Quickies

Issue #161, 2016

Welcome to our Autumn issue of Quickies,

keeping you posted with some of our latest news and happenings.

Well it�s not every day you see a fighter jet at the Great Barrier Reef! This amazing photo shows an RAAF F-18 flying near Quicksilver�s Agincourt Reef activity platform as Quicksilver VIII approaches. Special thanks to David Campbell and the Department of Defence for sharing this photo with us.

It�s been a warm summer and a busy time as we welcomed the Chinese Year of the Monkey, the Silverswift crew assisted in the release of Harry the Hawkesbill turtle back into the wild and Quicksilver has taken delivery of the newest and most environmentally friendly coach in the region.

With further significant reinvestment to ensure the highest standards, in May our flagship wavepiercer Quicksilver VIII and Ag3 Agincourt reef platform will undergo extensive refits. While Quicksilver VIII will receive an entirely new and stylish interior fitout, the Ag3 platform will be towed into the mainland for complete refurbishment. Quicksilver�s Outer Reef operations will continue as normal with Quicksilver V taking the lead.

We hope you enjoy catching up on our latest news. Enjoy a break with our Quickies! With warm tropical wishes from the Quicksilver Group Crew.

 

WHAT'S NEW


When Harry met Silverswift � 2 years, 3 months and 11 days ago

Harry the Hawksbill Turtle is one lucky turtle! After a very lengthy rehabilitation, (833 days to be exact!) he�s now back home on the Great Barrier Reef thanks to the crew aboard our dive & snorkel catamaran, Silverswift, and the wonderful work of the Cairns Turtle Rehabilitation Centre.

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Back in October 2013, Harry was found by the Silverswift crew floating at one of our Flynn Reef dive sites. The crew named him Harry the Hawksbill and brought him to the Cairns Turtle Rehabilitation Centre (CTRC). He was so small, he fit into the palm of your hand and was estimated to be about 3-6 months old and now is thought to be about 3 years of age.

Harry was released back into the wild on the 19th of January 2016 with a satellite tracker and judging by the satellite image, he�s having a great time!

Jennie Gilbert, co-founder of the Cairns Turtle Rehabilitation Centre said, �He was the smallest Hawksbill that has been brought into our care. He�s a particularly special turtle because we know very little about their early lives up to the first 5 -10 years, which is largely unknown and referred to as the �lost years�.

The satellite tracker which will provide invaluable information about his travels to gain a better understanding of how they live during this time of their life.

Sam Killian, Silverswift dive crew along with 4 other crew who helped rescue Harry were onboard to assist in releasing Harry back into the waters at Flynn Reef. Sam said, �It is amazing to think that Harry has been in care for this long and it is a privilege to see how well he has done under the care of Jennie and her volunteers from the CTRC.�

An exciting change for Poseidon

From 1 April, an exciting change for Port Douglas-based dive and snorkel catamaran, Poseidon, will see the operation dedicated to certified divers and adventure snorkellers. This means introductory diving will no longer be able to be pre booked for Poseidon.

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With 30 spectacular and exclusive reef sites at the Agincourt ribbon reefs and Escape Reef, Poseidon visits 3 different reef sites daily, offering some of the very best day boat diving on the Great Barrier Reef. A dedicated dive tender provides the opportunity for drift and wall diving for adventurous certified divers. From these premium reef sites, snorkellers have the opportunity to experience the Great Barrier Reef at its finest.

Dive and snorkel catamaran Silversonic, also based in Port Douglas, continues to cater for introductory and certified divers and snorkellers as she visits 3 different Agincourt ribbon reef sites daily.

Quicksilver � Driving Sustainability

In January, Quicksilver was excited to introduce the newest luxury coach to our fleet, furthering our dedication to minimising our carbon footprint while maximising passenger comfort. The sleek new coach takes our reef customers on a journey along one of Australia�s most scenic drives, the Great Barrier Reef Drive, from Cairns to Port Douglas while bringing a new dimension of quality, safety and cutting edge technology.

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The Volvo Marcopolo B7R, 57 seater has proven to be among the cleanest and most fuel efficient coaches in the Australian market and comes with the highest possible current Exhaust Emission controls. The coach has the equivalent of a 5 star ANCAP safety rating for coaches and is fitted with reversing cameras and sensors, security and forward facing cameras, LED lighting inside and out along with a raft of other safety features.

