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When Two Aussie Icons Meet – The Melbourne Cup goes for a dive on the Great Barrier Reef!

It was certainly a unique sight to see Australia’s most famous trophy go for a scuba dive! As part of the official Emirates Melbourne Cup tour in the lead up to the “Race that stops the Nation”, Quicksilver was very pleased to be able to assist with this year’s tour to our region bringing two great Australian icons together – The Great Barrier Reef and The Melbourne Cup.
In a first, the Cup went for a scuba dive at Agincourt Reef on Saturday 11 August in a specially designed underwater case. Quicksilver Dive Instructor Luke Saunders had the honour of taking the Cup on an underwater tour of the Reef.                                                

Tony Baker, Managing Director of the Quicksilver Group said, “It was a great thrill for many of our passengers and crew alike to see the Cup up close, especially for Luke who grew up in Melbourne it was of special significance. Quicksilver has always been innovative in showcasing the wonders of the Great Barrier Reef and this is another first in bringing two Australian icons together. In 2000 Quicksilver carried the Olympic torch underwater as part of the Sydney Games Olympic Torch Relay.”

Valued at $175,000 and made of 18 carat gold, the Cup also had its very own security guard!
Over the past 10 years the Melbourne Cup Tour has covered more than 270,000 km, providing thousands of people an opportunity to see the iconic trophy first hand in more than 210 towns and cities across Australia and New Zealand.

About the case: Keeping the Melbourne Cup safe and dry was all important in getting ready for the underwater tour! The special underwater case for the Cup was locally designed and made by Terry Geddes of InDepth Cases and took two weeks to complete. Made of 20mm acrylic and weighing 20kg, plus the ballast weight of 22kg and the Cup, it weighed a total of 45 kg above water. However once in water it was neutrally buoyant or weightless.