Big Cat or Quicksilver Great Adventure
 

Our group of 25 is going to Marine World on Moore reef with Reef Magic Cruises early in our 10 day stay in Cairns and we are also looking at going to Green Island for a day trip to give everyone a second chance to snorkel in a different environment (and at a cheaper price).

I was wondering if anyone can advise which company is better (and why) - Big Cat or Quicksilver Great Adventure. They both seem to have the same inclusions, etc. Does one have a better boat or location/facilities on the island?

In addition, can anyone use the resort pool/facilities? Quicksilver Great Adventure advertise - "Use of Island swimming pool exclusive for Great Adventures guests" And Big Cat - "make use of the facilities including resort pool". Any information would be most welcomed.

Thanks.

PS. Will Green Island be a let down after Reef Magic?

I am not familiar with Big Cat but we have used Quicksilver twice and they have been sensational.

uniopp, for Green Island, they are much of a muchness. Both take a lot of passengers, they both dock at the jetty on the mainland side of Green Island and it can be quite crowded there when their boats come in and out. Quicksilver now owns Great Adventures and has an interest in Green Island Resort, which used to belong to the Japanese company, Daikyo. So this would most probably be why the Green Island resort pool is open to GA passengers, Big Cat uses a public pool which is quite pleasant and not far from the resort. This is at the busy of Green Island with shops and eateries, but you only have to walk for 5 mins to escape the crowds.

But for a totally different Green Island experience, you really can't go past Ocean Free, www.oceanfree.com.au - a sailboat out of Cairns which takes a maximum of 33 passengers. It moors at Pinnacle reef nearby with good snorkelling and has transfers to Green Island if you decide you need that. With 25 people, it might be worth asking them for a charter price.

Contrary to most posters here, I rather like Green Island, it certainly doesn't have the coral and marine life diversity you'll find with Reef Magic, but the seagrasses there are very healthy and last time I was there I saw 5 sea turtles in about 30 mins and a reasonable amount of healthy coral and fishes. Its a pretty little island and a true coral cay, keeping away from the hordes will make it a far better experience.