Cairns – While the stingers may prevent you from being able to go into the ocean (especially during the summer months), there is a lagoon roped off on the pier that allows swimming. The marina on the pier houses countless boats and ferries to take guests to the Great Barrier Reef. We visited both island off Cairns, Green Island and Fitzroy Island and enjoyed the snorkeling around the Great Barrier Reef. Both islands are small and don’t require cars like many we visited off of Brisbane.