My husband, our 18 month old daughter and myself all had such a wonderful time we vowed to return Kewarra Beach Resort on our next holiday!

I couldn’t believe how stunning it was and to have our own bungalow right on the beach was simply unforgettable. We have travelled extensively around the world but I don’t ever recall staying in such a gorgeous place with such a beautiful setting. The staff were lovely and the food was delicious. One evening we ordered the Coral Seafood basket which they delivered to our room and we dined on our own private balcony under the stars looking over the beach. It was perfect.
Thanks again, hopefully you will hear from us again some time very soon!

 
Elisa 

Once inside the courtyard at Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park I met the rest of the Tour Specialists team and was offered a welcoming glass of wine.  We enjoyed the fresh Tropical North Queensland air and mingled underneath the vast Australian night sky.  After a short while we were ushered into the Magic Space – a large cavernous room adorned with Australian Aboriginal artworks and artefacts.  The Magic Space is the beginning of the Tjapukai By Night experience, and exudes an atmospheric ambiance.  After a short while admiring the Aboriginal artworks, the lights begin to dim and the show begins…

The Tjapukai By Night performance in the Magic Space is incredibly intimate.  In the centre of the room is a small circular stage where the enthralled audience gathers around to enjoy the Tjapukai performers tell a traditional Dreamtime through the use of dance and didgeridoo music.  As the traditional dance ends the haunting sounds of the didgeridoo reverberates off the hallowed walls of the Magic Space creating a powerful experience for the audience.  I was amazed at how clear the sounds of native Australian animals were in the poignant didgeridoo music.  I could clearly hear the sounds of dingos and birds being expertly teased out of the authentic Aboriginal instrument.  As the audience is being captivated by the spectacular performance, it comes as a pleasant surprise when doors burst open and lights begins to penetrate the darkness of the Magic Space. 

The Tjapukai performers beckon the audience to follow into the mysterious corridor.  As we follow the alluring sounds of the didgeridoo we are led to a large outdoor grass area nestled by Tjapukai lake.  I, along with the rest of the audience were handed tapsticks, and immediately became part of a traditional Australian Aboriginal corroboree.  The Tjapukai performers begin the corroboree with song and dance which the audience enthusiastically participates in, and climaxes with the creation of fire.  The audience gathers closer and ‘gives wind’ to the fire – blowing on the smouldering fire to ignite the flames.  It doesn’t take long for the flames to burn brightly, and a traditional campfire is started.

Out of the shadows a Tjapukai performer appears, lights his spear in the campfire and hurtles the firespear into the lake.  When the spear makes contact with the tribal land it explodes into a mushrooming fireball that magically illuminates the dark night sky.  The audience erupts into cheers and applause as the fire begins to dim.  As we look out towards the lake we see something begin to emerge from the deep dark forest.  A flamelit canoe materializes out of the darkness carrying Tjapukai performers.  As the canoe meets the shoreline the performers lead the audience along a mysterious path that follows the shoreline of the lake, and this short journey through Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park ends at the delightful Boomerang Restaurant. 

The Boomerang Restaurant is a large open-aired restaurant that overlooks the calm still waters of the lake and the rainforest clad mountains in the distance.  The Boomerang Restaurant features a gourmet hot and cold buffet dinner.  The dishes have been inspired by Indigenous Aboriginal ingredients such as Lilly Pilly, Wattleseed, Pepperberry and Rosella.  Being vegetarian I particularly enjoyed the buffet dinner as there was an abundance of fresh seasonal vegetables, vegetarian soups, lasagne and pasta dishes.  The carnivores were impressed with the fine array of seafood and meat dishes.  The bread was fresh and delicious, traditionally prepared by chefs at Tjapukai.  As we were enjoying our delicious desserts, the final Tjapukai performance began.   

The final Tjapukai performance is enthralling.  Tjapukai performers take to the stage, and through dance and song tell traditional dreamtime stories.  There is plenty of audience interaction and we get to really feel part of the show!  There is a good deal of humour in this last performance, and audience members are called to the stage to take part in traditional dance and fire making.  As the Tjapukai performance comes to a close a camp fire is lit on the grassy lawn outside the restaurant, and we have a chance to enjoy a glass of fine Australian wine or chilled Australian ale by the fire and meet the talented Tjapukai performers. 

As the night comes to a close there is plenty of time to explore the retail gallery.  This is not just another gift shop – it sells a range of fine Australian artwork, didgeridoos, boomerangs and other authentic handmade creations.  I highly recommend the Tjapukai By Night experience.  Not only was it fun and entertaining, but also provided me with a wonderful insight into traditional Aboriginal culture.  I got to experience first-hand rituals and traditions that date back over 40,000 years, which is truly awe-inspiring and remarkable.  Tjapukai By Night is an unforgettable cultural experience, and a ‘must do’ activity for those on a Tropical North Queensland vacation!

