Regional News

Quicksilver Group - Quicksilver Outer Reef News Feed

Exciting news for families!! Here comes the Squid Squad Quicksilver’s fun new Kids Club...

Travelling to the Great Barrier Reef is about to become even more of an adventure for children with the launch of a fun new Kids Club – “The Squid Squad” on Quicksilver’s Outer Reef cruise, just in time for the school holidays.

Commencing in the forthcoming school holiday period, 27 June - 21 July, the Squid Squad will offer children aged 5 – 12 years an extra dimension to their reef experience. Complete with the Squid Squad activity book, fun and games, they’ll be having so much fun before they even realise it’s educational too.

Supervised by Quicksilver’s friendly and experienced crew, the club runs in 45 minute sessions while at the outer reef platform – giving mum and dad some guilt-free time to enjoy a snorkel, lunch together or just relax on the sundeck.

The club costs $15 per child with three sessions available each day. Participation can only be booked onboard on the day of travel.

Key points – Squid Squad:

• Only available on Quicksilver’s Outer Reef Cruise.
• 3 x 45 minute sessions available each day.
• For children aged 5 – 12 years.
• Cost per child is $15, per session.
• Can not be pre-booked, subject to availability on the day.

Initially, only available over the school holiday periods. This year’s holiday periods are: 27 June -21 July; 19 September - 13 October; 12 December - 29th January 2009.

Regional News

Port Douglas Sands - Port Douglas Sands News Feed

We have some great news!!!

Port Douglas Sands Resort has just been visited by "AAA" Tourism, the national body who rates properties. Due to the current renovations new reception and beautiful grounds we have now been upgraded  to  a 4 Star AAA rating.  

The property features a brand new reception area complete with a new tour information and reservations desk for our guests convenience.

The air-conditioned art deco reception offers modern furnishings with art work from local artists along with ample room for information boards and brochures regarding all there is to do in the region. 

To view more details on the Port Douglas Sands please click here

Travellers Tales

Back Country Bliss Adventures - River Drift Snorkelling News Feed

It's a steamy morning in the Tropical North Queensland rainforest and I stand in a waist-deep pool at the edge of the Mossman River. Beside our small group, led by experienced outdoor instructors Barney and Michaela, the river is bubbling and tumbling, swelled by recent rains.

I am still half-asleep and too self-conscious about the flaws of my body revealed by my snug wetsuit to be fully concentrating on Barney's directions: "Just relax and let the current take you," I think he says. "And try to stick to the deeper part of the river".

Happily, the rather more sveltely wetsuited and aptly named Michaela Flood is ready to demonstrate. She launches herself head-down and snorkel-up into the rapids and swims hard across them, like Lara Croft. Then, reaching mid-river, she lets the water carry her, drifting swiftly but gracefully downstream and pulling up about 100 metres away near the opposite riverbank.

"So we're aiming for that calm section which is known as an eddy," continues Barney. "And don't worry. We'll grab you if you're going to overshoot."

Before I know it, Barney is summoning me for my first attempt at river-drift snorkelling.

I push myself into the white water, angle my mask into the swirl beneath and start to flail my arms and legs like an out-of-control ceiling fan. At first all I can see is the riverbed flashing past below, all I can hear is the swoosh of churning water and although I am trying to travel headfirst the river is twirling me around like a twig.

After a few seconds, however, I remember Barney's advice and stop struggling. Almost immediately, my body rights itself and I am carried smoothly downstream. I raise my head occasionally to check that I am still on course and as I near the eddy, I manoeuvre myself clear of the current, coming to an ungainly halt by digging my heels into the sandy riverbed.

During the next 90 minutes, we zigzag down the clear tropical river, spotting big river perch and freshwater turtles as we snorkel. Pausing often we take in the jungle scenery, bright-breasted birds singing in the trees and fluorescent butterflies fluttering by.

Finally, having earned our drift snorkelling P-plates, we float serenely down the Mossman on our backs, gazing up into the glistening green canopy of overhanging trees and their accompanying epiphites. It is a wonderful way to start the day and an exhilarating but intimate experience of the river and surrounding forest.

Travellers Tales

Jungle Adventures Cape Trib - Jungle Canopy Surfing News Feed

So far I have experienced World Heritage-listed rainforests both from underneath and at their coastal edges. Now, after leaving behind the sugar cane plantations north of Mossman and crossing the Daintree River, it feels as if I am travelling through their midst.

As the narrow road twists and curls toward Cape Tribulation, the jungle seems to bear down upon it, giant ferns and screw palms creating a tunnel around it. With an ethereal mist suffusing the trees, lit by glimmers of sunshine, and with choral music playing on the car stereo it is one of the most uplifting drives of my life.

