Airbnb unveils jaw-dropping new listing on top of the Great Barrier Reef

A floating apartment right on top of the Great Barrier Reef has to be one of the most unique accommodation offerings we’ve seen.

WHEN Peter Clemenza speaks about “sleeping with the fishes” in The Godfather, he certainly didn’t have anything this appealing in mind.

Airbnb today unveiled what may well be its most unique listing to date: an airy studio apartment floating atop the Great Barrier Reef, giving guests a “once in a lifetime” chance to sleep surrounded by the largest natural wonder of the world. This is a truly beautiful part of the world. The sand is blindingly white and the water is crystal clear. This is part of the world that very few people get to see.

News.com.au was invited up to the reef to view the floating apartment before the competition kicks off. And it truly is a spectacular set up. Being able to soak in the atmosphere of one of the natural wonders of the world without other tourists harshing the ambience is a fairly rare experience. It’s like getting the classic Castaway/Robinson Crusoe experience, but without the terror.

Fancy diving into the Great Barrier Reef from your bedroom?

But before you book in your flights and annual leave, it’s important to note that the booking is only available for one night as part of a competition, and you have to win a game of skill to secure the booking. For the uninitiated, that basically means a short written response on why you deserve the night out on the reef. And if you’re not a local, Airbnb will fly the winners in from anywhere in the world. Boom.

To get to the accommodation, the winner will take a helicopter flight over the Great Barrier Reef from Port Douglas, and will land on the Queensland mainland that is a few km from the accommodation. They’ll then take a half hour boat ride to the nearby Frankland Islands, where they’ll jump in a glass bottom canoe to paddle out to their bedroom. The Frankland Islands are completely uninhabited so while you are reassuringly close to land, there isn’t anybody on the island. As such, you get the tranquillity without the nerves that would come with being in the middle of the ocean.

The listing is hosted by adorably tanned 17-year-old Pascal, who spent much of his life growing up on a boat with his family on the Reef. Alongside a team of marine biologists, Pascal will give his guests a unique insight into life on the reef, taking them snorkelling or diving right from their offshore bedroom.

Local teen Pascal (centre) is hosting the listing.

World-renowned chef Neil Perry will also be on hand for the over-nighter, preparing meals for the guests from sustainably sourced local seafood and produce. Perry will take care of all meals, and they will be served under a billowy canopy on the nearby island.

Neil Perry will be your private chef.

The accommodation sleeps two adults and two kids — in the evening bean bags will be set up on the nearby beach and the Finding Nemo sequel Finding Dory will be screened under the stars (the Airbnb competition has been created in partnership with Disney Pixar to coincide with the release of the film, which is set on the Reef).

A private screening of Finding Dory under the stars, with the film’s setting as the backdrop.

The conservation of the Great Barrier Reef is a hot topic at the moment, but the accommodation is anchored on a pre-existing mooring to ensure it has zero impact on wildlife.

The listing was built from locally sourced recycled materials — sustainably sourced Queensland pine wood pallets were used for the bedroom, including all the beds and furniture.

If you’re wondering how one takes care of daily ablutions in this set up, a charmingly rustic camping toilet and freshwater shower are set up at the rear.

And don’t worry about the more .... er ... aggressive marine life in the area, you can rest easy with the knowledge that the accommodation is situated in a fairly protected part of the reef, so you won’t be overturned in your sleep by a whale. What you will get though, are sea turtles, brightly coloured fish, and the living breathing coral that people travel across the world to see.

While you may have to forgo a sleep in thanks to the lack of windows and blinds, you will be treated to one of the most stunning sunrises you will ever witness. Watching the sunrise from your bed while the water gently rocks you more than makes up for the early start.

The bedroom has been designed in an open-air style to make the most of the view.

A local sail-maker made the roof and walls (they are able to be closed totally for protection in inclement weather, or open fully for those of us who love the idea of sun baking on your private oasis in the middle of the Reef). A reclaimed 100 year old mask head light also features on the side table.

The design blends in with the surrounding environment.

Once the structure has been used, it will be re-purposed for use by local conservationists for a local turtle hatching program on the nearby Franklin Islands.

Beyond that, “we will plant mangroves, saltmarsh and wetland plants for every guest visiting the region for the rest of the year,” says Airbnb Australian Country Manager Sam McDonagh.

“These trees will reduce carbon and improve water quality going out to the seas and reef”.

The company will also contribute to an ongoing tiger shark tagging project run by the Great Barrier Reef Foundation.

The accommodation sleeps two adults and two kids in bunk beds (complete with Finding Dory bedding).

Airbnb has created unique pop-up experiences such as this in the past, but this is the first undertaking of this scale in Australia. Other PR-focused apartment promotions from around the world have included the opportunity to spend a night in a floating house on the River Thames, and apartment in a cable car dangling over a French ski resort, and an underwater bedroom in a shark aquarium.

Floating house on the River Thames.

Apartment in a cable car dangling over a French ski resort.

Underwater bedroom in a shark aquarium.

If this particular Great Barrier Reef experience sounds enticing, you can enter the competition over here. And if you win, be sure to alarm your friends by telling them you’re going to sleep with the fishes on your holidays.

*Simone Mitchell travelled to the Great Barrier Reef courtesy of Airbnb.

Originally published as Airbnb unveils jaw-dropping new listing on top of the Great Barrier Reef