Palm Island (YPAM) to Daintree Airport

(YCBY)
Australia - Queensland 11

auqld11-ypam-ycby created with BushTripInjector 3.4.1.4648 Community Edition

Queensland 11 : from Palm Island (YPAM) to Daintree Airport (YCBY). During this bush trip we fly
approximately 200 NM over part of the Great Barrier Reef.

In this series of 11 bush trips we fly over Australia's Queensland, where islands of white sand dot
aqua waters in the Whitsundays, colourful coral bursts to life with fish and turtles on the Great
Barrier Reef, and lush green canopies dance in the sun in the Daintree Rainforest.

From the bright lights of the Gold Coast to the technicolour underwater world of the Great Barrier
Reef, Queensland has a slice of paradise to suit every traveller.

Home to more than 1,000 ecosystem types and five World Heritage-listed sites, there’s something
altogether magical about the beauty of Queensland.

Queensland is also the only place in the world where two UNESCO heritage sites – the Daintree
Rainforest and the Great Barrier Reef – meet, in a glorious union of natural beauty. But Queensland
goes beyond coral reefs and surfing sand banks. This land is imbued with a deep Aboriginal
significance, where custodians of the world’s oldest surviving culture believe their ancestors have
lived since the beginning of time. And through its corals, islands, forests and mountain plateaus are
weaved tales of the Dreamtime – the creation stories of the ancestor spirits which shaped the land as
we see it now.

Queensland is a state in northeastern Australia, the second-largest and third-most populous of the
Australian states. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to
the west, southwest and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea
and the Pacific Ocean, to its north is the Torres Strait, separating the Australian mainland from Papua
New Guinea, and the Gulf of Carpentaria to the north-west. With an area of 1,723,030 square
kilometres (665,270 sq mi), Queensland is the world's sixth-largest subnational entity, it is larger than
all but 16 countries. Due to its size, Queensland's geographical features and climates are diverse,
including tropical rainforests, rivers, coral reefs, mountain ranges and sandy beaches in its tropical
and sub-tropical coastal regions, as well as deserts and savanna in the semi-arid and desert climatic
regions of its interior.

No. of Legs: 1

Total distance: 219 nm

Author: oldmattila

Project: auqld11-ypam-ycby
Table of Contents
Legs .......................................................................................................................................................... 4
Leg 1: YPAM - YCBY.............................................................................................................................. 4
POI1-Trunk Reef .............................................................................................................................. 6
POI2-Britomart Reef ........................................................................................................................ 6
POI3-Duncan Reef ........................................................................................................................... 6
POI4-Otter Reef ............................................................................................................................... 7
POI5-Yamacutta Reef ...................................................................................................................... 7
POI6-Farquharson Reef ................................................................................................................... 7
POI7-Ellison Reef ............................................................................................................................. 8
POI8-Hall-Thompson Reef ............................................................................................................... 8
POI9-Peart Reef ............................................................................................................................... 8
POI10-Gibson Reef .......................................................................................................................... 9
POI11-Maori Reef ............................................................................................................................ 9
POI12-Sudbury Reef ........................................................................................................................ 9
POI13-Moore Reef ......................................................................................................................... 10
POI14-Arlington Reef ..................................................................................................................... 10
POI15-Norman Reef ...................................................................................................................... 10
POI16-Batt Reef ............................................................................................................................. 11
POI17-Undine Reef ........................................................................................................................ 12
POI18-Approach YCBY ................................................................................................................... 12
YCBY-Daintree Airport ................................................................................................................... 12
Legs

Leg 1: YPAM - YCBY

Departure: Palm Island (YPAM)

Destination: Daintree Airport (YCBY)

