Frommer's Australia from $50 a Day 13th Edition - To Parent Directory

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CHAPTER 6 . QUEENSLAND & THE GREAT BARRIER REEF
Tips Beware the Sting(ers)
Deadly marine stingers (jellyfish) infest the water from October to May;
swim only in areas partitioned off by stinger nets during those months.
WHAT TO SEE & DO
DISCOVERING THE GREAT BARRIER REEF For details on diving and
snorkeling the outer Great Barrier Reef from Port Douglas, see section 1,
“Exploring the Great Barrier Reef” earlier in this chapter.
Another way to spend a pleasant day on the Great Barrier Reef, closer to
shore, is to visit the Low Isles 15km (9 miles) northeast of Port Douglas. There
is nothing to the isles—just 1.5-hectare (3 3 ⁄4-acre) coral cay specks of lush vegetation
surrounded by white sand and 22 hectares (55 acres) of coral—which is
what makes them so appealing.
The trip aboard the 30m (98-ft.) luxury sailing catamaran Wavedancer
(& 07/4087 2100), operated by Quicksilver, is A$115 (US$75) adults, A$60
(US$39) kids 4 to 14, and A$290 (US$189) families. You have the option of
making an introductory scuba dive for an extra A$98 (US$64) per person. The
Wavepiercer departs Reef Fleet Terminal in Cairns at 8am and Palm Cove Jetty
on the northern beaches at 8:35am to connect with Wavedancer departures from
Port Douglas at 10am. The company picks you up free of charge from your
hotel.
Snorkeling specialist boat Wavelength (& 07/4099 5031; www.wavelength
reef.com.au) does a full-day trip to the Outer Reef for A$134 (US$87) for
adults, A$90 (US$59) for children ages 2 to 12, or A$410 (US$267) for a family
of four. The trip visits three different snorkel sites each day and incorporates
a guided snorkel tour and a reef presentation from a marine biologist. It caters
to up to 30 passengers and includes snorkel gear, sunsuits, lunch, and transfers
from your hotel. Both beginners and experienced snorkelers will like this trip. It
departs daily from the Wavelength jetty in Wharf Street at 8:15am.
EXPLORING DAINTREE & CAPE TRIBULATION Almost everyone
who comes to Port Douglas takes a guided 4WD day trip into the Daintree and
Cape Tribulation rainforests. Although they are referred to as two separate
national parks, the forests that cover them merge into one.
You can rent a 4WD and explore on your own (that is the cheapest option if
you’re traveling in a group of two or more), but you won’t understand much
about what you are seeing unless you have a guide to interpret it for you. Most
companies basically cover the same territory and sights, including a 1-hour
Daintree River cruise to spot crocs, a visit to the lovely Marrdja Botanical
Walk, a stroll along an isolated beach, lunch at a pretty spot somewhere in the
forest, and a visit to Mossman Gorge. Some tours also go to the picturesque
Bloomfield Falls in Cape Tribulation National Park. Expect to pay about
A$130 (US$85) per adult and about A$90 (US$59) per child. Trips that include
Bloomfield Falls are more. A company that provides an excellent, gently adventurous
alternative is Pete Baxendell’s Heritage & Interpretive Tours Finds
(& 07/4098 7897; www.nqhit.com.au). On a daylong bushwalk into a tract of
privately owned rainforest with Pete, a naturalist and professional tour guide,
you taste green ants (be brave, it’s quite an experience) and other native “bush
tucker,” discover how to rustle up a toothbrush from a shrub if you forgot to