From 15 October 2023, ferry services from Sunday to Thursday will operate from 5am to 8pm. Services will operate as usual - 5am to midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. 

The change to operating hours is needed to modify four davits which are used to raise and lower the ramps.  Normal services are expected to resume 26 November 2023.  

The maintenance work will begin mid-October and run over six weeks to modify four davits (crane-like devices) which are used to raise and lower the ferry’s ramps. 

Paronella Park, a historic gem from the 1930s, has been dedicated to improving its accessibility features. Recent efforts have focused on widening and reinforcing pathways, with the highlight being the new alternative pathway to Teresa Falls, offering stair-free access. 

While the park acknowledges the challenges posed by its unique layout and location, the team is committed to making Paronella Park as accessible as possible for all visitors, ensuring that everyone can enjoy its timeless beauty and historical charm.

The Douglas Shire Council has announced plans to build a new, bigger Daintree River ferry. The current ferry is 40 years old and has been experiencing increasing problems with corrosion. The new ferry will be able to carry more vehicles and passengers, and will be more environmentally friendly.

The proposed new ferry is 70 meters long and 20 meters wide, and will be able to carry up to 200 passengers and 50 vehicles. It will be powered by electric motors, and will have a solar panel roof to help reduce its environmental impact.

The construction of the new ferry is expected to cost $20 million, and it is scheduled to be completed in 2025. The council is currently seeking funding for the project from the Queensland government.

Cairns Airport has proudly secured the prestigious Airport of the Year award at the Australian Aviation Awards in Sydney.

This achievement recognizes the dedication of the Cairns Airport team and their contribution to the Cairns Region. 

Cairns is taking a bold step towards inclusive and holistic patient care.

As part of a comprehensive $70 million redevelopment project, an innovative sensory modulation room is being introduced to enhance the well-being of mental health patients.

This visionary digital solution, developed collaboratively with clinicians and project experts, offers patients an immersive journey through interactive visual and soundscapes tailored to individual needs.

Multi-sensory features designed to soothe, engage, and distract, the room also incorporates soothing lights and gentle scents.

The new Mental Health Unit is slated to open in mid-2024, reflecting Cairns' commitment to creating an inclusive and supportive healthcare environment.

Effective Dates: April 4, 2023, to May 8, 2024



The Jindalba Boardwalk within Daintree National Park will experience a partial closure from April 4, 2023, to May 8, 2024. During this period, only the first 200 meters of the boardwalk will be open to the public. Visitors must use the same path for entry and exit.

To ensure the safety of all visitors, a substantial section of the boardwalk circuit will be closed temporarily. This closure is in place to facilitate necessary maintenance and repair work. All visitors are required to comply with safety instructions and directional signs posted at the site. 

August 2023

Skyrail Rainforest Cableway will be closed for programmed maintenance works from:

Monday 28th – Thursday 31st (Inclusive)



September 2023

Skyrail Rainforest Cableway will be closed for programmed maintenance works from:

Friday 1st – Sunday 3rd (Inclusive)



October 2023

All Kuranda Scenic Railway services are cancelled on the following dates due to planned maintenance on the Kuranda Range: Sunday 1, Monday 2, Tuesday 3 October 2023



December 2023

Kuranda Scenic Railway and Skyrail Rainforest Cableway do not operate on Christmas Day, services resume the usual timetable on Boxing Day.

When you book a day tour to the Great Barrier Reef, you may notice an additional fee called the environmental management charge (EMC). This fee is a part of most commercial activities, including tours, that operate within the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park under a permit issued by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority.

When you participate in a tourist activity on the Great Barrier Reef, you are usually responsible for paying this charge to the tour operator. The tour operator then forwards the fee to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority.

Why do you have to pay the fee?

The environmental management charge plays a crucial role in the day-to-day management and long-term resilience of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. The funds collected through this charge are directly used for the management and conservation efforts of the marine park.

Additionally, when you provide visitation information along with the environmental management charge, it greatly helps the Reef Authority and Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) in developing sustainable management plans for the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.

By paying the environmental management charge, you are contributing to the protection and preservation of this magnificent natural wonder, ensuring that future generations can continue to enjoy its beauty.