Amy Jennings
The Tour Specialist. 
  

What a relaxing day, we chose to go over on the 11:00am departure on the Reef Rocket so that way in true Sunday morning style I still got my sleep in. We had to be down at the Fleet Terminal at 10:30am for check in and soon after boarding we were off. The day was quiet windy however still enjoyable. Once arriving to the Island we went straight to the Big Cat for our buffet lunch and off to explore the Island. First we went for a bit of a walk around the outside of the Island and had a look at the beaches and then we discovered  Marineland Melanasia the nautical and croc museum on Green Island, it was so interesting and the Crocs are huge.
After our croc adventure we then got an Ice Cream and then off to our semi – sub tour. There was such an abundance of beautiful fish and marine life it was truly fantastic. Whilst on the tour we they feed the fish and went through and pointed out and gave us a bit of information on each type of fish which was really interesting.
After our tour we headed back to Marineland Melanesia to watch the Turtle and Croc feeding and to hold the baby croc. It was absolutely fantastic, the Turtles were exquisite, I wanted to steal one and take it home as a pet. The Croc feeding was unreal; they get a four metre Croc jumping up out the water to the point that the water splashes you over the fence.
We then decided to retreat to the pool and relax before departing the Island. 

Erin - The Tour Specialists

As a last minute attempt to get out of the city for the weekend my partner and I arranged to stay at Kuranda Resort and Spa on Sunday night. We were scheduled for a 12:00pm check in and decided to get up there as soon as possible to maximize our time. Kuranda Resort and Spa is located about 20 minutes north west of Cairns but feels miles away from the city. The resort is a quick five minute drive away from the main village of Kuranda and is located just off the highway. Upon arriving at Kuranda Resort and Spa we were greeted by an enormous Fijian style lobby with vaulted thatched ceilings and beautiful water features. We wound our way through a rainforest pathway which lead to our room; spa villa #36. The spacious two bedroom villa was all that was available over the long weekend since we booked our accommodation last minute. We chose to sleep in the spacious loft which was accessible by a timber ladder, instead of the downstairs bedroom. The villa had a corner Jacuzzi tub, a mini bar, two televisions, a CD player and a relaxing Egyptian Cotton Day Bed.

After checking in we took a short drive to Kuranda and had lunch and beers at The Kuranda Hotel, which is nearby the Sky Rail and Train Station. I had a burger and fries which surpassed my expectations and my partner had a 500g rump steak which he was extremely pleased with (most notably because of the cheap price). We spent some time walking around Kuranda and then went back to the resort to laze the rest of the afternoon away.

At 7:00 we arrived at the resort’s Forest Fusion Restaurant located in the lobby. With the option of sitting pool or fireside we chose fireside for something different and enjoyed a romantic dinner next to the cozy fire. We enjoyed a few glasses of wine, soup and oysters for entrees, and I had the risotto and my partner had a pizza for the mains. Both meals were good and the portion sizes were more than satisfying. After dinner and drinks we returned to our villa where we enjoyed a peaceful night sleep listening to the transpiring sounds of the rainforest as cool gentle breezes flowed through the villa.

In the morning we were treated to a tropical style continental breakfast which included fresh fruit, toast and yogurt and we spent the rest of the morning packing in as much relaxation as possible before check out at 11:00am.

Kuranda Resort and Spa is a great rainforest escape for locals and tourists alike. The resort has a beautiful four tier swimming pool which is more like four separate pools, a hot tub, sauna, day spa and conference facilities as well. The tourist village of Kuranda and the countryside on the Atherton Tablelands are must see attractions when visiting Cairns. Kuranda Resort and Spa is a great place to stay while exploring this diverse region of Queensland.

Meghan - The Tour Specialists

This annual event will be opened officially by Federal Minister for Liechhardt Jim Turnour, State Member for Cook Jason O’Brien and Cook Shire Mayor Peter Scott.
 
The main event of the festival is the re-enactment of the landing of Lt Cook and the Endeavour Crew.  The first performance of the re-enactment took place 189 years after Cook’s landing this year will the 49th re-enactment.

Events throughout the celebration also include a play called Farewell James My Darling which is an insight to how life was in the early days, live bands a finale fireworks display, billy cart races, belly dancers, fire artists and it promises to be a fun event for all!!

With so much happening this is a great weekend to discover Cooktown!

