Visiting the Great Barrier Reef

The cosmic scale, verdant islands, blue lagoons and brilliantly coloured underwater life of the Great Barrier Reef have attracted and intrigued visitors from the very earliest European navigators to the two million tourists who visit the region each year. Despite its timeless appeal, the pleasures of these landscapes changed significantly during the twentieth century. Patterns in tourist landscapes have been determined by transport, infrastructure and conservation. They have also been driven by human imagination