CLIMATE:
Coastal North Queensland and the Great Barrier Reef islands are always temperate; the climate gets warmer and wetter as you move north. While the islands are cooled by ocean breezes, the heat and humidity on the mainland between November and April (the Southern Hemisphere's summer and early fall months) can be extreme, with frequent rains and daily temperatures averaging around 80 °F. These are also the months when deadly box jellyfish occupy the waters off mainland beaches (although they aren't a problem off the islands on the outer parts of the reef). The late-autumn and winter months between May and October are the driest and most comfortable (and safest), with temperatures averaging around 70 °F.
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