Distance: 219,3 nm

Alt TC MagDec MC Wind MH Dist GS TIME Fuel

YPAM - Palm Island

18 28 7.2 21 / 25.0nm

POI1 - Trunk Reef

1000 336 7.1 329 / 10.2nm

POI2 - Britomart Reef

1000 26 7.1 19 / 9.9nm

POI3 - Duncan Reef

1000 289 7.1 282 / 11.6nm

POI4 - Otter Reef

1000 4 7.1 357 / 8.4nm

 POI5 - Yamacutta Reef

1000 316 7.0 309 / 7.5nm

POI6 - Farquharson Reef

1000 306 7.0 299 / 7.9nm

POI7 - Ellison Reef

1000 33 7.0 26 / 7.9nm

POI8 - Hall-Thompson Reef

1000 327 7.0 320 / 8.0nm

POI9 - Peart Reef

1000 351 6.9 345 / 11.9nm

POI10 - Gibson Reef

1000 348 6.9 341 / 11.1nm

POI11 - Maori Reef

1000 311 6.8 304 / 11.7nm

POI12 - Sudbury Reef

1000 29 6.9 22 / 7.5nm

POI13 - Moore Reef

1000 316 6.9 309 / 13.0nm

POI14 - Arlington Reef

1000 344 6.8 337 / 18.5nm

POI15 - Norman Reef

1000 281 6.5 274 / 16.6nm

POI16 - Batt Reef

1000 355 6.5 348 / 15.1nm

POI17 - Undine Reef

1000 265 6.5 259 / 12.3nm

POI18 - Approach YCBY

 1000 212 6.4 206 / 5.3nm

YCBY - Daintree Airport

POI1-Trunk Reef
Distance: 25,0 nm
Dist. from Dept.: 25,0 nm
Dist. to Dest.: 194,3 nm
True Course: 28°
Magnetic Course: 21°

Take off and turn North (21°M). Safe Altitude:

2,500 Feet.

The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef system, composed of over 2,900 individual
reefs and 900 islands stretching for over 2,300 kilometres (1,400 mi) over an area of approximately
344,400 square kilometres (133,000 sq mi). The reef is located in the Coral Sea, off the coast of
Queensland, Australia, separated from the coast by a channel 160 kilometres (100 mi) wide in places
and over 61 metres (200 ft) deep.

POI2-Britomart Reef
Distance: 10,2 nm
Dist. from Dept.: 35,2 nm
Dist. to Dest.: 184,1 nm
True Course: 336°
Magnetic Course: 329°

Turn to the North West (329°M). Safe Altitude:

1,000 Feet.

The Great Barrier Reef can be seen from outer space and is the world's biggest single structure made
by living organisms. This reef structure is composed of and built by billions of tiny organisms, known
as coral polyps. It supports a wide diversity of life and was selected as a World Heritage Site in 1981.

POI3-Duncan Reef
Distance: 9,9 nm
Dist. from Dept.: 45,1 nm
Dist. to Dest.: 174,2 nm
True Course: 26°
Magnetic Course: 19°

Fly North (19°M). Safe Altitude: 1,000 Feet.

A large part of the reef is protected by the Great

Barrier Reef Marine Park, which helps to limit the impact of human use, such as fishing and tourism.
Other environmental pressures on the reef and its ecosystem include runoff of humanmade
pollutants, climate change accompanied by mass coral bleaching, dumping of dredging sludge and
cyclic population outbreaks of the crown-of-thorns starfish.
POI4-Otter Reef
Distance: 11,6 nm
Dist. from Dept.: 56,7 nm
Dist. to Dest.: 162,6 nm
True Course: 289°
Magnetic Course: 282°

Turn the aircraft to the West (282°M). Safe

Altitude: 1,000 Feet.

According to a study published in October 2012 by the Proceedings of the National Academy of
Sciences, the reef has lost more than half its coral cover since 1985, a finding reaffirmed by a 2020
study which found over half of the reef's coral cover to have been lost between 1995 and 2017, with
the effects of a widespread 2020 bleaching event not yet quantified.

POI5-Yamacutta Reef
Distance: 8,4 nm
Dist. from Dept.: 65,1 nm
Dist. to Dest.: 154,2 nm
True Course: 4°
Magnetic Course: 357°

Turn North (357°M). Safe Altitude: 1,000 Feet.

The Great Barrier Reef has long been known to

and used by the Aboriginal Australian and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and is an important part of
local groups' cultures and spirituality. The reef is a very popular destination for tourists, especially in
the Whitsunday Islands and Cairns regions.

POI6-Farquharson Reef
Distance: 7,5 nm
Dist. from Dept.: 72,6 nm
Dist. to Dest.: 146,7 nm
True Course: 316°
Magnetic Course: 309°

Turn the aircraft to the North West (309°M).

Safe Altitude: 1,000 Feet.

In November 2014, Google launched Google Underwater Street View in 3D of the Great Barrier Reef.
POI7-Ellison Reef
Distance: 7,9 nm
Dist. from Dept.: 80,5 nm
Dist. to Dest.: 138,8 nm
True Course: 306°
Magnetic Course: 299°

Turn North West (299°M). Safe Altitude: 1,000

Feet.

The Great Barrier Reef is a distinct feature of the East Australian Cordillera division. It reaches from
Torres Strait (between Bramble Cay, its northernmost island, and the south coast of Papua New
Guinea) in the north to the unnamed passage between Lady Elliot Island (its southernmost island)
and Fraser Island in the south.

