Reefsuites: Australia's first underwater accommodation, on the Great Barrier Reef.
Moored 39 nautical miles off the mainland, Reefworld
[1] is a luxurious two-story, 6,000-square-foot pontoon, floating above Hardy Reef, part of the
Great Barrier Reef. To get to the
remote spot, guests take a three-hour scenic
cruise, through the Whitsunday Islands, stopping to dive and snorkel on the way.
Launched in 2019, Reefsuites
[1] are two residences, that hang from the underside of the pontoon, 13 feet below
water. The exclusive rooms are the only underwater accommodation, available on the whole reef, which is a World Heritage-listed wonder.
The multiple viewing windows, which include vertigo-inducing glass floor
panels, allow guests to catch glimpses of some of the estimated 1,500 species of
fish that live on the reef, including clownfish, parrotfish, mackerel and trevally. There are also a variety of sharks, turtles and rays.
The pontoon cost around AUD$8 million (£4.1m/$5.2m/), to build, and put in place. Thanks to the unique underwater suites, on-deck glamping and ocean activities, the attraction was expected to haul in an extra 60,000 visitors, per year, to the Whitsundays, Australia's Tourism Industry Development Minister, said
[2], back in 2019.
It's hoped those tourists will contribute an extra AUD$23 million (£11.8m/$15m) to local businesses.
[1] “Reefsuites”
Australia's first underwater accommodation on the Great Barrier Reef
➥
https://www.cruisewhitsundays.com/ex...es/reefsuites/
[2] “New attraction to bring thousands of tourists to the Whitsundays”
➥
https://statements.qld.gov.au/statements/88036
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