Port Douglas Tourism News

February Newsletter

Billy Tea Bush Safaris - Billy Tea Bush Safaris News Feed

Despite all the rain Cape Tribulation/Daintree/Bloomfield Track are all looking fantastic!

We are going through to Emmagen Creek everyday no problems with flooding. Cassowary's are being sighted regularly, two crocodiles on the River yesterday as well as Boyds Forest Dragons and Buff Breasted Paradise Kingfishers from New Guinea on their breeding migration.

Chillagoe Caves & Outback tour is operating Monday, Wednesday & Friday's, and the outback is green & looking fantastic. Very little rain during the day & not as hot as here on the coast. We are going to Granite Gorge at present instead of the Wetlands as access in is closed for a few weeks due to some flooding earlier this week. Lots of Kangaroos, Wedge Tail Eagles even the odd sighting of the Albino Kangaroo!

We are also doing the Trezkin or Donna Caves as the Royal Arch is closed at present, so a reasonable level of fitness is required due to stairs to climb up to the cave entrance.

Billy Tea Safaris is the longest running 4WD operator to Cape Tribulation and beyond and also now to Chillagoe Caves and Outback. Billy Tea Safaris is now in its 29th year of operation and is a local family owned business by Marilyn and Berrick Barnes. Billy Tea Safaris is also Advanced Eco Accredited.

The Billy Tea Fleet of vehicles are custom built 4WD'S 13 Seater, 6 wheeler 4WD and also 14 Seater Canter, all vehicles have panoramic viewing windows, extra high clearance for great visibility, we also supply baby seats and booster seats and all seats are seat belted. All guides are highly trained and have extensive knowledge of the local area, history, flora and fauna.

Cape Trib

• Small Personalised Groups Max 14 passengers per vehicle
• Swim at beautiful Emmagen Creek, and enjoy a rainforest walk, no crowds.
• We travel further than most operators
• Eco Accredited Guides
• Custom Built 4WD vehicles all air-conditioned
• Flexible itineraries
• Hand Feed Kangaroos
• Tropical Fruit tasting
• 1 hour River Cruise, to view Crocodiles and other wildlife
• Tropical BBQ Lunch- Vegetarians catered for.
• Pensioner and family rates.

Chillagoe Caves

• Small Personalised Groups Max 14 passengers per vehicle
• Visit Mareeba Wetlands enjoy a 20min boat cruise & morning tea
• Experience off the beaten track roads and view many different species of birds and wildlife.
• Experience the real Australian Outback, step back into the history books with turn of the century mining towns
• Visit the old Lappa Junction (Pub with no beer)
• Australian Pub lunch - historic Chillagoe Pub
• Guided Chillagoe Cave Tour and Chillagoe Smelters
• Skybury Coffee Centre for afternoon tea (own expense)
• Accredited Guides

Brutus meets Poseidon…

Poseidon Dive - Poseidon Cruises News Feed

To welcome her first day back after annual refit. Poseidon was met on arrival at the Agincourt Ribbon Reefs by a rare sighting of a whale in February!

Onboard Marine biologist Herald Pinns identified this large whale as a Bryde's Whales, commonly known as Brutus Whale.

The Bryde's Whale prefer tropical and temperate waters over the polar seas that other whales in their family frequent.

They are largely coastal rather than pelagic. Bryde's Whales are very similar in appearance to Sei Whales and almost as large. "Bryde's whale" is sometimes misheard as "brutus whale". They inhabit tropical and subtropical waters worldwide.

Bryde's whales are considered medium-sized for balaenopterids, dark gray in colour with a white underbelly and grows to 11-12 meters in length with its very small dorsal fin far down its back.

All the guests on Poseidon vessel were delighted at the unexpected encounter on a perfect calm sunny day. Photo taken by Trent, a happy guest onboard.

Queensland's rainforest and Australia's ancient tribes

Adventure North - Rainbow Serpent Tour News Feed

Daily Mail - 28th January '10

Local insight: John Carter meets Aboriginal elder Willie Gordon of Guurbi Tours

In a large tract of land several miles to the north, you will find a huge area of sandstone escarpments, rainforest and scrub which is the ancestral territory of the Guugu-Yimithirr people. They are one of two Aboriginal nations - the Kuku Yalanji is the other - who have lived in the south-east corner of Cape York for tens of thousands of years.

