The Tour Specialists Blog

In terms of visibility, yesterday was in the top 10 days that one of our skippers has experienced out there. We didn’t even need to use the Semi-sub you could make out all the coral and fish life from the surface. The water is warming up and so is the fish activity. Vast schools of grazing herbivores, including parrotfish and rabbit fish, patrol the sea floor in search of leafy algae. The larger reef species such as sweetlips, moray eels and coral trout are hanging out at the larger bombies ambushing prey. Our Eye On The Reef program has also reported regular sightings in excess of 6 marine turtles on some snorkel tours with Green, Hawksbill and Loggerhead turtles accounting for most of the sightings.

My partner and I took a lovely Sunday out on the Great Barrier Reef; we chose to go out on Quicksilver’s Wavepiercer leaving from the beautiful town of Port Douglas.

Our Day started out in Cairns where we were picked up by Winston in one of Quicksilver’s luxurious coaches. It was a very comfortable and informative trip, delivering us to Marina Mirage, where we checked in for the boat and then boarded for our journey out to Agincourt reef.

On boarding the Boat we found we had plenty of space to choose from, so we decided to grab our morning tea from the bar and found ourselves a comfortable seat for the journey out.

The journey out was a relaxed and smooth ride with informative talks by the Marine Biologist. We had decided to each do an introductory dive, so off we went to be briefed in all the inns and out’s of safety and dive procedures.

Once we arrived at the very large and spacious pontoon it was time to put down our bags and get ready for our Dive. We went down to the dive platform where we were kitted up and taken down into the waist high water. Hiromi (our dive master) then took us through all of the safety procedures individually until we were each comfortable.

Then it was time for the descend. Before we had even left the platform we were surrounded by some of the beautiful tropical fish that call Agincourt Reef their home.

As we slowly descended into the big blue all around us you could see the marine playground that we had been so eagerly awaiting, Fish dart between myself and Ryan, very inquisitive and I guess a novelty for them also, maybe they come to the pontoon each day to check out the humans, just as we go there to check them out. With Hiromi’s watchful eye we leave the rope we were using to guide us, and fin our way through the water and down to the ocean floor. Here we get to have a little play with the Clown fish, living in the anenomy, then we cruise over to the Giant clam, where I am convinced to put my hand inside, it snapped shut, not completely, and not harming me at all, but it defiantly gave me a bit of a fright. Then we just spent the next 10 minutes or so cruising around the bommies and taking in the peacefulness that is Scuba Diving.

Back up to the surface it was time to go and get some Lunch, I guess you don’t realize how hungry being in the water makes you. There was a large selection of fresh fruits, salads, cold meats and a couple of hot choices. After we had eaten like Kings it was time to lie on the upper deck and soak up the sunshine.

After we had digested our lunch it was time to get back in the water for a quick afternoon snorkel, it still amazes me how much you can see just snorkeling along at your own pace.

There were also many opportunities to do the complimentary semi-submersible boat tours although we were happy having a relaxing day soaking up the sunshine and enjoying the peacefulness that is being out on the Great Barrier Reef.

Before we knew it the Horn onboard the ship had sounded and it was time to re-board the Boat for our return journey. Just as we all got out of the water and boarded the boat, about 5 Minke Whales came to play for our viewing enjoyment.

On the way home we sat up on the front deck, with the wind in our hair we discussed our Magical day once again on the Great Barrier Reef.

Thank you to all the Staff onboard for your very warm and hospitable welcome.

We will see you again.

Lauren Engler

The Tour Specialists

Hi All

I went out on Ocean Freedom on wed and had a fantastic day. The boat was great lots of comfortable areas especially the sun deck for those who like to bake themselves. On arrival you get Danishes, fruit and tea and coffee, which you can help yourself to throughout the day if you wish. We arrived at Upolu Cay about 10 am and were ferried across to the cay, here we all got in and had a snorkel (great for those who are a little rusty at the art of snorkeling). You get plenty of time to snorkel and I was fortunate enough to see 4 turtles. Guest have the opportunity to participate in a glass bottom boat tour also at this location.

From here we cruised to the 2^nd location where we had lunch consisting of prawns, smoked salmon, cold meats, salads and yummy breads and they don’t pack the food away so you can keep grazing. “Wonder Wall”, I had heard many great things about this location and it did not disappoint. Here you have plenty of time to relax on the sun deck, snorkel, and dive or opt for the guided snorkel tour which they do at a different location. As we leave here a massive tropical fruit platter is served then half way home a cheese platter then just when you thought you couldn’t fit another thing in out comes the cake.

All in all it was a great day and with the small numbers you can’t help but mingle with other snorklers. The crew were great friendly and attentive and made it their duty to converse with everyone on board.

Regards,

Louise

A local tour that helps save the earth

	Melanie Blight from the Tour Specialists gets into the swing of planting ‘the right tree in the right place’ after guidance from ARF Conservation Officer, Jolyon Ritchie (back left).

Visitors from all over the world take trips daily from Cairns to our World Heritage Wet Tropics rainforests. But in April a tour-bus full of locals paid their fare and headed north to get down and dirty in the Daintree all in the name of Earth Day.

The group travelled with local tour company Wilderness Challenge, brought together by the Australian Rainforest Foundation (ARF) and the Tour Specialists all with one objective in mind – to give something back to the environment.

“Everyday at work I promote the Wet Tropics as one of the most wonderful places in the world. I want to be responsible for making sure that it stays that way. This tour lets me do something about that,” Melanie Blight of the Tour Specialists said.

“The day wasn’t about making me feel good, although it was very special and a lot of fun, it was about helping the earth, and we all know it desperately needs it. Our rainforests can help in the fight against climate change and the least we can do is help rejuvenate the rainforests by planting these trees.”

The Earth Day tour included was led by a Wilderness Challenge guide, and included a briefing by ARF Conservation Officer Jolyon Ritchie on the eco-system of the rainforest and its’ regeneration process, a bbq lunch, afternoon tea and a refreshing swim – but the latter was only after 100 native trees had been planted on a prime rainforest block owned and protected by the ARF.