After seeing the Great Barrier Reef underwater, we took a little more altitude to see it from the sky. Cairns offered numerous flying experiences over one of The Seven Natural Wonders Of The World. We elected the GSL aviation after researching the best companies on Trip Advisor. A few days after arriving in Australia, we booked our scenic flight over the reef, a dream come true.
With the weather forecast predicting heavy rains and thunders around our flying time, we were a little concerned our ride would be cancelled. Nervous, we drove to the airport looking up the sky. As we arrived, we were greeted with only white fluffy clouds dotting the blue sky. Great! We would fly over the reef in the best conditions possible.
After a short briefing video and a pre-flight safety demonstration, we boarded with another 8 persons the Cessna 208B. The fixed-wing aircraft had only one seat on each side. With window seats for everyone, we would have a perfect view over the Great Barrier Reef. We sat in the first row which gave us a direct view to the front of the plane and the pilot. Can it get any better?
After sitting on the tarmac waiting for clearance, we took off and enjoyed stunning views over our shoulders of Cairns. The 40 minutes flight rides took us over the picturesque Green Island, Upolu and Michaelmas Cays and the surrounding reef. We could see the Reef boats moored at their reef sites below. The experience was unbelievable. The scenic flight will undoubtedly remain the main event in Cairns.