Where to go boating in Australia

Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef QLD: Park your boat in a coral-fringed lagoon and slip over the side to dive on five-star coral reefs (without the five-star price tag).

Port Essington, NT: Malaria, cyclones and starvation quickly put an end to the north’s first settlement, leaving it to today’s intrepid boating anglers and sailors who make the journey from Darwin, or by land to Garig Gunak Barlu National Park.

Dampier Archipelago, WA: Australia’s least-known, and most prolific petroglyph site, this scattering of sandy isles is a haven for dugongs, sea turtles and boaters in the know.

Bare Sand Island, NT: Windswept, deserted and just far enough from Darwin to be considered remote, Bare Sand Island is an idyllic sweep of reef and sand that’s home to Australia’s only endemic sea turtle, the flatback. A three-legged croc named Graham stakes out the beach, and the barramundi, queenfish and coral trout are exceptional.

Popes Eye, Port Phillip, VIC: Just a short boat trip from Portsea or Queenscliff, you’ll have front-row seats to Popes Eye, the horseshoe-shaped uncompleted foundation of an island fort. Anchor inside it and you’re in a calm, shallow nursery for reef fish, cuttlefish and curious Australasian Gannets.

Western Port, VIC: One of Victoria’s best-kept secrets, Western Port is a large tidal bay with sheltered inlets, island hideaways and rocky reefs teeming with life. Flinders Pier is a magnet for marine life, and snorkelling affords views of weedy sea dragons and fairytale-like fish. 

Heron Island, QLD: Just 800m long, Heron Island is home to 900 fish species and 72 per cent of the corals found on the Great Barrier Reef. You might spot a fever of rays, reef sharks, or even a wreck. Launch your boat to find coral bommies and manta ray cleaning stations. It’s worth the effort of travelling 87km north-east of Gladstone.

Noosa Shire Everglades, QLD: A pristine matrix of mirror-flat waterways that snake into the heart of Noosa River’s headwaters. Pack swimmers and a picnic, or even better, prepare to camp a few nights at sites in the remote upper reaches. Subtropical Australian nature at its most tranquil.

The Kimberley, WA: From your cockpit, you’ll see towering walls of red rock disappearing beneath inky, crocodile-filled waters, waterfalls that cannot be truly captured by any camera, serene billabongs, ancient rock art, sensational fishing and rich fauna and flora at every turn.

The Whitsundays, QLD: With beach sand so white and water so blue, you’ll be spoilt for choice of pristine beaches and crystal-clear waters, snorkelling reefs, hidden bays and remote waterways  … it’s a water-lover’s paradise.

Rowley Shoals, WA: around 260km west of Broome lies the Rowley Shoals, a coral atoll marine wonderland. Getting there can be arduous, depending on the swell direction, but you’re rewarded with incredible diving, snorkelling and fishing in this pristine ocean wilderness.