The Tour Specialists Blog

Being a special birthday weekend I decided a treat was in order, so where better than to treat oneself but a weekend away at Elandra at Mission Beach!  After finally getting on the road we ended up at Mission Beach which took about three hours from the Northern Beaches of Cairns as we had quite a few hold ups with a number of different road works. 

Elandra is situated at South Mission beach on a headland that looks over Dunk Island.  As we arrived at night I could not witness the view but at least it was something to look forward to the following morning.  On arrival we were greeted by the lovely receptionist and explained how to get to our rooms.  All the rooms at Elandra are connected by an elevated timber boardwalk.  Our room was light and airy, with a great bed a spacious balcony, 32 inch lcd flat screen TV, a treasure chest with an assortment of goodies to tempt you and a fantastic shower all equipped with the most amazing Kevin Murphy products which smelt absolutely beautiful.

Well it was off to dinner and this did not disappoint.  We firstly sat at the bar for a cocktail before we were seated at our table.  Just reading the menu left my mouth watering in eager anticipation of my meal.  Our choice was freshly shucked oysters for entrée and I must say the best I have had since three years ago at the Palm Cove Fiesta!
For main we both could not go past the twice cooked pork belly which was just melted in you mouth and unfortunately left no room for the dessert which looked equally amazing!

After dinner it was time to retire back to our room and await the sun to come up, so we could check out the view.   Again the view did not disappoint with glimpse to the right of Dunk Island.  After a lazy lounging morning it was time to claim a sunbed for the day.  The pool area is just jaw dropping with the most impressive view of Dunk Island in the back ground.  The pool is dotted with two day beds scattered with brightly coloured cushions and array of either individual or double sun beds.  Now I felt like a million dollars swimming around in the gorgeous pool and lounging reading Saturdays papers with a fresh sparkling mineral water in hand! 

The following day I had an in room massage organized which was the perfect way to top of my luxurious weekend away.  I must say this massage was sooooo relaxing I nearly fell asleep. 

Oh well with regret it was time to depart but with lasting memories of such a fantastic experience and a taste of service that was exceptional.  Thank you to all at Elandra for such a great time! Elandra Information and Rates

Tammy - The Tour Specialists Palm Cove

Ocean Spirit Dinner Cruise

I recently had a most enjoyable experience on the Ocean Spirit Dinner Cruise.  As my father was up here on holidays I thought this would be the perfect father’s day gift that we could all share in.  So we made our way down to the Marlin Marina in Cairns at 6.45pm for a 7.00pm departure.  On arrival we were greeted by the very friendly crew with a glass of bubbly to start the night off.  We were then shown to our table.

Before the boat had even left the marina we were offered a selection of two different soups.  Chicken and sweet corn or the classic pumpkin with some lovely soup rolls.
The two and half hour cruise was then underway cruising in the Calm Waters of the Trinity Inlet.  The inlet in Cairns is calm water so you can rest assured that your meal will stay on the table.  After the soup the full buffet was spread out, and there was a selection of prawns, oysters, salads, two types of roast meats with all the trimmings and plenty more to satisfy my hunger. This was all before the desserts which were equally impressive tiramisu, lemon meringue pie, fruit salad just to name a few!

The onboard entertainment was brilliant, they had a female vocalist with a fantastic voice and as we also had a hens night onboard she was happy to sing there Abba requests to get them all up grooving along!  After our meal it was time to check out the fabulous view outside as we cruised up and down the inlet!  It is really interesting checking out the shipping yards that are working around the clock and few the magical night city lights of Cairns! Dinner Cruise Information & Bookings
Tammy - The Tour Specialists Palm Cove

I drove up to the Tablelands on the weekend and stopped in at Lake Barrine for their famous Devonshire tea with there bottomless cups of tea or coffee, they did not disappoint.  The Lake itself was beautiful, we went for a short walk through the rainforest to the pair of massive Kauri Pines, a truly spectacular sight, they are 40-50 meters high and a girth about 5 meters in diameter you feel quite insignificant standing next to them.
After a short drive we get to Malanda, we stopped at the Malanda falls and did a short walk around the rainforest looking out for the Lumhotz’s Tree Kangaroo which we were told are regularly seen in this area, also spotted in this area is the platypus but only in the morning or  late afternoon.  Unfortunately we didn’t see either, the walk takes you to the falls which are nice with a nice man made swimming hole that looked very inviting if the weather was a bit warmer.
We then took a short drive through the historic township of Malanda and headed towards Atherton until you get to the Gallos Dairy land, a fully functional dairy farm, they have a range of had crafted chocolates that are divine and a huge selection of gourmet dairy products that are lactose free, you are able to taste all the cheese and purchase if you wish.  You can see how this gourmet cheese is made in their cheese viewing platform and they will also take the kiddies out to see the calves and see how the milk is made in the dairy farm.
We started our way home with a quick stop in at the  Mareeba Coffee Works, home to some of the finest coffee made in Australia to get our coffee for home and a quick takeaway to perk ourselves up after all that cheese and chocolate.
We headed on down the range and were back home by 1pm, so it was a great morning out and the weather was perfect in the Tablelands, we came home to grey sky’s and rain, so a great place to be when the weather is not so good here.

