Quicksilver Group Managing Director, Tony Baker, attending the opening said the Cairns and Great Barrier Reef branded shop is the 14th such shop to be opened in a period spanning nine years, with this venture being a partnership between Tourism Australia, leading Chinese travel agent GZL International Travel Services and the China Sales Group led by the Quicksilver Group.

In addition to the scheduled airline arrivals into Cairns during the Chinese New Year, there will be an additional 5 charter flights during this period.

The China Sales Group brings together a range of quality Great Barrier Reef and Cairns land based touring products and accommodation including Quicksilver, Great Adventures, CAPTA, Hot Air, Seawalker Green Island, GBR Helicopters and Accor Hotels amongst others. While the key focus remains on Cairns, it is now expanding to include other iconic Australian experiences including Captain Cook Cruises and Kingfisher Bay Resort.

The impressive internal refit can be seen in the photo gallery below. Sporting a beautiful and stylish contemporary interior design, Quicksilver V's multi-million dollar refit included a total new servery and bar area, internal stairway, new seat coverings and new toilets with the addition of a disabled access bathroom. On the upper deck, there's even windows for passengers to see into the wheelhouse as the skipper plies the Coral Sea.

1,085 people registered at over 90 Instameet locations across Queensland, with more than 6,000 images shared on the day with the official hashtag #thisisQueensland.

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For an Outer Reef experience, we recommend our Quicksilver Outer Reef Cruise. The snorkel platform features a unique water powered lift (the only one of its kind on the Great Barrier Reef) enabling access for wheelchair patrons into the weightless environment of the water where they can snorkel and explore the Reef. The activity platform has ramps between levels, removable seats and an extension table for lunch.

For an Island experience, we recommend Green Island with its extensive boardwalks allowing access to the resort facilities, rainforest and beach. Information sheets are also available for wheelchair passengers on our website.

Spinal Injuries Australia Chief Executive Officer Bruce Milligan said nominations were received from people across the community, as well as from members of Spinal Injuries Australia.

"These awards honour the fantastic organisations, services, venues and individuals who are hard at work to improve the social and economic performance of their region. Accessibility isn't just about people who have a disability - people who are affected can also include parents with prams and older people."

More often associated with the northern waters of Western Australia, whale shark encounters on the Great Barrier Reef have been more frequent in recent years with several reported sightings. A whale shark, believed to be the same animal, was also sighted from Pro Dive Cairns' liveaboard vessel Scuba Pro just 3 days earlier at nearby Milln Reef.

As the largest fish in the sea reaching lengths of over 12 metres, whale sharks are docile fish feeding mostly on plankton, crab larvae and jellyfish, which they scoop up with their colossal gaping mouths while swimming close to the water's surface. They are currently listed as a vulnerable species and prior to the mid 1980s there were less than 350 confirmed reports of whale sharks world wide.

Researchers are able to identify individuals from photographs by analysing the patterns of markings on their bodies. The whale shark's back and sides are gray to brown with white spots among pale vertical and horizontal stripes, and its belly is white. The flattened head sports a blunt snout above its mouth with short barbels protruding from its nostrils. Its two dorsal fins are set rearward on its body, which ends in a large dual-lobbed caudal fin (or tail).

Photo credit: Serina Yamamoto.

This year over 217 children from 9 local schools along with teachers travelled to gain a better understanding of the place they call home and to learn about the wonderful and unique environment they live in between the World Heritage Rainforest and Great Barrier Reef, commented Michael Healy, Quicksilver Group Director Sales and Marketing.

To cater for all the children, Quicksilver sets aside 2 days to allow for all the children to travel and experience the reef. We have long believed as a company we need to engage with the local children and this is one area we can create a message about the environment and complement their school studies. We have had very positive feedback from the teachers as the children get to engage with students from other schools which is critical as they move to high school and larger schools.

Photo: Shane Nichols Port Douglas & Mossman Gazette

"When we got there, we were bouncing out of our skins about snorkelling in the crystal clear water. "All suited up in the stinger suits we could then go into the water, gazing at colourful coral and thousands of amazing fish, big and small, darting between the coral. After an hour of discovering, we went back to the Wavedancer for a well-earned lunch. After that, a glass bottom boat awaited us. It was awesome (just like everything else on the trip); we got to see more bright fish and big colourful corals. We even saw a turtle surfacing less than 10 metres away. "When we got on shore again, we went in the water in search of the huge Green Turtle. Ten metres offshore, Laine, with his eagle eyes, found a sleepy turtle hiding in the coral. Soon, we were surrounded by other students from different schools, trying to get a better view of the big turtle. "It then got better! Another two turtles were swimming past the group! "Amazing! We then had to return to Wavedancer and return to Port Douglas. Our adventure was over. "Thank you very much Quicksilver for a great day!"
Jack Morwood of Daintree State School Year 6.

Quicksilver Group Managing Director Tony Baker said the essence of Quicksilver is in its crew and we congratulate the ongoing dedication and continual commitment to provide our premier reef experiences. Joining the 20 Year Club this year are: Heinz Hoegger, Quicksilver Dive Services Manager; Cliff Stanaway, Quicksilver Cruises Skipper; Gerry Webb, Great Adventures Customer Service and Paul Lim, Pro Dive Cairns General Manager.

Spanning our company of 550 local staff, we're very proud to have so many long term employees in our Quicksilver Group family. In addition to our 20 year club, 92 staff have over 10 years continuous service and 195 with 5 years or more!