Have a problem, GBR Question
 

Hi

I thought I had this all arranged with Reef Magic, but found out Sunday they had canceled our trip due to a private group booking for the whole pontoon. We leave next Friday so I want this set up again befroe we leave. I hate it when things like this happen at the last minute!

We want to fly round trip to the reef site, we want to snorkel for sure, a semi-sub ride might be nice and we will probably do one dive.

OK what I have found available that meets our time restrictions, needs to start after 9am and we need to be back by 4pm:

Great Adventures-fly to Green Island for two hours, fly to their pontoon on Norman Reef for three hours with all things we would to do offerred. I know Green Island is not most peoples favorite, but we like beach walking and two hours isn't that long. Is the pontoon location any good. Lots of people have memtioned the Reef Majic's IMarine World pontoon as a very good location.

Down Under (think that is the name)-fly out to Osprey V for three hours with the things we want offerred. They mention several reefs where Osprey anchors...Hastings is one. I can't find much info on the Osprey experience. Any one know how the reef sites compare?

I just can't figure out which one is the better expreience.

At this point in the trip,late Feb, we will have spent a month on our own in other parts of Australia-Sydney, Perth area, Darwin, Adelaide area and back to Sydney where we board a cruise ship that will take us to Brisbane and Cairns before leaving Australian waters.

Any other suggestions? Comments on what I have found?

Thanks so much!

Hi cwn, that's a shame, it is something that sometimes happens when a boat gets a full private charter, they can't really afford to knock such a booking back.

It's many a year since I've been on Norman Reef with Great Adventures, then it was pristine, but really wouldn't like to hazard a guess as to its condition right now. Have been to Green Island quite recently, although often crowded with daytripper passengers around the wharf area (shops, resort, pool, etc), its easy to walk away from. And with the downturn now in Japanese tourism, you might find you don't even need to do that. If swimming or snorkelling at Green Island it would be wise to rent a stinger suit, there has been at least one case of irukandji sting there this season. And a stinger suit will protect you from sunburn, a far likelier danger. There's also a semi-submersible at Green Island which takes you over to a nearby reef.

Here's a website which describes some of the various reef sites out of Cairns: www.divingcairns.com.au/reef21.html

With your limited time you might consider a seaplane flight out and back from reef - you'd miss out on pontoon and semi sub, but you would be flown to an isolated sand cay with marvellous snorkelling. www.cairnsseaplanes.com

The dive website above will take you straight to Saxon Reef only, click on "Localities" for a full list.

Thanks for all the information Pat. I do understand Reef Magic's situation. It was just disappointing and created a headache I don't need at the moment!

We are not set on going to a pontoon, but we do want to snorkel somewhere nice on the reef. Green Island sounds nice too even with the other tourist. We are good at walking away from the crowds if there are places to go. Thanks for the comments.

I did find a helicopter trip to a sand cay, but the landing wasn't guaranteed, it would just be a fly over if someone was already at the cay, no water experience.

I have found out that we will actually have more like 8 to 5 to do something that day also. So that may help too.

Thanks for the seaplane link. I sent an email asking about sea plane sand cay trip...it sounded like it was only canceled if the weather wasn't good.

Hope we have some luck there.

Thanks again.

Hi cwn,
8am to 5pm could make a heck of a difference, what about Ocean Spirit to Michaelmas Cay?

It has semi-sub and easy snorkelling and diving from sandy cay on Michaelmas Reef, also a well known seabird sanctuary. Boarding is at 8.00am for 8.30am start and it gets back to Marlin Marina in Cairns city by about 5.00pm. Will your ship be docked at Trinity Wharf in Cairns? If so, its only a few minutes walk from the marina. www.oceanspirit.com.au

Thanks Pat.

I have questions out to Seaplanes...they do have space. I will look at the new link.

Hi cwn, Check out daintreeair.com They have scenic reef flights as well as day tours to Islands. We were with them last January and had a ball. The reef and marine life as well as the scenic flight were amazing. If you can not afford the day tour to Lizard try the scenic reef flight. We flew over Green Island on our way back into Cairns from Lizard in the afternoon. Green Island was the last part of the reef we viewed before landing. I would think Green Island would be on the flight itinerary for the shorter reef flights.