misha2

We'll only be in Cairns for two nights, so I think it does not make sense for us to go up to Port Douglas or an island. Any thoughts on the Reef Retreat? We are a party of six and thought of renting one studio and one two-bedroom.

pat_woolford

Reef Retreat at Palm Cove? I live near there so don't have any experience of the resort, but its in a good location, just a short block back from the beach and restaurants. Reef trips from either Cairns city or Port Douglas pick up at Palm Cove, Cairns city is closer.

You asked about koalas in your other post, you won't find them in the wild around Cairns, not indigenous to area, however Cairns Tropical Zoo, a small zoo on the highway near Palm Cove has koalas, and if of interest, koala "cuddling" ops for photos, as well as human-friendly kangaroos.

misha2

Thank you Pat. Is there a particular modestly priced reef trip you suggest? Our party of six ranges from non-swimmers to certified divers.

Thanks

pat_woolford

Misha, have a look at Passions of Paradise www.passions.com.au $140 pp including $20 reef levy, $18pp transfers to and from Cairns city to northern beaches. Website will give details of certified and introductory dive charges. Non-swimmers can pay an extra $20 for glass bottom boat, or just paddle about on their stop to Michaelmas Cay, its a sandy beach. If the non-swimmers need a semi-submersible they'd need to use something larger and a bit more expensive, ie, Reef Magic, $180pp plus $14pp return transfers. www.reefmagiccruises.com

misha2

Thanks. This looks great! How deep to semi-submersibles take you anyway? How many people can Passions accomodate? I shudder at the thought of being with a group of 300. I love the idea of the stop at the sandy beach.

pat_woolford

The viewing section of a semi sub only goes a little way under water surface, visibility about the same as you would have snorkelling. But you'd probably see more snorkelling as not limited to where the semi sub goes.

PofP takes about 75 people max, crew is experienced with non-swimmers and goes to Michaelmas Cay first where waters are shallow, then on to outer reef where snorkelling/diving. If you decide on this trip do let them know amount of non-swimmers in advance so they can ensure they have adequate crew numbers to look after them. They supply flotation devices and crew will give person to person snorkelling instructions.

If you want something smaller, Sea Star www.seastarcruises.com.au takes only a maximum of 30 passengers, also goes to Michaelmas Cay and another outer reef site, its a bit more expensive than PofP at $165pp plus $20pp return transfers Cairns city-Palm Cove. You would need to book this one several days at least in advance, it fills up quickly. At the moment its offering one free certified or introductory dive, don't know how long this offer will extend.

misha2

Thanks. I don't seem to be able to find the free dive info.

Which of the two would you choose?

pat_woolford

No, it won't be on their website, these deals are usually promoted locally, you'll need to email them to see if free offer is to be extended. At this stage Sea Star hasn't made a decision beyond 30th April so would wait until after that date.

Both trips are similar in that they both go to Michaelmas Cay and another (different) outer reef site. I'd probably be leaning towards Sea Star as it takes less passengers, but P&P has a good reputation also and costs a bit less, you were asking for a modestly priced reef trip and I think PofP represents very good value.

pat_woolford

I should also say that Sea Star is good value as well, both are locally owned, and local company's are conscious of looking after the reef. Probably a little more in $$'s due to lower passenger no's.

misha2

Pat,

We booked PofP. Of course, I am now wondering if that is the right decison...

pat_woolford

Its a good, well priced reef trip misha, you shouldn't be disappointed. Weather is the most important element in a reef trip, not so much the vessel.. so good luck, you don't have much wriggle time with only 2 days.

BTW, Sea Star has today advised that the free intro or certified dive offer with standard snorkelling trip has been extended to the end of May,

Songdoc

These excerpts from my trip report might help--and I've added some notes at the end:

I’d been quite ignorant about how one visits the reef. When I began preparations I wasn’t sure if we’d be driving to the reef and staying on it—or flying out to it. (Kidding! I’m not quite that ignorant—but almost.) I eventually figured out that one stays either on the mainland or on an island and takes a boat out to visit a tiny portion of the reef for the day.

Knowing what I now know, it would have been a BIG mistake if we had stayed on one of the islands because beach and underwater activities are not our top priorities – and we wouldn’t have been able to explore the Daintree River and Park; Cape Tribulation; and so much more.

We decided on the Quicksilver, the largest boat sailing from the Port Douglas Marina to the Outer Reef. (It held more than 300 passengers.) We chose it because it takes you to a large pontoon that’s stationed by the reef. From the pontoon we’d be able to take a semi-submersible glass-sided vessel to tour the reef—or view it from an underwater observation deck—without actually getting wet. (We’re not divers or snorkelers.)