 On Saturday 21 June the Sebel Reef House & Spa Palm Cove will host and evening of fine food from France’s Champagne region, accompanied by some of the country’s best champagnes by Mr Frank Wilden the owner of Oyster, a highly rewarded Melbourne restaurant.

The evening will commence with champagne on the magnificent Terrace, situated across from the spectacular palm fringed Palm Cove Beach then proceed with the culinary  delights of chef Phillip Mitchell’s  Taste of Champagne Menu!

This night of indulgence is not to be missed and costs $110.00 per person for dinner and champagne.  A night’s accommodation at the Sebel Reef House & Spa is the perfect companion to make the evening a memorable one.  

Please contact Palm Cove Accommodation 1300 799 004.

Well it started with an email and some how I got roped in hook line and sinker.
But I am very happy that I did.  The day started with the sun shinning and the brightest blue sky I have ever seen.  Tammy and I met Florence at Skydive Cairns (I had to get Tammy to drive, as I was unable to change gears due to legs shaking uncontrollably),
We had to fill out paper work and sign our life away, I couldn’t read as my brain was in over drive the only word I could see was - this is DANGEROUS, but signed anyway knowing these guys were professionals and I trusted them with my life.
After a nervous toilet stop, we were given these funky MC hammer pants to put on, after a little sideways dance and a little of, you cant touch this, our instructors introduced themselves and geared us up with our harnesses.
A quick demonstration on what we have to do getting out of the plane, in flight and when we land and then into the bus we go off to the airport.
There awaits us the Green Machine (our aircraft) again we go through the motions again head back, hips forward, legs back and they show us where we will sit before we jump,  we all climb in, all snug like a bug in a rug.
The plane ride is an experience in itself, this turbine power Cresco had so much power we were up in the air in no time so no backing out now, the nerves were really setting in and I  was feeling very parched.
The view was amazing over looking the Trinity Inlet and the surrounding mountains, poor Tammy had to sit right next to the door therefore constantly reminded of how high we were, I glanced over at her a couple of times and she was the same colour as the plane.
The guys let us know at 9000 feet this is where our shoot will release so only 5000 feet to go, then goggles on, doors open and from here it all went so quick.
Tammy was the first to go, then Florence and then lucky last me.  I can’t really tell you what was going through my mind at the time as I was sitting on the step I imagine it was pure fear (specially when I saw the DVD and the look on my face) but that only lasts for a second once you launch your self out and are freefalling it’s the most amazing feeling I have ever felt, it almost felt surreal.  The panoramic views were awesome; mountains, ocean, and inlets meandering everywhere it does not get any better then this.  The free fall last for a minute so you are falling approximately 100 feet a second, but at the time it feels like you are flying.  Once the parachute goes up it’s a nice peaceful trip down, the instructor loosens you up and as you descend you go through the landing technique, once the formalities are over you can sit back and enjoy the ride.
As you get closer to the ground the instructor tells you when to put your feet up, which is quite hard especially if you’re not very flexible, this is to avoid a bumpy landing.  We landed safe and sound on terra firma, letting the adrenalin rush take hold.
What an amazing experience, defiantly what to do it again!!!!!!

Louise - The Tour Specialists

In my opinion we should go skydiving every morning before work…
 
Tammy, Louise: Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful adventure with me!

And to every person who read this story: You should give it a go; it’s really worth it and not scary at all.
   Florence - The Tour Specialists Hilton

In the bus on the way I could really feel my nerves starting to play havoc and my mouth all drying out!!  Lucky at the airport there is a water fountain!

Before I knew it we were onboard the Turbine powered Cresco which looked awesome as it was painted green along with a big mouth that had a tongue hanging out painted on the  front!  Very fitting as I wondered if this is how I would look up in the air, green with my tongue hanging out!  Well I nominated myself to go first so I entered the aircraft last, and had a great view as I was sitting right in front of the door (which is clear) so I could see a fantastic view of the sea then the land.  When we had reached 14 000 ft the door opened this is when I was starting to freak out as I new it now that I had to make the plunge down! 

My cameraman went out first then I placed myself with Max strapped to my back onto the ledge.  All so quickly and in position I was off and away!!!!!  The feeling is pretty indescribable one minute of freefalling down.  My face contortioned, but oh so invigorating.  When the parachute opens it is a big sigh of relief and time to relax and enjoy the view as it takes around five minutes to land.  I managed to land on my feet.
As soon as I landed I would of loved to do it all again as it was such a fantastic experience and not really as scary as I thought!

Being first I got to see my other friends land and run over and greet them, it was then back to the Skydive Cairns office where we go to watch our DVDS and have a laugh.  This was such a fantastic experience and having being able to enjoy it with two great friends made it even more memorable!

Tammy -The Tour Specialists Palm Cove