Before I know it I have arrived at Cape Tribulation and am being strapped into a harness for an afternoon of surfing through the jungle canopy on flying foxes. I can already tell from the banter between the guides and my group of mostly young women that this is going to be fun.

Then I am handed my helmet, which has the name "Monkey" inscribed upon it. I might have spent the morning with Lara Croft but, according to their headgear, my companions this afternoon are even bigger cinematic legends such as Tarzan, Princess Leia and, erm, Tinkerbell.

In common with drift snorkelling, this tour melds excitement with education and the guides are careful to pass on information about the 135-million-year-old rainforest we are flying through while also safely scaring the living daylights out of us.

The canopy tour runs on a system of flying fox ziplines linking fi ve tree platforms, the highest of which reaches nearly 20 metres off the ground. Guides do all the hard work propelling jungle surfers along using a rope pulley system, allowing you to enjoy the wide-ranging views across the forest canopy and out towards the Great Barrier Reef.

We begin by travelling in pairs along two spans, with my buddy being a Canadian Tinkerbell. One by one we are secured to the zipline and then coaxed to step off the platform into thin air. Then, trying not to look down, we are hauled along the line to the next platform.

The next span is the longest one at 78 metres, rendered even more heart-stopping when we are left to dangle at the run's highest point, 22.5 metres above Mason Creek. Even with Tinkerbell for company it is unnerving.

Then I travel solo, firstly at speed down a 45-metre stretch and fi nally, living up to my "Monkey" epithet, hanging cross-legged and upside down. Later that evening, after an alfresco dinner serenaded by warbling tree frogs back at the Cape Tribulation Resort and Spa, I add another perspective on the world's oldest continually surviving rainforest by doing a night walk.

It is an eerie experience strolling in the dark through a place ancient enough to have seen the dinosaurs come and go. I pass between giant trees that have been here since before Captain Cook sailed past in 1770.

At night, however, the rainforest also becomes a discernibly living entity, under the cover of darkness allowing a number of nocturnal species such as possums, bandicoots and platypuses to thrive. Tonight, we spot a spindly python hunting for food, a few forest dragon lizards and numerous frogs.

It is the sounds of the jungle that are most apparent: the hum of insects, the whoop of birds, the glug of gently flowing creeks and the crackle of leaves and branches moving in the evening breeze.

Back at my cabin in the resort after a long, varied day exploring the rainforest it is this soothing soundtrack that ushers me to sleep.

Travellers Tales

Adventure North - Daintree Dreaming News Feed

My day continues equally well when I join Linc Walker for a cultural habitat tour at nearby Cooya Beach. Linc is a young member of the Kuku Yalanji tribe, which has lived among these coastal rainforests for tens of thousands of years. He is also a born teacher, sharing his heritage and knowledge of the mangrove swamps where he has fished and foraged since he was small with ease and pride.

As we follow muddy fishing trails between tangled branches, we learn what miraculous plants mangroves are, crucial to the coastal eco-system in providing, among other things, a protective nursery for growing fish. They are also a rich and varied source of tucker - from mud crabs to whelks and molluscs - for those who know where to look.

His people, as Linc explains, were careful not to overfish, however, so as to allow nature to replenish itself.

Regional News!

Poseidon Cruises - Poseidon Cruises News Feed

Just a quick note to let you know this Wednesday evening Sailaway Sunset Sailing is already sold out however we now have another scheduled sailing this FRIDAY 6th JUNE.

Poseidon and Sailaway are off to a great start early in the season. Thanks again for your continued support and spreading the word on the quality and consistency of our premium reef experiences.

Poseidon with 1 of only 3 day boat permits had the highest number of Minke Whale sightings last season so it's great these amazing creatures have started to join us again.

Poseidon has further increased the number of it's very experienced and professional crew creating even more possibilities for superb, world class diving at Agincourt Ribbon Reefs.

Poseidon is the only outer reef vessel with it's own dedicated dive tender in addition to the rescue tender, perfect for the experienced adventure certified diver, necessary to explore more drift and wall dives. 

Well travelled Snorkellers of all experience continue to give rave reviews of the personal Poseidon guided snorkel tours with qualified marine biologists.

As from July Sailaway start their additional Sunset Sailing EVERY FRIDAY as well as EVERY WEDNESDAY.

Shaolin is back on the run to Low Isles, looking great and going well after loving maintenance. Please make a note in your diary for the Shaolin TV feature on Queensland Weekender, scheduled for Saturday 28th June Channel 7 at 5.30pm.

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