Barrier Reef Australia Blog

If you are thinking about booking a scenic helicopter flight over the Great Barrier Reef, then congratulations to you as you have already made the right decision to enhance your holiday experience.

The World Heritage listed Great Barrier Reef is on the East Coast of Australia and is the largest coral reef system in the world covering an amazing 2,300klms or 344,400 square klms so it’s no wonder its visible from space and everyone else wants to see it from above as well as below the water’s surface!

The Great Barrier Reef begins in Papua New Guinea in the north and continues down south to Bundaberg with a few scattered reefs beyond, so it makes sense to jump in a helicopter and go for a ride to see its magnificent beauty from above.

A common question we hear is:- What time of day is best to take a scenic helicopter flight over the reef and where are the best places to see the Great Barrier Reef in Australia?

There are several answers to these questions, and it depends on many factors so we will cover these questions for you below. 

Where Can You Take Scenic Helicopter Flights on the Great Barrier Reef?

Australia is a big country, so you need to ensure you are aware of the locations you are intending to spend your holiday time and check that there are Great Barrier Reef tours where you can book a scenic helicopter ride on its own or a combination helicopter and reef trip where you can fly out to the reef and land on an interactive pontoon and do all sorts of in-water activities to enhance your experience on the reef

You have a good choice of departure points for helicopter scenic flights on the Great Barrier Reef and we have listed some of these below.

• Cairns: Scenic Flights or Helicopter & Reef Combo
• Port Douglas: Scenic Flights or Helicopter & Reef Combo
• Townsville: Helicopter Scenic Flights & Island Experiences
• Magnetic Island Scenic Flights
• Airlie Beach: Helicopter Scenic Flights, Island Experiences & Reef Combo
• Hamilton Island: Helicopter Scenic Flights, Island Experiences & Reef Combo

Now you are aware of the departure points for helicopter rides you need to think about the type of experience you are after and the time that you have allocated for that experience. You can have a quick overview scenic flight across the Great Barrier Reef from each of these departure points and they range from 30 – 40 – 60-minute scenic flights.

These flights will have you tracking out from the heliport and across the reef to the islands and sand cays that lay beyond the city limits. The amazing lace like patterns, the colours and the sheer beauty of the reef below will have you totally in awe of its magnificence, there is simply no better way to see the Great Barrier Reef than on a scenic helicopter ride.  

So, when is the Best Time To Take a Helicopter Flight over the Great Barrier Reef?

Due to aviation regulations and commercial airport traffic schedules all tourism operators are permitted a certain number of take offs and landings each day and these are timed around the abovementioned.

Other things that dictate the scenic flight times are the departure times of the Great Barrier Reef tours that leave from each of these destinations as they head out to the local islands and the pontoons on the outer reef.

By regulation helicopters are not permitted to fly out to the Great Barrier Reef on a fly/cruise until the reef tour operators have already landed on the island or the pontoon that the helicopter flight is destined for. This is purely for safety reasons.

Helicopter Scenic Flight Departure Time Examples

• If you have booked a helicopter and reef combo package tour such as this Fitzroy Island and Moore Reef pontoon tour, you are required to check-in for your helicopter briefing at 8.50am and depart for your flight at around 9.15am for a 25-minute scenic flight to the pontoon on the outer reef.  
• If you have booked a Vlasoff Cay experience, then this is purely based on the predicted tide times as the sand cay is larger and more visible on a low tide. 
• This particular helicopter and reef combo tour has you flying high above the coral reef at around 12.30 midday. 
• The Heart Reef flights from Airlie Beach in the Whitsundays are tide dependant to ensure you can capture the very best views of the coral reefs and Heart Reef. 
• On this Airlie Beach helicopter combo you get to see all the iconic locations in the Whitsundays such as Hamilton Island, Heart Reef, Whitehaven Beach and spend time on the Marineworld pontoon that sits on the outer Great Barrier Reef and the tour begins at 7.30am.
• Scenic flights from Townsville to Magnetic Island, Havannah Island, Cape Cleveland and Hinchinbrook Island are all based on demand and airport clearance in between commercial aircraft take offs and landings. View them here. 

Learn more about the things you need to know when booking a helicopter scenic flight over the Great Barrier Reef on our Blog.

Is it better to take a helicopter scenic flight in the morning or the afternoon on the Great Barrier Reef?

The answer to this question lies in the details above as sometimes you simply do not have a choice of flying times due to the type of helicopter rides you have chosen and the location that you are departing from.

If you are booking a 30 – 60-minute scenic flight, you can certainly ask for availability in the morning or the afternoon and as some of these flights will be on a share basis with other passengers it will also be weight assessed and passengers may be moved to a different time to keep the load on the helicopter at the right levels.

It also depends on the type of helicopter that you are flying in for a particular tour and the helicopter companies change the machine based on the demand.

You can also book private charter helicopter flights and be taken to a location of your choice based on the helicopter’s licences such as a waterfall tour landing. These flights are also weight assessed.

• Travel Tip:- Book your scenic helicopter flights far in advance as seat capacity is limited on a daily basis

View all helicopter scenic flights and Great Barrier Reef helicopter and Reef Combo flights and make your own choice of when you would like to fly over the reef in a helicopter.

Read the Barrier Reef Blog for more insights on the destinations you can fly to in a helicopter on the Great Barrier Reef.