Island Experience - Great Adventures Green Island & Green Island Resort

Green Island’s wide paved or timber pathways are easy for wheelchairs to access, as is the jetty – perfect for some turtle spotting. There is a boardwalk through the rainforest into the centre of the Island to explore the flora and birdlife. The sandy beach for access to the water is not accessible by wheelchair. The glass bottom boat is only accessible via a number of steps.

The day visitor area has disabled toilet facilities and easy access to the food outlets.

At our Cairns jetty and Green Island, Great Adventures catamarans have boarding ramp gangways able to accommodate standard sized wheelchairs, however larger motorised wheelchairs may not be suitable. Depending on tidal conditions, at times there may be a few steps at the end of the gangway onto the jetty. We recommend contacting our reservations staff 24 hours prior to travel to ensure the most appropriate departure times regarding tide.

Green Island Resort has an Island Suite configured for wheelchair access to the room and bathroom facilities, with the room located in easy access to central facilities and boardwalks. 

For more information about wheelchair accessibility across our operations, or contact our friendly reservations teams for advice.

The Quicksilver Group strives where possible to make our tourism experiences inclusive and accessible for people with disabilities and accessibility needs. Scuba diving engages all your senses and our dive teams have over the years been able to share the underwater world with vision-impaired guests. And now Quicksilver Dive brings dive courses to even more people with PADI Adaptive Service Facility accreditation (see more information in this issue). Carers with a companion card travel at discounted fares and assistance dogs are welcome.

In the Year of Accessible Tourism, we’d like to highlight the best suited Great Barrier Reef experiences for guests with mobility issues.

Outer Reef Experience - Quicksilver Cruises

A unique feature at our Agincourt Reef activity platform is the chair lift which enables disabled passengers to be lowered into the water to enjoy snorkelling.

At the platform, there are ramp facilities from the vessel between the levels of the platform, however access to the underwater observatory, swim platforms and semi-submersibles is by stairs only.

Our wharf facilities in Port Douglas have boarding ramps suitable for wheelchairs. Onboard our wavepiercer catamarans Quicksilver VIII and Quicksilver V, there are oversized toilet cubicles suitable for most wheelchair passengers.

The Quicksilver Group’s environmental teams have been busy undertaking important monitoring and conservation work as part of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority’s Tourism Reef Protection Initiative.

Following the success of the initial program conducted throughout 20-2021, the new $15 million initiative has dual aims; conservation and protection of high value tourism sites within the World Heritage Marine Park, and the support of the reef tourism industry’s post pandemic recovery.

“Over the course of 18 months, our experienced marine biologists and dive teams will be conducting around 150 activity days dedicated to reef stewardship initiatives spanning from the Agincourt reefs north of Port Douglas to Moore Reef south of Cairns,” said Doug Baird, Quicksilver Group Environment and Compliance Manager.

Eye on the Reef Weekly monitoring data, which is generated by trained staff conducting a timed swim over a known area and noting key species, is being collected at key sites. As well as this monitoring, Reef Health Impact Surveys and Photo Point Enhancement surveys, permitted site intervention such as crown of thorns starfish (COTS) and drupella removal (known coral predators) where required, and coral nurturing projects are being conducted.

Through Stewardship plans of our key sites, the information gathered will inform GBRMPA about what is happening at our sites locally, and when the data from other operators involved in the initiative is added, a reef-wide perspective allows any changes to be identified.

Administered by GBRMPA, 26 Queensland reef tourism operators are participating in the Tourism Reef Protection Initiative providing services along the length of the Great Barrier Reef. The Initiative runs until the end of June 2024.

In the Year of Accessible Tourism, Quicksilver Dive in Port Douglas has become the first PADI Adaptive Service Facility in Queensland, and proudly the only facility of its kind on the Great Barrier Reef to hold this accreditation.

Opened in 2018, Quicksilver Dive’s state of the art diver training centre is now one of only four facilities in Australia with PADI Adaptive Service Facility accreditation. 

Tony Baker, Quicksilver Group Managing Director said this is a wonderful acknowledgement. “We strive where possible to make our tourism experiences inclusive and accessible. This includes opening up the world of scuba to people with special needs. It means that we can take even more people diving, including those with varying levels of mobility.”

PADI Global Adaptive Techniques Coordinator Fraser Bathgate said, “This recognition means that Quicksilver Dive is able to give an open-door policy to all who wish to take part in recreational scuba diving and associated courses. This status shows that your centre is fully accessible to everyone, not just for training but to all aspects of the diving family.”