This is a significant investment of $340,000 and along with new branded livery is a welcome addition to our current fleet of now 12 coaches. Quicksilver will be expecting another Volvo coach by the end of this year.

Diving in with Pro Dive Cairns Liveaboard Trip

One day is never enough! If you�re an avid diver and adventurer, you can completely immerse yourself in a Great Barrier Reef experience with Pro Dive Cairns� 3 day 2 night liveaboard trip. Play, eat and sleep on the Great Barrier Reef!

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Certified divers can participate in up to 11 dives, including 2 exciting night dives, as well as some great snorkelling on a variety of 19 exclusive Outer Reef sites. There�s plenty of time between dives to relax and take in the spectacle of the Great Barrier Reef.

Pro Dive Cairns� 3 premium �Scubapro� liveaboard dive boats also offer Nitrox (Enriched Air) diving for suitably qualified divers, along with the PADI Enriched Air (Nitrox) course specifically for divers wishing to attain the necessary qualifications to dive with this gas.

Trips depart from Cairns every day except Tuesday catering for small groups of up to 32 passengers. Accommodation is either double or twin share in air-conditioned cabins and there�s also the added bonus of free wi-fi onboard.

For more information about this dive trip or Pro Dive Cairns� range of award winning dive courses, from the popular 5 Day Learn to Dive through to professional development, contact the team at [email protected]

Green Island Resort�s signature restaurant has a makeover

Green Island Resort�s signature restaurant, Emeralds, has undergone a lovely makeover. In tune with the fresh new feel, here�s a sneak peak at Executive Chef Shuki Salem�s delicious dinner menu. Emeralds Restaurant features outdoor terrace dining or indoor air-conditioned seating and is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Download the 2016 Dinner Menu

Master of disguise, can you see me?

You might think I look like a dead leaf lying in the water, but that�s just part of my camouflage! I�m a leaf scorpionfish. I�m about 10 cm (4 inches) long and can vary in colour from green, red, pink, brown, yellow and white. My gentle sideways movements resemble a drifting inert object. But shrimps beware, I�m an ambush predator and love to dine on small crustaceans, fish and larvae. Just another one of the interesting critters you may see on the Great Barrier Reef!

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EVENTS


From elite sporting pursuits to community events, the Quicksilver Group is delighted to support a raft of wonderful ways to experience and enjoy our unique World Heritage reef and rainforest home. Here�s a taste of what�s in store.

Earth Hour 2016, 19 March

On Saturday 19 March, the Quicksilver Group once again supported the WWF global environmental initiative, Earth Hour, aimed at increasing awareness about climate change. At Green Island Resort, non-essential lighting was switched off for one hour which meant romantic candlelit dinners in Emeralds Restaurant! Stargazing and torch lit guided walks with the island activities officer followed.

Port Douglas Carnivale, 20 - 22 May

The annual Port Douglas Carnivale is a wonderful celebration of life in our tropical paradise and is now in its 22nd year! One of the event highlights will of course be the fun and festivities of the annual street parade and with this year�s theme of �Wonders of the Tropics�, we can�t wait to see what our Quicksilver crew will create for their float! This year�s action-packed program also features a new attraction, the Wonderland Spiegeltent, with a lively program of cabaret, burlesque and comedy acts. You can check out the wonderful range of events in store for all here... http://www.carnivale.com.au/

Quicksilver Reef Swim, Thursday 9 June 2016

Now in its sixth year, the Cairns Airport Adventure Festival incorporating Ironman Cairns will once again feature the Quicksilver Reef Swim on Green Island. This amazing reef swim will see competitors tackle 1.5km or 3km swims in the sparkling waters of Green Island on the Great Barrier Reef.

Great Adventures Green Island Reef Swim, Sunday 11 September 2016

Our annual Great Adventures Green Island Ocean Swim will once again see swimmers taking to the water to compete in 1.5km and 3km distances in this unique Great Barrier Reef swim. A new addition this year is the shorter 500m swim. Time to get training! Competitors aged 12 years and over are eligible to enter.