It was sunny and the sea was calm; the 90 minute ride to the reef was mostly smooth and pleasant, but most of the time we saw nothing but water. Upon transferring to the pontoon, a very nice buffet lunch was served. The quality and variety of foods were impressive—but I prefer my prawns without their heads attached.

The $199 (AUD) pp fare included coffee, tea and cookies in the morning; the buffet lunch; and coffee, tea, cheese & crackers, and fruit in the afternoon. Also included were snorkeling equipment; and unlimited rides on the semi-sub.

Wet suits to keep you warm in the water; lycra body suits (for protection against stingers—which were not a problem this time of year); and guided snorkeling and diving tours were available for an additional cost -- and were pushed heavily.

From the surface, the reef looked like no big deal and I thought the day was going to be a waste of time—but at least I’d be able to say I’d visited the GBR. Then we went in the semi-submersible boat and everything changed. The thirty minute ride was incredible, phenomenal; amazing; and beyond my wildest expectations. A magnificent underwater world awaited just below the surface. The varieties, colors, and shapes of the coral were mind boggling—and the fish were incredible. There were hundreds – if not thousands of fish – in every imaginable shape, size, and color. I was blown away.

I’ve never felt comfortable being up close & personal with fish so I didn’t think I’d want to snorkel. But getting a glimpse of what was below the water made me want to see it all—so on came the snorkel and mask. It was fantastic! The fish are used to being fed so they surround the snorkelers. It was mostly beautiful—but when I came face to face with an ENORMOUS Maori Wrasse (probably weighing much more than me—and much uglier) I decided to enjoy the wildlife from the observation area. It was an amazing day I’ll never forget. By the way … the Port Douglas Marina is absolutely beautiful and has some nice shops and restaurants.

And …

We LOVED the Rainforest Habitat in Pt. Douglas. It was like being in the most beautiful park with countless kangaroos, wallabies, and the most spectacular birds I’ve ever imagined—all roaming free. The kangaroos are used to being fed (you can buy bags of food) and are friendly and tame. But even without food I was able to scratch and pet one big fellow for quite a while—and patted quite a few more. There were also koalas and crocodiles (in enclosures!). Being an animal lover, I was in heaven.

We lunched with the lorikeets for an additional $14. We had a couple of egrets on our table. One stole a piece of my leftover steak. Other tables nearby had quite a few parrots—but as the lunch continued, the birds had their fill and mostly flew away. Still, the lunch was surprisingly good and we enjoyed eating with our feathered friends. I ended a perfect afternoon with a 30 second-long cuddle with a koala for the obligatory photo op ($16). The picture came out great and was worth every penny.

I'll add that the semi-submersible sub ride was PHENOMENAL. It covered a much, much larger area than we could have possibly seen while snorkeling--so we were able to see a tremendous variety of fish and magnificent coral. It was one of the most memorable experiences of a lifetime.

For us, the large group was inconsequential. We weren't all doing the same things. Some were diving, some snorkeling, some sun-bathing, some were on one of the semi-submersibles, while others were eating ... and the pontoon was enormous, so we never felt as if we were part of a mob.

SB_Travlr

Thanks Songdoc, that's great information. We will be visiting GBR in October, and there are SO many options to choose from. We do snorkel, and thought we wouldn't want a pontoon/big boat kind of experience. (We usually look for a sail/snorkel smaller boat.) But that submersible sounds like fun. Maybe we'll have time for 2 trips, so we could do one of each!

Where did you stay in Port Douglas?

ShellCat

I agree, your info is very helpful, we are going at the end of October, five days around Cairns and Port Douglas, then on a seven day cruise ending up back in Sydney. Thought I would skip the one day boat tourist option, but now will plan on taking my Gram on the submarine as she may not snorkel. Also, good info to go up north for a few days to Port Douglas. Second the question about where to stay in Port Douglas.

misha2

Wow! I am already here in Sydney. But, might try to change our booking. The semsubmersible sounds amazing. We are staying in Palm Cove though and will need to leave out of Cairns.

Bokhara2

Hi Mischa2,

Welcome to Sydney - hope you're enjoying our beautiful city & this spectacular Autumn weather.

Palm Cove is only about 30 mins from Cairns, and you may find the tour operators pick up from there (I don't know - so do check.)

http://maps.google.com.au/maps?hl=en...-8&sa=N&tab=wl

misha2

Thanks Bokhara. Have loved Sydney. Flying out to Melbourne today. Plan to visit the gaol and take a foodie market tour. Still trying to sort through the best options for Uluru. Might look into cancelling the Pop for the seastar cruises or something with a semi submersible. We all adore Sydney!