Louise - The Tour Specialists

Cairns Amateurs 2008

The Cairns Amateurs is on once again on Friday 12 September & Saturday 13 September.  Thousand of highly fashioned fillies and fellows will flock to Cannon Park to enjoy the festivities. This year marks the 50th year of the Cairns Amateurs so if you are in town make sure you do not miss out on this event.

Tickets are $25.00 per person.

I recently holiday up in the far North and whilst there I went to the Night Zoo.
This was a fantastic Australian night out and well worth doing, we were greeted by Tas a sulpher crested cockatoo who doesn’t mind a chat.
Dinner was an  Aussie BBQ with the chef cooking up your steak to your likening and with plenty of other stuff for those who aren’t as carnivorous, like chicken, prawns, mackerel and sausages, and plenty of salads to go with it, complemented with some yummy Australian wine (De bortili I think it was) and plenty of soft drink for the kiddies.
 Once dinner is over you are issued with some torches and guided through the park to meet some unique Australian animals, the first being a glider who was as cute as a button, then Dusk a barn owl who flies softly over your head.
From here you are taken to the Koala enclosure where you can pat these cute little guys and also get your photo taken with them if you wish (at an extra cost).  From the cute and cuddly to the not so cute and slimy, you are taken through the reptile enclosure where you can see many of the different species indigenous to Australia and some overseas guests as well.
Marvel at the massive crocodiles and watch them get fed, we saw Zont who was a huge 4 meter Estuarine crocodile, watch him launch his massive body out of the water to get his dinner.
After a big Cooeee we wander off to share some Billy tea and Damper with the Eastern Grey  Kangaroos by a cozy campfire, you have the opportunity to feed and pat these cute mammals.
Then to finish off the evening more wine, live entertainment and a bit of bush dancing. They have many homemade Australian instruments ,like bottle tops on sticks, even a couple of double pluggers (thongs) to slap together and emerse yourself in  the fun.  So all in all it was a fantastic night the kids loved it and well worth doing.Cairns Tropical Zoo Information and Booking Page
 
Lou
 
 
 

I had the privilege to spend an evening cruise aboard Quicksilver VIII after her $3 millions refit. After a smooth and stunning scenic drive from Cairns to Port Douglas by bus we all got onboard the Quicksilver wavepiercing catamaran.

This expensive refit was undertaken on all 4 engines: Which now means that the ride to the Reef is even smoother (now making her really good in windy conditions) and fuel saving.

The results of the refit are phenomenal a 40% weight reduction and it reduction in carbon emission by 20% - This is something to take into consideration nowadays, and that is the philosophy of the Quicksilver group of Companies!

The ride out to Low Isles to watch the sunset was so smooth (no ones dropped their glasses) the company was great and the food was sensational.

Well done Quicksilver and again Thank you for sharing this special moment…
Quicksilver information & Bookings
Florence
TTS Hilton

Exciting new - Flames of the Forest have just relocated to a new and bigger rainforest location.  This new location is just a bit further down the road from there original site and it is more spectacular than the original site.  The new infrastructure they have in place now enables group sizes of up to 900 guests for sit down events!

Flames of the forest have a reputation as a world class attraction and recently won awards for innovation and food.  Flames of the forest were also recently listed in the Australian Traveler Magazine as one of the Top 100 thing to do in Australia.

Flames of the forest started operating in 2003 and have successfully hosted events to the likes of royalty, rock stars, major corporations to those romantically inclined requiring an ideal setting to propose!

Flames of the forest is an evening in the rainforest set among hundred of candles and flames.  The evening features an Aboriginal performance with story telling, music and song from local brothers who call this area home.  The food is spectacular and is set banquet style to the table. Offering the likes of Smoked crocodile red grape shaved fennel and Pomegranate, Salads of Thai style green paw paw with fresh local tiger prawns and nahm jim. Tropical spiced rubbed barramundi in banana leaf, grilled Mareeba coffee rubbed sirloin on wood roast beets with pesto and fried leek just to name a few.

Now I have your attention Flames of the forest operate Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights until 10 January 2009.
The tour includes transfers from you accommodation, the unique aboriginal performance, hors d’ouvers and sparkling wine on arrival, a sensational tropical banquet with wine and beer served to your table, Daintree tea and coffee.

Don’t worry this is an all weather event.

Cost is $199.00 per person all inclusive
and $130.00 per child ages 6-16.

Flames of the forest information & Bookings

One of the feature event of Festival Cairns is taking place this Sunday 07 September.  The Carnival on Collins which is situated along Collins Ave in Edge Hill.  The carnival commences at 9.00 am and finishes at 3.00 pm.  Originally the carnival started as a plant market so if you are interested in the wonderful tropical plant Far North Queensland has to offer this is the place to go! Fern, palms orchids, and butterfly plants plus many more. 

The carnival will also host live entertainment with more than 20 performances which will include folk singers and songwriters.  There will also be free interactive entertainment with face painting, story telling, rides and puppet shows, circus stilt walkers and buskers.  There will also be stalls with local arts & crafts and eco friendly products.

So come along there will also be plenty of food stalls with a wide variety to suit all tastes!