Australia’s Great Barrier Reef makes final 28 list for the New 7 Wonders of Nature. Voting closes in two weeks so make sure you vote for your favourite N7W.

The Great Barrier Reef, off Australia’s east coast, is one of the wonders of the natural world. It is World Heritage listed and is one of Australia’s, and the world’s, premier holiday destinations. The combination of glorious weather (be aware that it rains a lot in the wet season! Jan-March), pristine rainforest, white sandy beaches, and an ocean varying in hue from blue to turquoise to green, makes the Great Barrier Reef the ideal destination to lie on the beach, swim, surf, snorkel, sail, fish, bushwalk and birdwatch. The area abounds with wildlife, including dugong and green turtles, varieties of dolphins and whales, more than 1500 species of fish, 4000 types of mollusc and more than 200 species of birdlife. The Great Barrier Reef system consists of more than 3000 reefs which range in size from 1 hectare to over 10,000 hectares in area. The reef is scattered with beautiful islands and idyllic coral cays and covers more than 300,000 square kilometres.

The waters of The Great Barrier Reef provide the world’s busiest and most varied marine habitats. Marine life is in abundance. From the many species of coral to the sought after Black Marlin and all sizes and species of fish in-between. The varied colours of the reef’s fish and other marine life will astound the visitor with colour combinations that artists haven’t even dreamed of. It is the largest of the world’s 552 World Heritage Areas, covering 347,000 km. Although stretching more than 2000 kilometres offshore from Queensland, it is only at Cape Tribulation, just north of Port Douglas that the reefs come right to the shore and meets the tropical rainforests of the Wet Tropics. With over 1000 islands which are easily accessible from North Queensland and coastal cities like Cairns and Port Douglas.

Tony Townley is a luxury lifestyle specialist and owner of Luxury Adventures.