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  As you can see by some of the crew photos, we’re celebrating at the Quicksilver Group after being judged Australia’s best tourism operator at the prestigious Australian Tourism Awards!
Announced in Melbourne on 28th of February 2009, the Quicksilver Group won the “Major Tour and Transport Operator” award for the third consecutive year, and in doing so, was admitted into the Australian Tourism “Hall of Fame”. This follows being inducted into the Queensland Tourism Hall of fame in November 2008.
Quicksilver was also rewarded with the Tourism Marketing Award in recognition of efforts in promoting Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef region through innovative branded retail shops in mainland China.
  Quicksilver Group Managing Director Tony Baker said, “We’re overwhelmed and extremely proud to be acknowledged with these awards. As I’ve said previously, this success belongs with our fantastic teams at the front line and behind the scenes who make sure we really do provide the best reef experiences every day for our visitors. The Major Tour and Transport Operator Award represents excellence in all areas of our business operations and I congratulate all of our staff for this ongoing commitment.”
In winning the Tourism Marketing Award, Mr Baker praised the efforts of the Group Director Sales and Marketing, Michael Healy who with our Asian Sales Manager instigated, implemented and launched 10 branded “Cairns and Great Barrier Reef” themed shops with leading Chinese travel agents and several Cairns tourism operators to provide quality packages for Chinese visitors to the region.
“This could not have been done without the support of our partners, TQ, TTNQ, Hot Air, Blazing Saddles, Kuranda Scenic Rail, Skyrail, Scuba Doo, Seawalker Green Island, GBR Helicopter Group and CAPTA who have all joined with the Quicksilver Group to ensure the success of the retail branded shop campaign.”
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Message from the Queensland Tourism Minister
Congratulations Quicksilver on winning not one but two esteemed categories at the Australian Tourism Awards for best major tour operator and best tourism marketing. I applaud Quicksilver Group Managing Director Tony Baker and your team for your continued commitment to quality service, product innovation and sustainable practices.
Desley Boyle MP - Minister for Tourism, Regional Development and Industry. |
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Turtles Hatch on Green Island
With several turtles recently nesting on Green Island, it was a wonderful sight when around 100 young hatchlings, believed to be Green Turtles, emerged from their nests to scramble towards the water’s edge.
Some of Green Island Resort’s guests were thrilled to witness the spectacle during the guided evening nature walk ...
Read Full Story |
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Great Adventures Green Island Cruise Changes
From 1 April 2009, Great Adventures will be introducing exciting and refreshed Green Island Cruises with two key products – the “Green Island Eco Adventure” and the “Green Island Discovery”.
While the Green Island Eco Adventure remains unchanged, the new Green Island Discovery will include both snorkelling and glass bottom boat tour as well as a complimentary beach bag ... Read Full Story |
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Advanced Ecotourism for Pro Dive
Pro Dive Cairns is proud to have recently been accredited with Advanced Ecotourism Certification from Ecotourism Australia for their training courses and Great Barrier Reef liveaboard dive trips. This is in recognition of the environmental initiatives implemented to ensure the sustainability of Pro Dive’s operation and to contribute to the conservation of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area. As part of their reef experience Pro Dive ensures visitors have the opportunity to learn about and appreciate the spectacular marine environment. » Check out Prodive Cairns
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Swim with the Minkes on Silversonic
With whale season approaching, guests travelling aboard our luxury dive and snorkel vessel Silversonic may be in for an extra treat. Silversonic has one of the few permits available from the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority that allows our guests to swim with dwarf minke whales if encountered – a truly unforgettable experience! ... Read Full Story |
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Climate Action
When it comes to choosing an inspiring and eco-friendly holiday, Quicksilver is setting the benchmark for ecotourism experiences and environmental sustainability.
Quicksilver was one of the first companies to be certified by Ecotourism Australia’s new Climate Action Program and has been certified as a “Climate Action Innovator”. What this means is that Quicksilver has proactively undertaken adaptions and emissions reduction .... Read Full Story |
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Russ’s Snorkelling Tips
Russell Hore, head of Reef Biosearch and our team of marine biologists has some great tips to help you get the most enjoyment from your snorkelling experience ...
» Read Full Story |
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Booking and Winning Online!
