Queensland Holidays - Central Queensland -

Queensland's Central Great Barrier Reef may be lesser known than its northern counterpart, but it is just as rich in dazzling marine flora and fauna and well loved by divers and snorkellers.

Shallow coral gardens, pinnacles, deep channels offering drift dives, gutters and caves set the stage for pits of swarming olive sea snakes, endangered and vulnerable loggerhead, hawksbill and green turtles, moray eels, sharks and manta rays - common players to almost every reef in the region.

The Capricorn and Bunker reefs are spectacular dive locations and the best known. Fitzroy Reef - a not-to-be missed dive spot - sports a large protected lagoon sprinkled with sea stars and cucumbers, crabs, corals and molluscs and pinnacles dripping with soft corals, anemones and sponges.

Other starring dive spots are the drop-off at Wistari Reef - one of the region's great drift dives - the large cave at Harrie's Bommie and the manta rays at Boult reef.

The Capricorn and Bunker group is also blessed with a number of coral cays, including Heron, Wilson, and North West Islands - these islands are actually part of the reef and offer excellent shore diving and snorkeling. Heron is also an important nesting and hatching ground for Green turtles from October to March.

Divers can access The Capricorn and Bunker reefs and coral cays with dive operators from the mainland port of Gladstone, or as guests on Heron and Wilson Islands. Self-guided divers can choose to camp on North West Island -a well-known rookery to large sea birds.

Out of the coastal port of Yeppoon, near Rockhampton diving is available around the Keppel Group of Islands. The Swain Reefs to the north and the Saumarez Reefs, 300km off shore, are less explored and less visited areas of equal splendour. Turtles, sting rays, sea snakes, barracuda and reef sharks reside here while bottlenose dolphins, humpback and minke whales make the occasional pilgrimage. Access to these reefs is by dive boat charters which visit several times a year.