Trinity Beach 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

Many reasons to visit FNQ in Green Season!

TRAVSTAR NEWS - Trinity Beach 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!

Skybury's roaster is smoking

Tropical Horizons - Kuranda & Highlands News Feed

Skybury's Australian Coffee Centre at Mareeba has an impressively large, cast iron drum roaster now roasting the daily grind of Skybury coffee in the foyer, sending the aroma of freshly toasted coffee beans into the surrounding fields.

"We're roasting at 9am each day and it’s a terrific process to watch. It takes about 15 minutes to complete the cycle, and it's tantalising - you really want that cup of coffee when you smell the roasting beans!," said Skybury owner Ian MacLaughlin.

Skybury's new roaster has a capacity of 15kg per roast and is equipped with a loader and separate green bean hopper to enable continuous roasting so it’s capable of processing up to 90kg per hour. The roaster has probes which monitor the temperature of the coffee roasting drum and the coffee beans. These measurements are used by internal computers to modulate the gas supply and temperature according to the pre-set roast specifics.

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.

Sam Powers to predict outcome of Taipans Game on NYE

Xtreme Illusions - Xtreme Illusions News Feed

In a history making event the star of ‘XTREME ILLUSIONS’ will predict the winner and the score of the Taipans vs Tigers basketball game on New Years Eve 2009.

On Monday December 28th, three days before the game, Sam Powers will make his prediction on paper in full view of local news camera crews
inside the Zinc FM studios. The radio host will sign the paper to ensure that the prediction cannot be switched or changed before the game. The
prediction will then be sealed inside a clear jar and locked inside a steel box. The steel box will be locked into a glass box making it impossible for
anyone to tamper with the prediction before the game.

“All my life I have been having premonitions and lately they’re becoming too real to ignore. I have been working on this stunt for five years and
NYE will be the first time I have ever tried it.” says Powers. Sam Powers and the Reef Hotel Casino are giving everyone attending the NYE game the chance to win $1000 of prizes if they can guess the winner. Every attendee will put their name and chosen team into a barrel before
the game starts. After Powers reveals his prediction, a lucky spectator will have their name pulled out. If they chose the winning team they take
home the prizes

Sam Powers will be the first magician in Australian History to predict the outcome of a major sporting event three days in advance, seal the prediction into a clear jar, lock the jar into a steel box and lock the steel box into a glass box and then hand it over to security. This approach leaves no avenue for ‘trickery’. Who is Sam Powers?

Genius, gorgeous and generous! Sam Power’s accomplishments within his ‘craft’ are undeniable and his inclusion as one of CLEO’s Bachelors of the Year (2006) is noteworthy – but it is also his philanthropic heart that we should not underestimate.

Check out his credentials! Five times Magician of the Year, twice nominated Entertainer of the Year in two different categories, appearances in 16 countries and television appearances with audiences to the tune of over ten million viewers. Most notably, Sam has raised an incredible $2 million for over 100 charities in his 14 year career.

Returning from a record breaking nationwide tour and a stint in Las Vegas, he is now in Cairns with his breathtaking new show, ‘XTREME ILLUSIONS’ which was recently voted “Best Theatre Show 2009” by his peers. Sam continues to raise money for charity during his extended season in Cairns. It’s easy to tell that Sam loves animals when you see how he interacts with them in his live show and he will use his magic to help ‘Animals Australia’ end the horrific practices used in Factory Farmed Pigs and Battery Hen Farms by donating funds from
merchandise sales.

About Xtreme Illusions – A Night of Breathtaking Magic

Prepare yourself for an action packed NIGHT OF BREATHTAKING MAGIC with Sam Powers in Xtreme Illusions, Australia's ONLY resident illusion show.

Xtreme Illusions is a dazzling Las Vegas style grand illusion show featuring spectacular illusions, stunning assistants, mind blowing magic and hysterical audience participation. Powers is a Multi-Award Winning ‘Magician of the Year’ and has entertained the likes of Elton John, Nicole Kidman and Jamie Foxx. Sam Powers Live at Velvet Underground in the Reef Hotel Casino, Cairns, Australia

Show Times - Monday to Sat 7:30pm. Rated PG

Spend Christmas Day with Reef Magic

Reef Magic - Reef Magic News Feed

Reef Magic Cruises WILL be operating on Christmas Day and will offer a special Christmas Day menu for all passengers onboard.