With all of our day cruises now available to be booked directly online with our Group Booking System, there’s been the added bonus for our local agents using the system with some fabulous nights at Green Island Resort to be won.
Congratulations to our latest winners Mark from Cairns Tour Advice & Booking Centre and Luke from Rydges Sabaya in Port Douglas |
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Earth Hour
Earth Hour, now in its 3rd year, will be taking place on 28 March and once again the Quicksilver Group will be supporting this WWF global initiative. With the aim of increasing awareness about climate change, Earth Hour uses the simple action of turning off lights for one hour. Between 8.30pm – 9.30pm all non-essential lighting across our operations will be turned off, as well as many staff committing to ‘switching off’ at home. For guests staying at Green Island Resort, that will include candlelit dinners in Emerald’s Restaurant and stargazing with the island activities officer!
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Xmas Appeal Thanks
Thanks to the generous support of local tour desks, hotels, suppliers and members of the community, our annual Christmas Appeal was once again a great success. The Salvation Army, St Vincent de Paul, Lifeline and the Douglas Shire community were thrilled to receive around $10,000 worth of food and gifts which were donated for families and people in need in our community. |
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Port Douglas Reef & Rainforest Carnivale
The annual Port Douglas Reef and Rainforest Carnivale is set to kick off a two week celebration of life in our tropical paradise on 22 – 31 May.Featuring live entertainment, art and culture, cuisine, family and sporting events, Carnivale celebrates the pleasures, weather and lifestyle of our region – what better time to visit us!Once again Quicksilver is pleased to continue our long association with Carnivale, and in particular, sponsorship of the Quicksilver Food, Wine and a Taste of Port which will take place on Saturday 30 May. |
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Crew In The Zoo.
Welcome to Green Island Resort’s new Executive Chef, Darryl Barker. New Zealand born Darryl moved to the Tropical North to specifically take up the leading position of Executive Chef having been attracted by Green Island Resort’s first class reputation, on top of being located in one of the most beautiful parts of the world! Stay tuned for an exciting new menu at Emeralds Restaurant highlighting the seasonal delights of our Tropical North Queensland produce. |
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Hello and thank you to the Wavedancer Crew.
We’re writing to thank you for our wonderful day with Quicksilver at Low Isles, one of the highlights of our trip to Australia. What an awesome day and beautiful island! We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and it was so much more than we ever expected.
Your boat is very comfortable and all the crew were helpful and friendly. Erica’s knowledge on the guided beach walk was amazing. We loved the snorkelling and were lucky enough to spot two turtles! Lunch was fantastic sitting onboard looking back to the island and the entertainment on the way back into Port Douglas was a great finish to our very memorable day. We hope to come back again!
The Duncans, UK
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Beautiful Butterflyfish
The bright and colourful Butterflyfish are among the most commonly seen on the reef. There are actually 114 species of Butterflyfish, most have intricate patterns with striking backgrounds of blue, red, orange or yellow. They are usually seen in pairs. These pairs are life-long mates and may remain together exclusively for the duration of their lives – up to 25-30 years!
They spend their days tirelessly pecking at coral and rock formations with their long snouts in search of coral polyps, worms and other small invertebrates. They have specially adapted teeth with small bristles on the ends that allow them to grip slippery prey. At night, the Butterflyfish settle into dark crevices where their brilliant colours fade to blend into the reef background |
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We’re pleased to advise new language translations in German, Italian, Japanese and Chinese are now available on our Quicksilver Cruises website.
» Visit Website |
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AIME visitors on target: Following AIME 09, the Asia-Pacific Incentives & Meetings Expo held in Melbourne during February, Quicksilver was pleased to host a group of guests to experience the magic of a day at the Great Barrier Reef at stunning Agincourt Reef.
» View Picture |
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Following the devastating fires experienced in Victoria and floods in Queensland, we’d like to thank the generosity of our passengers and crews who donated over $1700 to these appeals.
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We’re also pleased to advise updated “Quick Reference Guides” covering the whole range of our Quicksilver Group products are now available in French, Italian, German and English.
» Click here to view the PDF versions online.
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For further information, or to subscribe or unsubscribe please visit the Official Quicksilver Group Website:
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