POI8-Hall-Thompson Reef
Distance: 7,9 nm
Dist. from Dept.: 88,4 nm
Dist. to Dest.: 131,0 nm
True Course: 33°
Magnetic Course: 26°

Fly North East (26°M). Safe Altitude: 1,000 Feet.

The plate tectonic theory indicates Australia has

moved northwards at a rate of 7 cm (2.8 in) per year, starting during the Cenozoic. Eastern Australia
experienced a period of tectonic uplift, which moved the drainage divide in Queensland 400 km (250
mi) inland. Also during this time, Queensland experienced volcanic eruptions leading to central and
shield volcanoes and basalt flows. Some of these became volcanic islands. After the Coral Sea Basin
formed, coral reefs began to grow in the Basin, but until about 25 million years ago, northern
Queensland was still in temperate waters south of the tropics – too cool to support coral growth. The
Great Barrier Reef's development history is complex, after Queensland drifted into tropical waters, it
was largely influenced by reef growth and decline as sea level changed.

POI9-Peart Reef
Distance: 8,0 nm
Dist. from Dept.: 96,4 nm
Dist. to Dest.: 123,0 nm
True Course: 327°
Magnetic Course: 320°

Turn North West (320°M). Safe Altitude: 1,000

Feet.

Reefs can increase in diameter by 1 to 3 centimetres (0.39 to 1.18 in) per year, and grow vertically
anywhere from 1 to 25 cm (0.39 to 9.84 in) per year, however, they grow only above a depth of 150
metres (490 ft) due to their need for sunlight, and cannot grow above sea level.
POI10-Gibson Reef
Distance: 11,9 nm
Dist. from Dept.: 108,2 nm
Dist. to Dest.: 111,1 nm
True Course: 351°
Magnetic Course: 345°

Turn to the North (345°M). Safe Altitude: 1,000

Feet.

When Queensland edged into tropical waters 24 million years ago, some coral grew, but a
sedimentation regime quickly developed with erosion of the Great Dividing Range, creating river
deltas, oozes and turbidites, unsuitable conditions for coral growth. 10 million years ago, the sea
level significantly lowered, which further enabled sedimentation. The reef's substrate may have
needed to build up from the sediment until its edge was too far away for suspended sediments to
inhibit coral growth. In addition, approximately 400,000 years ago there was a particularly warm
Interglacial period with higher sea levels and a 4 °C (7 °F) water temperature change.

POI11-Maori Reef
Distance: 11,1 nm
Dist. from Dept.: 119,4 nm
Dist. to Dest.: 100,0 nm
True Course: 348°
Magnetic Course: 341°

Follow to the North (341°M). Safe Altitude:

1,000 Feet.

The land that formed the substrate of the current Great Barrier Reef was a coastal plain formed from
the eroded sediments of the Great Dividing Range with some larger hills (most of which were
themselves remnants of older reefs or, in rare cases, volcanoes. The Reef Research Centre, a
Cooperative Research Centre, has found coral 'skeleton' deposits that date back half a million years.

POI12-Sudbury Reef
Distance: 11,7 nm
Dist. from Dept.: 131,1 nm
Dist. to Dest.: 88,3 nm
True Course: 311°
Magnetic Course: 304°

Turn the aircraft to the North West (304°M).

Safe Altitude: 1,000 Feet.

The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) considers the earliest evidence of complete
reef structures to have been 600,000 years ago. According to the GBRMPA, the current, living reef
structure is believed to have begun growing on the older platform about 20,000 years ago. The
Australian Institute of Marine Science agrees, placing the beginning of the growth of the current reef
at the time of the Last Glacial Maximum. At around that time, sea level was 120 metres (390 ft) lower
than it is today.

POI13-Moore Reef
Distance: 7,5 nm
Dist. from Dept.: 138,5 nm
Dist. to Dest.: 80,8 nm
True Course: 29°
Magnetic Course: 22°

Fly North (22°M). Safe Altitude: 1,000 Feet.

From 20,000 years ago until 6,000 years ago, sea

level rose steadily around the world. As it rose, the corals could then grow higher on the newly
submerged maritime margins of the hills of the coastal plain. By around 13,000 years ago the sea
level was only 60 metres (200 ft) lower than the present day, and corals began to surround the hills
of the coastal plain, which were, by then, continental islands. As the sea level rose further still, most
of the continental islands were submerged. The corals could then overgrow the submerged hills, to
form the present cays and reefs. Sea level here has not risen significantly in the last 6,000 years.

POI14-Arlington Reef
Distance: 13,0 nm
Dist. from Dept.: 151,5 nm
Dist. to Dest.: 67,8 nm
True Course: 316°
Magnetic Course: 309°

Turn to the North West (309°M). Safe Altitude:

1,000 Feet.