So, with everything else in Cairns closed on Christmas Day why not spend the day onboard Reef Magic Cruises, not only do you receive one of the best Outer Reef experiences, you will also receive a Full Christmas Luncheon…..all for $175.00 per Adult and remember Kids travel for just $20! (conditions apply, subject to availability)

Bookings are filling up fast so be quick to book in your best Chrsitmas Day ever!

Reef Magic Christmas Day Menu 2009

Morning Tea
Plum Pudding & Fruit Mince Tarts

Lunch Buffet
Roast Turkey with pan gravy
Ofc the bone Honey Glazed Ham
Spinach and Ricotta Lasagne
Medley of Roast Vegetables
Continental Sliced Meat Platter
BBQ Chicken Platter
Nori Rolls w/Soy Sauce & Wasabi
Singapore Noodles

Tossed Garden & Russian Potato Salad
Traditional Coleslaw Salad
Spiced Corn Salad
Beetroot & Pineapple
Summer Fruit Platter
Fresh Bread and Roll Selection

Afternoon Tea
Watermelon and Orange Platters
Rum Balls
Cheese, Kabana and Cracker Platter

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!

"Pelicans in Paradise" launch

Paradise Palms Resort & Club - Paradise Palms Resort News Feed

We are delighted to announce the opening of "Pelicans in Paradise" - the new adventure playground at Paradise Palms Resort and Country Club. The facility, located between the resort and main clubhouse ,  encompasses over 4,000sqm and offers a range of activities suitable for toddlers through to early teens. Pelicans in Paradise  is open 7 days a week and includes :
 
Mini Golf Course
The 18 hole mini golf course is  suitable for all age groups.
 
Adventure Playground
Three unique "Queenslander style  " cubby houses and  a large jumping pillow are the key feature s   of the Adventure playground. Other equipment includes a climbing spider  and swings a long with  a large  spacious lawn area  (with soccer nets )  which is ideal to kick a soccer ball or football.
 
Swimming Pool
IN addition to the "resort guest only" swimming pool, guests can also enjoy the  25 metre lap pool adjacent to the playground area. A kiosk, selling snack items, hot , cold and alcoholic beverages is open  from 10am  in this area.

In house guest Charges
The playground and swimming pool area is complimentary for hotel guests to use. A day pass for mini golf is $10 for adults and $8 for children.
 
In addition to the above facilities, the main clubhouse also offers  a range of arcade and computers  games (charges apply) 
 
The opening of Pelicans in Paradise caps off a major redevelopment program under taken at Paradise Palms over the past 2 years which included the upgrading of the clubhouse, introduction of the new 59 Restaurant and Bar, and the opening of a 4.5 star 96 room boutique resort in February 2009.

A taste of the tropics at Cairns Airport

Tropical Horizons - Kuranda & Highlands News Feed

A taste of the tropics at Cairns Airport

Visitors to Cairns Airport Domestic Terminal can get a real taste of the tropics now Skybury Coffee is the exclusive coffee served by HMSHost at its first airport cafe.

The cafe’s fit out draws heavily on the coffee plantation vistas from Skybury’s location on the Great Dividing Range and will serve hundreds of cups of Skybury coffee each day. Skybury Coffee’s Managing Director Ian MacLaughlin, said the airport cafe was an exciting partnership for Skybury and a major aspect in the forward development of the Skybury brand.

Skybury, Australia's oldest coffee plantation is one of Tropical North Queensland's newest tourist attractions on the Atherton Tablelands. The multi-award winning attraction is located 10kms from Mareeba on the Atherton Tableland/Cairns Highlands, approx. 1 hour's drive from Cairns, Cairns International Airport and Port Douglas. Here visitors can taste, tour and take home Australia's purest coffee.

You can choose to self drive or take a day tour which incorporates Kuranda village, the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway and Kuranda Scenic railway. Please click here  for further details...

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