“On behalf of PADI I would like to thank you for your support in promoting accessibility which will offer a chance for those with different abilities in accessing the underwater world.”

Chris Snel, Quicksilver Dive School Operations Manager said, “Our skilled dive instructors are focused on diver abilities and can apply adaptive teaching techniques when training and diving with people with special needs; people who may have previously thought diving was not accessible to them. As with all diving, age and medical conditions apply.”

In addition, significant investment in the centre’s infrastructure such as a lift, ramps, disabled facilities and wheelchair access to classrooms and the training pool ensures the needs of divers of all abilities are met.

The Daintree River Ferry will be closed from 9pm - 5am on Wednesday, June 28 and Thursday, June 29 for inspections and minor maintenance works.

The essential works will take place between 9pm and 5am and no ferry service will be provided during these periods.

This will result in the ferry closing at the earlier time of 9pm, instead of midnight on these two days.

Daintree Discovery Centre launched their new hologram attraction this week. The special 3D hologram attraction gives visitors an immersive experience of KuKu Yalanji country and culture from the comfort of the new theatre. Visitors to the attraction will 'go on country' or ‘walkabout’ with KuKu Yalanji man Juan Walker of Walkabout Cultural Adventures as he provides an insight into the culture and country of these First Nations people.

After a month holiday the Cairns Webcam is back in action. Thanks to everyone who contacted us to let us know it was off-line. With the help of the team at Pacific Hotel we have fixed the issue and hope we can provide an uninterrupted live stream of our beautiful city.  



The Cairns City Webcam is located on the Pacific Hotel Rooftop. The camera shows a live video stream of Cairns inner city and includes views of the Cairns Marina, Reef Fleet Terminal, Casino, Cairns Esplanade & Parklands.

Skyrail Rainforest Cableway is proud to announce the recent acquisition of two MG electric vehicles for our Sales & Marketing and Retail teams. This significant investment highlights our commitment to sustainability and reducing our carbon footprint in the pristine rainforest environment, and beyond!

By incorporating these state-of-the-art electric vehicles into our operations, Skyrail Rainforest Cableway aims to lead the way in eco-friendly transportation practices. The MG electric vehicles provide a clean and efficient mode of transportation, aligning with our core values and dedication to preserving the natural beauty that surrounds us.

The introduction of these electric vehicles not only enables our Sales & Marketing and Retail teams to carry out their roles effectively and responsibly, but also contributes to a cleaner and healthier environment. As well as improving air quality, the EVs are also quieter than traditional petrol and diesel cars, meaning less noise pollution too.

Skyrail Rainforest Cableway recognises the importance of sustainability in today's world and strives to continue to be at the forefront of environmental consciousness. This strategic investment in electric vehicles not only reduces our carbon emissions but also serves as a reflection of our ongoing commitment to a greener future.

Sunlover is currently conducting a refurbishment of the Moore Reef Pontoon Sundeck, to include new flooring, additional seating and shade. The updates ready before the next school holidays (June-July 2023). 

Reef Magic has introduced Starlink wifi access onboard their pontoon so guests can enjoy uninterrupted digital access to share their day on the Great Barrier Reef. It will also enable the GBR Biology team to conduct live feeds from the pontoon showcasing their work with reef education and sustainability.

Our Divers Den liveaboard vessel ‘OceanQuest’ is back in the water this Saturday, the 18th of March!

OceanQuest has had a whooping $700K spent on her in the latest refit. She has been freshly painted,  fabulously rebranded and has some additional new soft furnishings - we are ready take our guests on a unique and memorable reef experience with our flexible daily departures and PADI course options.

OceanQuest is a 36 metre catamaran over 3 decks with the capacity to sleep 48 customers overnight.

There are 18 Twin Cabins with two single beds and 4 Double Cabins that have a double bed, all cabins are equipped with air conditioning, and en-suite bathroom facilities. OceanQuest provides a spacious and comfortable ‘home away from home’ on The Great Barrier Reef, offering a truly unique experience for all divers and snorkelers wanting to explore this pristine underwater playground. 

The Daintree Ferry will re-open today at 10:30am after a successful mandatory inspection and the extra repair works at the weekend.

Monday 13th March 2023