For reasons we needn't dwell on, I wanted to spend some contemplative time in the Australian bush and was lucky enough to spend part of it in the company of Willie Gordon, an elder and storyteller of one of the clans that make up the Guugu-Yimithirr. It was a heartening and humbling experience, for the reality of outback Australia is a world away from the travesty that television presents as a setting for cavorting 'Celebrities'.

Walking with Willie Gordon, listening to his tribal stories, his explanation of ancient rock art and his dissertations on the uses of various shrubs and plants, I came to understand something of the philosophy of the oldest people on the planet.

We talked about all manner of things as the day wore on. Of life and death and destiny and what control we can exercise over the last of that trio.

Willie showed me a plant that, when rubbed between the palms, turns into soap. Another from which drinkable water can be obtained. At his invitation, I tasted a handful of tiny lemon ants and listened to his explanation of how nourishment is provided by them and by a variety of plants and shrubs.

Many of the early settlers died of hunger and thirst when they were surrounded by food and water - if only they had known where to look.

Many reasons to visit FNQ in Green Season!

TRAVSTAR NEWS - Port Douglas News Feed

As locals, we all know that the weather is beautiful here year round and when the rain comes we all love it!!  Our rainforest animals all wander about, our rainforests come alive and our nights are a symphony of frog songs.  Rivers and waterfalls go wild and life is great!

Sure, there may be a slightly higher chance of rain but it's fun wandering around in the warm rain.  Take yourself out of your comfort zone!

People have called me to tell me about the size of the raindrops that bounced off the pavement.  It creates a memorable experience and a sense of adventure. You have never experienced rain until you experience it in the wet tropics and hey World Heritage Rainforest needs torrential rain to keep it growing! We need our beautiful rainforests to remain lush and alive.

Staying in the rainforest in wet weather is brilliant!  It's absolutely beautiful, not to mention the numerous waterfalls that appear during this time.

All activities take place year round in FNQ, we love playing in the rain!

• Activities such as ATV & Bungy are great fun!
• Spectacular heli rides over the Barron Falls.
• View the clouds and mist as you journey on the Skyrail Cableway to Kuranda.
• Awesome rafting adventures on the Barron and Tully River.
• Great accommodation & tour deals to be had!

Despite the travel information you may reading in planning your holiday to Far North Queensland, not every day is a wet weather day. We have some beautiful days and quite often the rain only passes through at night, which is a relief to calm the humidity.

This time of year is the best time to snap up some superb tour and accommodation deals, so what are you waiting for?!

Barron Falls in full flood!

Skyrail - Skyrail Cableway News Feed

Right now is the very best time to see the mighty Barron Falls in full flood...

Ex-cyclone Olga has unleashed heavy rain across the region, with much of this now streaming down the falls.  Best vantage points are on Skyrail Rainforest Cableway and Kuranda Scenic Railway, boasting fantastic lookouts over the Barron Gorge and Falls.

Kuranda Scenic Railway passes by several other waterfalls in the Barron Gorge National Park, including the famous Stoney Creek Falls on its journey between Cairns and Kuranda, providing many great photo opportunities.

For Skyrail guests, complimentary umbrellas are provided at both mid-stations, allowing them to stroll the forest floor and enjoy the views with comfort.

Other than the waterfalls, a visit to the rainforests in the rain is an amazing experience.  Clouds cloak the mountains with moisture-laden mist, the canopy and trees are a rich, verdant green and the frogs and cicadas are singing.

Don't miss this wet weather spectacle, travel on Kuranda's original & best day tour experience today.  Kuranda Scenic Railway and Skyrail Rainforest Cableway, bringing you the ultimate wet weather experience!

Skyrail inspires sci-fi film

Skyrail - Skyrail Cableway News Feed

The mountains, fluorescent plant life and fantastic creatures make the supernatural setting of Hollywood blockbuster Avatar about as alternative as alternative realities get.

But the Far North can claim part of the credit for some of the spectacular landscape shots in the smash-hit 3D flick.

A trip on the Kuranda Skyrail inspired many of the movie's spectacular jungle scenes, one of the designers revealed. Avatar artist Dylan Cole made the revelation in an interview with San Francisco-based science fiction website io9.

"For a lot of the jungle overviews, I used photos that I had taken from the Kuranda Skyrail near Cairns, Australia," Mr Cole told the website.

Julie Johnston, Skyrail's communications manager, said some interesting parallels could also be seen in the film's conservation messages.

