to them! ”
George Malinov — 2 January, 2019

54321 “ My family and I did the full day Reef Experience with CruiseWhitsundays and had the best day ever! From start to finish the Crew was amazing and thoughtful and there every step of the way. It was my first time scuba diving and they put me completely at ease and helped me conquer my fear 🙂 We had a great day of snorkelling, scuba diving, and doing a semi submersible boat tour! Thank you CruiseWhitsunday Crew! We will be recommending you to everyone! ”
Paige Barrett — 30 December, 2018

54321 “ We were in Australia for two weeks, and the entire trip was amazing. This tour to the reef was the best part of all of it. It’s mind boggling how beautiful the reef was and it is awesome that someone had the foresight to build this pontoon so close. I have never seen snorkeling that was as beautiful as this. The crew made the long boat ride too and from a fun time. We also took the helicopter ride. At first, we balked because it sounded expensive, but we eventually signed up and was it ever worth it! The pilot was great and the view was spectacular! Worth every penny. I highly recommend this tour. ”
Rob Howley — 30 November, 2018

43211 “ This was an excellent cruise the only thing was I swallowed to much sea water. ”
Cael — 1 November, 2018

54321 “ Loved it best experience ever ”
Fergal Moriarty — 20 October, 2018

54321 “ We were 3 couples and had an amazing time at Hardy Reef! We did the guided snorkelling tour which we recommend as our guide Quade provided great information and we were snorkelling away from the masses. 2 of us did the helicopter tour which was awesome. ”
Ron — 27 September, 2018

32121 “ The tour wasn’t so informative as we expected. We were outside (because there was no more seat inside) so we couldn’t hear properly what the crew was saying on speaker. My boyfriend and I were expecting something warm for lunch but all the food was cold. I didn’t like to be honest. Non photos were taken from both of us during the whole tour it looked like we weren’t there and also the wet suit were all wet so I recommend to bring yours if you have one. ”
Michelle — 22 July, 2018

32121 “ Terrible experience with a kid of age 4 for this tour, vomit 3 times and without decent care from the tour operator. Even we request to land nearby from the beach. No toilet facility and should even mention in the booking. Wrong recommendation, worst experience in life. ”
Jessie — 14 June, 2018

54321 “ Even though the weather was crappy, my dad and I still enjoyed the tour. Water visibility was awesome and allowed us to enjoy our diving and snorkelling experiences. The staff were all readily available with information and smiles. Very professional, informative, friendly and engaging. ”
Ria — 24 March, 2018

54321 “ An absolutely amazing day out. The Crew were fantastic. The food was delicious. Highly recommend this trip and will do it again. ”
Linley — 31 October, 2017

14321 “ The trip should have been cancelled due to the weather conditions, the entire staff were great coping with people falling and being sick,an experience to forget rather than cherish, a full refund would be in order. ”
Barry Davis — 4 July, 2017

54321 “ Absolutely amazing! Great experience. Originally booked a guided snorkelling tour but once opon the boat decided to also do a guided scuba dive as well! Tour guides are amazing (also patient for those not so confident or are having troubles) on both types of tours. That combined with the free time snorkelling on your own is well worth it. Staff on the boat are very friendly and helpful. I would definitely recommend it to anyone no matter where you are from after all it is one of the 7 Natural Wonders of the World. ”
Heath — 18 March, 2017

54321 “ Amazing day out…. Jam packed day of fun and Paddy was fantastic! my two boys loved him and he was great with them too….would recommend! thank you Paddy and the team. ”
Mechelle Gawthorn — 10 January, 2017

54321 “ I’ve never submitted an experience before, but I feel the team and experience is worthy. My partner and I went on the all day tour. Right from the beginning it was such a great, friendly and happy vibe. We felt so comfortable. I experienced some sea sickness on the way out and I was quickly helped by the team, and they made me feel at ease. On top of that, the instructors are so patient and understanding. I would recommend this trip for anyone who wants a fantastic day out on the reef with professional and fun and friendly staff. Well done guys!! 🙂 ”
Laura — 3 December, 2015

54321 “ Hi Guys! Just wanted to say a HUGE THANK YOU!!!! We just did your Great Barrier Reef Tour at Hardy Reef on Wednesday and Perfect would be an understatement!! It was amazing and exceeded our expectations and more! Everyone was so lovely to us, from the booking, to the check-in desk and all of the staff on board making it an absolutely unforgettable experience, even the weather was perfect for us!! We honestly can’t thank you enough and had the most amazing time! Will definitely be back for seconds! Thank you!!! xo ”
Natalie-Monique Le Sueur — 31 October, 2014

Itinerary

The below itinerary can change due to tides and weather.

Day 1

−

Depart from Port of Airlie

8:00 AM

Depart from Hamilton Island

9:00 AM

Depart from Daydream Island

7:35 AM

Morning Tea

Enjoy the provided morning tea!

Arrival at Reefworld Platform (Hardy Reef)

11:00am

Enjoy activities available at your leisure, Go marine life spotting via the underwater viewing chamber, semi submersible submarine or snorkeling. Let the kids enjoy the waterslide. Work up a tan on the Sun Deck or attend a reef presentation. *At times tour may visit the Knuckle Reef Pontoon due to maintenance or weather*

Semi-submersible

Want to experience a Dive, but not wanting to take the plunge? Try a Semi-Sub! Fun for all ages!

Scuba Dive

Opportunity to enjoy a Scuba Dive (additional cost)

Swimming

Enjoy a relaxing swim in the warm tropical waters!

Buffet Lunch

Enjoy a delicious buffet lunch on tour!

Snorkelling

Snorkel amongst the beautiful corals, fishes, turtles and more, up close and personal.

Scenic Helicopter Flight

Opportunity to enjoy a Scenic Helicopter Flight to Heart Reef (Extra Cost)

Underwater Windows

Experience the world underwater while staying dry!

Afternoon Tea

Enjoy the provided afternoon tea.

Departure from Platform

3:00pm

Secluded, Private Lagoon Reserved for Seaplane Tours Only!

Dropoff at Hamilton Island

5:10 PM

Dropoff at Daydream Island

5:40 PM

Dropoff at Port of Airlie

6:10 PM

Tour Map

Booking & Enquiries – 1 Day Outer Great Barrier Reef Adventure at Hardy Reef from the Whitsundays

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  12. At the time of booking, please advise your departure point and/or pick-up accommodation from Airlie Beach (extra cost).

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