Local knowledge

Taxis

Taxis Outside the larger towns, you’ve more chance of hitching a ride on a dolphin than finding a cab, especially on the islands themselves where transport is often restricted to buggies or hotel transfers. In Cairns, book ahead with Black & White Taxis (131 008).

Tipping culture

It's not really expected in most parts of Australia, although if you're impressed with how your evening transpires, a 10 per cent gratuity will be most appreciated.

Siesta and fiesta

Most towns in these parts revolve around tourism, so you'll find shops and restaurants open every day. People often eat early in Queensland though, so you'll want to be sitting down and ordering before 9pm lest you miss out.

Packing tips

A capsule wardrobe to take you from boat deck to beach in style.

Recommended reads

Castaway by British adventurer Lucy Irvine, which inspired the Tom Hanks film, tells of her self-imposed exile on Tuin Island in Queensland’s Torres Strait, and captures the tropical life to a tee. David Colfelt’s 100 Magic Miles of the Great Barrier Reef – the Whitsunday Islands, is considered ‘the bible’ for this popular sailing area, with maps, anchorages and beach details.

Cuisine

Lipsmacking fish and seafood-snacking opportunities abound, freshly hauled from the reef’s waters. Coral trout is a menu staple, as is wild saltwater barramundi. Shellfish is also a highlight, including the tricky-to-tackle (but worth-the-effort) mud crabs, and barbecued Moreton Bay bugs – an ancient flat-headed lobster creature found only in Queensland. Expect exotic tropical fruit, too.

Currency

Australian dollars (AU$).

Time zone

GMT +10 (there's no daylight saving in Queensland).

Dialling codes

Country code: 61; Queensland: 07 (drop the zero if dialling from outside Australia).

Do go/don't go

With average temperatures of 27°C, it’s warm year-round. Reef visibility is better in winter when the seas are calmer, and days are clear and sunny, but the water temperature is cooler than in summer. The hotter but rainier part of the year spans November to December and April to May, peaking in the wet from January to March, when storms can threaten.