Queensland Hotels & Resorts

Travel in comfort on board Calypso – a custom-designed motorised catamaran, complete with day bed-style seating and spacious decks, to 3 different Outer Barrier Reef sites that showcase the reef’s colourful marine life just a few metres below the surface. There’ll be the opportunity to listen to interpretive reef talks and enjoy guided snorkel tours.

• Duration: full day
• Start time: 8.20am
• Daily departures from Port Douglas
• Operates year-round
• Group experience

Wander through the recreated natural environments of Wildlife Habitat on an immersive guided experience where you will learn about the many species in our region. Then cross the Daintree River for lunch at Mason’s Café and enjoy a dip in the freshwater swimming hole. Explore the world’s oldest rainforest with one of the knowledgeable local guides and visit Cape Tribulation Beach. Stop at Alexandra Lookout before boarding a cruise and search for wildlife including Estuarine Crocodiles.

• Duration: full day
• Start time: 7.15am
• Daily departures from Cairns
• Operates year-round
• Group experience

Board Quicksilver’s 45-metre high-speed catamaran on a full-day cruise to Agincourt Reef on the edge of the Great Barrier Reef. Explore the reef from a semi-submersible, an underwater observatory or snorkel and dive. This cruise is ideal for those keen to do lots of activities and for those wanting to add a wonderful airborne perspective, helicopter transfers are also available (at a supplement). Departs from Port Douglas.

• Duration: full day
• Start time: 9am
• Daily departures
• Operates year-round
• Group experience

Travel on board this fast stable motor catamaran for 1½ hours to reach Marine World on the Outer Barrier Reef. You’ll spend around 5 hours at this private reef platform, which provides the ideal base for activities including snorkelling, glass bottom boat tours, underwater observatory viewing and relaxing on the spacious sundeck. Other activities – such as scenic helicopter flights and diving – are available at extra cost.

Duration: full day

• Daily departures
• Operates year-round
• Group experience

Reef Sleep is a unique adventure, offering the chance to sleep under the stars on the Great Barrier Reef! By day, Cruise Whitsundays’ ‘Reefworld’ pontoon at Hardy Reef is used by day trippers as a base to explore the marine-rich waters. After 3pm, it’s an exclusive spot for a small number of guests. Enjoy quiet snorkelling time, sip Champagne at sunset,  and watch as the reef comes alive. Then let the waves lull you to sleep in your cosy swag, set up out in the open-air on the top deck of the pontoon.

Board your Sailaway vessel at Port Douglas Marina and set off on a sunset sail cruise along the Port Douglas coastline on board a first class sailing catamaran. Enjoy the peace and tranquillity of a tropical sunset over the Coral Sea with spectacular mountain views, and enjoy a complimentary welcome drink alongside a selection of canapés.

• Duration: 1½ hours
• Start time 4.30pm
• Daily departures
• Operates year-round
• Group experience

Spend a morning cruising the Whitsunday Islands, stopping for a walk on Whitehaven Beach. The morning begins at Hamilton Island Marina, where you’ll board the vessel for a morning Whitsunday Islands and Whitehaven Beach cruise. The boat has ample seating areas inside and out, and as you sail, your skipper will provide an informative commentary on the area's highlights as you cruise to the world-famous Whitehaven Beach. Morning tea is included onboard as you overlook the crystal-clear waters and immaculate white sand along Whitsunday Island, the largest of the 74 islands. You’ll have time to wander along the beach or swim at your own pace before returning to Hamilton Island Marina before lunch.

• Duration: 4 hours
• Start time: 8.30am
• Departs daily
• Operates year-round
• Group experience

Spend a full day exploring the Great Barrier Reef. Board a high-speed catamaran at Hamilton Island Marina and set sail for the Whitsunday Islands and Hardy Reef, where you'll spend over three hours at Reefworld. This pontoon facility makes exploring the reef comfortable, with seating, freshwater showers, and changing rooms. You'll have full use of snorkelling equipment and wetsuits but access to an underwater viewing chamber and semi-submersible rides for coral viewing if you don’t fancy getting into the water. There are also presentations by reef experts. Optional activities like certified and introductory scuba diving and helicopter scenic flights are also available but charged separately. Lunch is served back on board, and the day concludes at around 5 pm when you arrive back at Hamilton Island Marina.

• Duration: 8 hours
• Start time: 8.30am
• Departs daily
• Operates year-round
• Group experience

Spend a full day diving and snorkelling around the Outer Reef. Embark on an unforgettable adventure as you enter a world teeming with exotic fish life and coral gardens. Whether you decide to snorkel or scuba dive, you'll have the opportunity to see green turtles, manta rays, clownfish, and soft and hard corals up close. After exploring, relax in comfort and style on a luxury catamaran as you cruise back to Cairns.

• Duration: 9 hours
• Start time: 8am
• Departs daily
• Operates year-round
• Group experience

On a full-day Nagana Kulkinga Dungay tour, you'll be collected from your hotel and taken on an adventure through Kuku Yalanji country. You'll see some culturally significant sights and local attractions, including the World Heritage Daintree Rainforest. A local Aboriginal guide will lead the way, and you'll learn about the relationship the Kuku Yalanji people still have with their land. You'll walk through the world's oldest living rainforest, see natural wonders, and see where the rainforest meets the reef. Plus, you'll explore coastal habitats and learn about the environment, different foods, and medicines that are derived from nature. There’s the chance to sample some bush tucker and take a dip in one of the pristine freshwater streams in the area.

• Duration: 8½ hours
• Start time: 8am
• Monday to Saturday departures
• Operates year-round
• Group experience

An action-packed day on board a purpose-built vehicle awaits on this tour of the oldest rainforest on Earth. Your guide on the tour has been specifically selected for their local knowledge and experience and they will be on hand to tell you all you need to know about this UNESCO World Heritage Site and add to your memorable experience. First up is a guided walk through the Daintree National Park’s Mossman Gorge, a scar in the landscape carved out by the Mossman River and hugely important cultural site for the Kuku Yalanji people. Next, you’ll take to the water on a croc-spotting cruise along the Daintree River and have lunch in a stunning rainforest setting. The afternoon includes a visit to Cape Tribulation (or Kulki) and the stunning Myall Beach, the spot at which two natural World Heritage Sites of the rainforest and Great Barrier Reef meet. On the drive back to Cairns, you’ll make a pitstop at the Daintree Ice Cream Company and the Alexandra Lookout for some pretty jaw-dropping and far-reaching views.

• Duration: full day
• Start time: 6.45am
• Daily departures
• Operates year-round
• Group experience

From Port Douglas, head off on this personalised and engaging small group tour to spend the day with a local Aboriginal guide. Visit a number of culturally significant areas and learn about the amazing relationships that the Kuku Yalanji have with their land. Walk through the rainforest and coastal habitats to learn about the environment, different foods and medicines utilised from nature, sample some bush tucker and try traditional Aboriginal hunting practices. Complete the adventure with time to enjoy lunch and cool off in a freshwater stream.

• Duration: full day
• Start time: 8am
• Departs Monday to Saturday
• Operates year-round
• Group experience