Little-known Aussie tourist beach where you can walk to the Great Barrier Reef

When you think of Far North Queensland, you may immediately think of the idyllic getaway of Port Douglas or the majestic beauty of the Daintree Rainforest. But just south of Cairns is a secret getaway unpopulated by tourists, where locals can walk out to the Great Barrier Reef from a secluded beach.

Kurrimine Beach is one of Queensland's best-kept secrets. Just 1.5 hours drive from Cairns, up to 19 times a year you can walk directly out to the Great Barrier Reef for free, with no boats or tours necessary.

Walk to the Great Barrier Reef at Far North Queensland's best-kept secret beach

The Cassowary Coast Region boasts many hidden gems worthy of making the trip down from Cairns, and the friendly locals are full of knowledge of the region's best-kept secrets: particularly the fun fact that numerous times a year you can partake in the Reef Walk, directly from Kurrimine Beach to the heritage-listed King Reef.

"It's a wonderful experience," Ali Eberhard of Kings Reef Resort tells Yahoo Lifestyle. "The trick is to walk out as the tide goes out, then you have plenty of time to walk around the reef."

Not only is it free and self-guided compared to the sometimes pricy boat trips out to the Great Barrier Reef, but due to the region being less visited, the wider Mission Beach region boasts reefs that are more untouched than the usual tourist spots off Cairns and Port Douglas, with different types of marine life spotted too.

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"The starfish are incredible! Bright blues and reds – and huge!" Ali said. "The turtles are stunning, and there are plenty of coral, sea urchins, and fish – it's just an amazing experience."

The Reef Walk from Kurrimine beach: What you need to know

The Mandubarra Aboriginal Land & Sea Inc's guide stipulates the Reef Walk is a 2.6km return trip, advising people to allow two hours to do the walk and to start it while the tide is outgoing to allow enough time to walk back to safety.

The Reef Walk is normally undertaken in winter when the tides are low, with Ali explaining that in 2025, there will be 19 dates ranging from April through to September where visitors will be able to do the Reef Walk.

"I try really hard to only step on the sandy parts so that I didn’t damage any of the reef," Ali explained to Yahoo Lifestyle. "And I hope that’s what everyone does. It is not guided, so people really have to be responsible for themselves."

When can I do the Reef Walk in 2025?

The dates for 2025 are as follows: April 27th and 28th; May 25th, 26th and 27th; June 23rd, 24th, 25th and 26th; July 22nd, 23rd, 24th and 25th; August 9th, 21st and 22nd; and September 6th, 7th, and 8th.

The Kurrimine Beach region is also home to the Barnard Islands, a short boat ride away, where you can soak in the beauty of the rock formations, dense rainforest-clad slopes, and shallow reefs for even more marine exploring.

And you can finish off the Reef Walk with a (legal) beer on Kurrimine beach

What's the perfect way to end a day of reef exploring, whether it's by foot or boat? With a cold brew and a good pub feed, of course, with Ali and her family running the beachside King Reef Resort, which boasts apartment, cabin, and tent accommodation as well as powered caravan sites.

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The King Reef bar and bistro is beachfront and located right next door to the accommodation, and not only will you eat one of the best pub meals of your life, it's one of the only places in Queensland where you can purchase a beer at the pub and take it down to the beach to soak in an amazing sunset.

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