local tours information from gold coast to reef

Gold Coast and Great Barrier Reef is not in the same place. If you want to go to Reef, you need to fly to Cairns first. If you have 5 days holiday, I recommend you can spend 2 days in Gold Coast, then fly to Cairns and stay there for 3 days
For me Gold Coast is not very attractive, it's only a seaside town with lovely beach... So I will not spend many time on it, or even I will skip it. But if you haven't been there before, it's worth to stay there for 2 days. You can leave GC in afternoon of the 2nd day, then go to Brisbane to take flight to Cairns.
In Cairns, you can join local tour to Reef. Usually it's operated by Cruise company. They will bring you out to Reef by jetfoil in the morning and bring you back at around 4pm. You will have around 5 - 6 hours on the pantoon on the Reef. The tariff usually includes a buffet seafood lunch, snookelling tours, semi-submarine, glass bottom boat etc. Charges will be around A$180 - 200. If you want to dive and take the helicopter, you have to pay extra money. There are some cruise company like Big Cat, Sunlovers, Quick Silver etc You can find those information on Yahoo Australia easily.