The CRC Reef Research Centre estimates the age of the present, living reef structure at 6,000 to
8,000 years old. The shallow water reefs that can be seen in air-photographs and satellite images
cover an area of 20,679 km2, most (about 80%) of which has grown on top of limestone platforms
that are relics of past (Pleistocene) phases of reef growth.

The remains of an ancient barrier reef similar to the Great Barrier Reef can be found in The
Kimberley, Western Australia.

POI15-Norman Reef
Distance: 18,5 nm
Dist. from Dept.: 170,0 nm
Dist. to Dest.: 49,3 nm
True Course: 344°
Magnetic Course: 337°

Follow to the North West (337°M). Safe

Altitude: 1,000 Feet.
The Great Barrier Reef supports an extraordinary diversity of life, including many vulnerable or
endangered species, some of which may be endemic to the reef system.

Thirty species of cetaceans have been recorded in the Great Barrier Reef, including the dwarf minke
whale, Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin, and the humpback whale. Large populations of dugongs live
there. More than 1,500 fish species live on the reef, including the clownfish, red bass, red-throat
emperor, and several species of snapper and coral trout. Forty-nine species mass spawn, while
eighty-four other species spawn elsewhere in their range. Seventeen species of sea snake live on the
Great Barrier Reef in warm waters up to 50 metres (160 ft) deep and are more common in the
southern than in the northern section. None found in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area are
endemic, nor are any endangered.

POI16-Batt Reef
Distance: 16,6 nm
Dist. from Dept.: 186,6 nm
Dist. to Dest.: 32,7 nm
True Course: 281°
Magnetic Course: 274°

Fly West (274°M). Safe Altitude: 1,000 Feet.

Six species of sea turtles come to the reef to

breed: the green sea turtle, leatherback sea turtle, hawksbill turtle, loggerhead sea turtle, flatback
turtle, and the olive ridley. The green sea turtles on the Great Barrier Reef have two genetically
distinct populations, one in the northern part of the reef and the other in the southern part. Fifteen
species of seagrass in beds attract the dugongs and turtles, and provide fish habitat. The most
common genera of seagrasses are Halophila and Halodule.

Saltwater crocodiles live in mangrove and salt marshes on the coast near the reef. Nesting has not
been reported, and the salt water crocodile population in the GBRWHA is wide-ranging but low
density. Around 125 species of shark, stingray, skates or chimaera live on the reef. Close to 5,000
species of mollusc have been recorded on the reef, including the giant clam and various nudibranchs
and cone snails. Forty-nine species of pipefish and nine species of seahorse have been recorded. At
least seven species of frog inhabit the islands.

215 species of birds (including 22 species of seabirds and 32 species of shorebirds) visit the reef or
nest or roost on the islands, including the white-bellied sea eagle and roseate tern. Most nesting sites
are on islands in the northern and southern regions of the Great Barrier Reef, with 1.4 to 1.7 million
birds using the sites to breed. The islands of the Great Barrier Reef also support 2,195 known plant
species, three of these are endemic. The northern islands have 300–350 plant species which tend to
be woody, whereas the southern islands have 200 which tend to be herbaceous, the Whitsunday
region is the most diverse, supporting 1,141 species. The plants are propagated by birds.
POI17-Undine Reef
Distance: 15,1 nm
Dist. from Dept.: 201,7 nm
Dist. to Dest.: 17,6 nm
True Course: 355°
Magnetic Course: 348°

Turn the aircraft to the North (348°M). Safe

Altitude: 1,000 Feet.

The Great Barrier Reef has long been known to and used by the Aboriginal Australian and Torres
Strait Islander peoples. Aboriginal Australians have been living in the area for at least 40,000 years,
and Torres Strait Islanders since about 10,000 years ago. For these 70 or so clan groups, the reef is
also an important cultural feature.

POI18-Approach YCBY
Distance: 12,3 nm
Dist. from Dept.: 214,0 nm
Dist. to Dest.: 5,3 nm
True Course: 265°
Magnetic Course: 259°

Turn West (259°M). Safe Altitude: 1,000 Feet.

Prepare to land when approaching the airport.

YCBY-Daintree Airport
Distance: 5,3 nm
Dist. from Dept.: 219,3 nm
Dist. to Dest.: 0,0 nm
True Course: 212°
Magnetic Course: 206°

You should see the airport in the South West

(206°M).

We land here and shut down the engine to complete this bush trip.

You can also taxi to a parking before shutting down the engine.

If there are no parking facilities, remain on the runway and shut down the engine there.