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Reef vies for wonders of the world honour

Dive Queensland predicts the Great Barrier Reef will end up in the top five of the seven wonders of the world.

The reef has joined 28 finalists being reviewed by the New Seven Wonders Foundation, with the final seven to be decided by popular vote in 2011.

Dive Queensland spokesman Col McKenzie says the thought of the Great Barrier Reef ever dropping out of the top seven could be disastrous.

"Inevitably it will, I mean if they didn't list it that would go against us," he said.

"A lot of these seven wonders-type thing are the things that we teach to school kids."

Mr McKenzie says there is nothing like it in the world.

"I'd be very disappointed if it's not up there in the top five, I mean I just can't think of any other water-based natural wonder that is on the same kind of line," he said.

Peter O'Reilly from Tourism Whitsundays says the reef will make the list because it is unique.

"The experiences we offer here are literally like nowhere else in the world," he said.

"Yes, places like the Maldives have an incredibly good name and I guess an exotic type of aura about them, but as each year goes past, the Whitsundays is being positioned closer and closer to that pinnacle of island holiday destinations."

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