"The thing that strikes you most when you go to see Avatar are these pristine rainforests that look amazing, and the fact the residents were so passionate about protecting them because it's so intristic to their lives," Ms Johnston said.

"In that sense I think you can see that similarities are pretty striking with the World Heritage rainforestat of Cairns."

The Skyrail Rainforest Cableway offers a 7.5km trip in a gondola cabin above the rainforest canopy.

Russell River is Back!

Foaming Fury - Russell River Rafting News Feed

Russell River is back in action!

The water levels on the Russell River are absolutely fantastic with all the rain we have had over the past few days... so...we thought we'd brighten dampened spirits with the ultimate full day rafting experience!!

SUPER SPECIAL
$109.00 + $30.00 levy
Full Day Rafting

***massive saving of $21.00***

Full Day Rafting on the Russell River with Foaming Fury 
 
WAS $130 + $30 levy
NOW $109 + $30 levy
  **Save $21.00**
 
  Includes:

• 40 min Rainforest Trek to the River
• Wooroonan National Park 
• River - Located near Josephine Falls
• 3 hours of rafting on Grade 3-4 rapids
• Group guided - 2 people to a raft
• Morning Snack & Picnic Lunch
• Late departure Approx 8am ex Cairns
• Basic understanding of English required
• Medium Level of fitness needed to participate

BOOK NOW!

Quicksilver's 12 Days of Christmas

Quicksilver - Quicksilver News Feed

The Quicksilver Group’s 12 Days of Christmas…

On the twelfth day of Christmas the Quicksilver Group sent to me:

12 Silver snorkellers
11 Low Isles turtles cruising
10 Great Adventures
9 Pro Divers dancing
8 Marine biologists a singing
7 Glass bottom boats touring
6 Semi-subs a viewing
5 Spinning Dolphins
4 Fish a swimming
3 Green Island Cruises
2 Wavepiercers Dashing
1 Luxury island resort
and all the fun at the Great Barrier Reef!

Season’s Greetings from the Quicksilver Group!

Lagoon Makeovers

Sheraton Mirage Resort - Sheraton Mirage Resort News Feed

History is in the making as we give our world famous lagoons a “little makeover”. The 2.1 hectares of iconic lagoons, so loved by our guests are being restored to their full glory. The upgrade of the largest lagoon was completed in June (using a whopping 9000 litres of paint!). The lagoon is 4,632 square metres and holds 6 million litres of chlorinated salt water from the ocean. It took 3 days to empty and 4 days to refill with seawater pumped in via a submersible pump. The new seawater passed through a sand filter before being chlorinated and pumped into the lagoon. Our engineering and grounds teams have spent a lot of time and effort enhancing the famous lagoons and they are now sparkling as never before!

Daintree Eco Lodge wins tourism ‘Oscar’

Daintree Eco Lodge & Spa - Daintree Eco Lodge & Spa News Feed

November 11, 2009

Outclassing entries from Kenya, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Mozambique and Malaysia, North Queensland’s Daintree Eco Lodge and Spa has won the title of World’s Best Eco Lodge at the 2009 World Travel Awards.

Announced in London over the weekend, the Queensland business also took out the award for Australasia’s Leading Green Hotel.

Tourism Minister Peter Lawlor says the award wins are a stunning result for the Tropical North Queensland property.

"The World Travel Awards are described by the Wall Street Journal as the 'Oscars' of the global travel and tourism industry," Lawlor says.

"The win follows a vote by 183,000 travel agencies, tour and transport companies and tourism organisations in more than 160 countries across the globe,” he says.

This latest accolade follows the lodge’s win in the 2009 SpaFinder Readers’ Choice Awards, where it beat out 15,000 competitors to take out World’s Best Environmental Spa and World’s Best Boutique Spa categories.

According to Lawlor, Daintree Eco Lodge’s string of prestigious awards is helping to raise awareness of Queensland and boost the State’s tourism.

"Tourism Queensland markets four distinct themes which capture a range of Queensland tourism experiences and destinations: 'islands and beaches', 'natural encounters', 'adventure' and 'Queensland lifestyle'," he says.

"As part of this approach, Tourism Queensland in part focuses on eco and Indigenous tourism experiences directly through a range of PR, marketing and development activities and works with tourism operators throughout the state, including Daintree Eco Lodge and Spa."

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