For more info or bookings, contact Great Adventures on 4044 9944 or visit http://www.green-island.com.au/oceanswim 

Download Ocean Swim 2016 Flyer

 

SEEN ON THE REEF

 

  • Queensland Weekender
    Quicksilver was delighted to welcome aboard the crew from Channel 7�s Queensland Weekender for an enjoyable day at our Agincourt Reef platform as part of their forthcoming Great Barrier Reef special. Make sure you tune in to see hosts Sofie Formica and Dean Miller showcase the wonders of the Great Barrier Reef on March 27th.
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  • Freddie Flintoff
    Former English Test Cricket great, Freddie Flintoff, was bowled over (sorry!) with his day on the reef with Great Adventures. He is seen here experiencing the very groovy yellow underwater scooter Scuba Doo!
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  • Port Douglas and the Reef on Show
    With Port Douglas Carnivale preparations underway, we were pleased to host media representatives including Gourmet Traveller, Courier Mail and Sunday Escape, aboard Quicksilver�s Outer Reef Cruise to sample some of our region�s attractions in store for visitors.

 

TRIVIA TIME

 

It�s been a very hot summer and fresh juicy watermelon was a big hit in Quicksilver�s lunch buffet. So much so that our catering team was busy chopping up record amounts during the busy Chinese New Year period.

Q. Can you guess how many kilos of watermelon was consumed in this two week period?

Click here to reveal the answer!

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BIO BITS

Starfish � the Zombies of the Sea!

Starfish are among some of the most alien creatures living in our oceans. They do not have brains, instead gaining information from their surroundings via special cells on their skin. Perhaps even weirder still is the fact that starfish do not have blood. Their �blood� is essentially just filtered sea water circling through their bodies. They come in all colours, shapes and sizes, and it is not uncommon for some species to grow up to 40 arms. These arms can be regrown, and in extreme cases a single arm can regenerate an entire body! This is achievable because they house most, or in some cases all of their vital organs in their arms.


THE ZOO


Congratulations Joseph
Joseph Graham, Quicksilver Reservations Manager

Congratulations to Joseph Graham who has taken on the role of Quicksilver�s Reservations Manager. Joseph overseas the reservations team looking after our Port Douglas based products Quicksilver Outer Reef Cruises, Wavedancer Low Isles Cruises and dive and snorkel vessels Silversonic and Poseidon.
 
Joseph can be contacted at [email protected]

 


Welcome Yvonne
Yvonne Wang, Asia Sales Manager

Welcome aboard to Yvonne Wang who has joined the Sales and Marketing team as our new Asia Sales Manager. Yvonne joins us in the Tropical North from Melbourne, where she was studying her MBA part time while working in the tourism industry. Yvonne says she is enjoying working with a great bunch of people, pictured here on a recent teaming building day � she�s not normally that muddy!
 
Yvonne is currently on the road (or in the air!) on a China sales trip and can be contacted at [email protected]

 

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Postcard.... to Ocean Spirit


We absolutely loved our trip with Ocean Spirit. Our family had experienced divers, one snorkeller and one non-swimmer and we all found something to be happy about! From the get go the staff went above and beyond to be helpful and incredibly nice and it stayed that way for the whole day. Loved the snorkelling - giant clams, green turtles, beautiful coral and plenty of fish. Great idea to offer life jackets for the not so confident swimmers. The champagne and cheese at the end of the day really topped it off.

Nicole H, Aus

QUICKBITS


  • Suit up! Lycra suits are now included in the cruise fare for Wavedancer�s Low Isles Cruise and Ocean Spirit�s Michaelmas Cay Cruise.
  • All about Poseidon: Check out Poseidon�s new video for a peek at what it�s like to spend an amazing day aboard for your dive and snorkel adventure in the marine wilderness of the Agincourt ribbon reefs.
  • New season brochures: With the 2016 -2017 season upon us, our new product brochures are being delivered in Cairns and Port Douglas ready for 1 April. Our brochures are also available to view from our online resource site. If you�d like access, please contact [email protected]
  • FREE Wi-Fi: Our dive and snorkel adventure vessels Silversonic and Silverswift, and Pro Dive Cairns' liveaboard fleet all provide free unlimited Wi-Fi - even when 50 km offshore! Green Island Resort guests also have free Wi-Fi from the comfort of their rooms as well as the Coral Cay guest lounge.
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