The purchase of this vessel highlights significant new investment into the region’s tourism industry. Named by the Great Adventures staff, Reef Adventure was built by Queensland company Marine Engineering Consultants and has a capacity for 400 passengers.

Now plying the Coral Sea between Cairns and Green Island, by the end of the year, she will undergo internal modifications and reconfigured seating arrangements to suit an outer reef platform experience and provide increased flexibility for our daily operations.

Tony Baker, Managing Director of the Quicksilver Group said, “We are passionate about our region and the Great Barrier Reef. The past few months have been very exciting for the Company and highlights our significant and ongoing investment and reinvestment to the Cairns and Port Douglas tourism industry.

We employ over 600 locals and are very proud to add another Queensland built vessel to our fleet. With four vessels now in the Great Adventures fleet, this will offer more flexibility across our entire Cairns operation and will enable us to also have a vessel available for charter depending on the group size. With the purchase of the Reef Adventure the Quicksilver Group’s Great Barrier Reef fleet grows to 14 major vessels.

In 2016, to date, the Quicksilver Group has invested over $7.5 million on upgrades and refurbishments to our fleet including the acquisition of this additional vessel for our Great Adventures operation, a new Volvo Quicksilver coach, a new Glass Bottom Boat for Green Island along with major refurbishments.

• Statement and report findings from Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) & Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA)
  “We’ve opted to release results ahead of final completion of surveys because of widespread misinterpretation. Based on our combined results so far, the overall mortality is 22 per cent — and about 85 per cent of that has occurred in the far north between the tip of Cape York and just north of Lizard Island, 250 kilometres north of Cairns.”
  Read Full Article


• Activist Scientists exaggerated results, The Australian, 4 June 2016
  “Activist scientists and lobby groups have distorted surveys, maps and data to misrepresent the extent and impact of coral bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef according to the Chairman of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, Russell Reichelt….”
  Read Full Article

Felix is a 29 year old Canadian Optometrist, currently working in Townsville. The honour of certifying the 150,000th diver went to Pro Dive Cairns instructor Simon Daxer.

PADI (Professional Association of Dive Instructors) is the largest dive education company in the world and have acknowledged that Pro Dive Cairns’ achievement is an Australia first and just the second dive operator in the world to achieve this number of PADI certifications.

Commenting on the company’s milestones, Quicksilver Group Managing Director Tony Baker said, “We are extremely proud of our achievements and the reputation Pro Dive Cairns has built over the years. The fact that so many people have chosen Pro Dive Cairns to teach them to dive is very satisfying and reflects our philosophy and commitment to providing the best possible dive education and trips over many years.”

Paul Lim, General Manager Pro Dive Cairns added, “Our longevity in business over the past 33 years, is an outstanding testament to our partnership with PADI and the dedication and professionalism of all our staff, as well the quality and reputation of our product.”

Travelling to Cairns to celebrate this milestone, are PADI President and CEO, Drew Richardson, and PADI Asia Pacific Vice President of Training, Sales & Field Services, Danny Dwyer. Danny remarked, “Our entire team at PADI would like to congratulate the team at Pro Dive Cairns on reaching the remarkable milestone of 150,000 PADI students. Our two companies have shared a strong and successful business partnership over 33 years and we look forward to many more.”

Established in 1983, Pro Dive Cairns has built an enviable international reputation as one of the world’s premier dive schools and liveaboard dive trip operators. Today, with a team of 67 local staff, Pro Dive Cairns owns and operates a purpose built 5 Star PADI Diver Training Centre as well as three premier 25 metre liveaboard vessels that conduct 3 day / 2 night trips to the Outer Reefs off Cairns six times each week, all year round.

Believed to be around 25 years of age, Ella had been in the care of CTRC after sustaining a critical propeller strike to her shell and head. Through the efforts of the CTRC and volunteers who kept a constant vigil during the early days of her care, she was able to be released at Flynn Reef on 5 May, aptly World Environment Day.

Fitted with a satellite tracker, Ella is enjoying life back on the Reef and has already been tracked out to the Continental Shelf and back to home base at Flynn Reef!

Jennie Gilbert from the CTRC said, “It was unknown how Ella would react when released as she had been in care the longest of any turtle we have ever had. All l I can say is that was a beautiful release and she took it all in her stride, it was so gentle. Surrounded by her many fans and volunteers that had cared for her, she swam around as if saying thank you before going off to explore her new environment. Ella’s release at Tracey’s Bommie on Flynn Reef is a known green turtle habitat and was made possible by the generosity of Quicksilver and the Silverswift crew.”

During her care, Ella showed an amazing personality and enjoyed eating imported squid, peeled tiger and red spot prawns but also her greens with the favorite being lettuce and broccoli. Her weight had grown from 32kgs to 74 kgs and she doubled in size.

Tony Baker, Quicksilver Group Managing Director said of Ella’s release, “This is the second satellite tracked turtle we have assisted the CTRC release at Flynn Reef in the past few months. We are in awe of the dedicated team that care for these turtles and then release them back to where they belong in a safe and environment on the Great Barrier Reef. We wish Ella all the best as she enjoys her new environment and we can watch her movements over the coming months.”

Film crew from Coast Australia were also onboard to document the Ella’s release so be sure to check out Coast Australia’s next season.

Find out more about Cairns Turtle Rehabilitation Centre www.cairnsturtlerehab.org.au

Photos & Video Courtesy of Christian Miller

Ten weeks in the making the extensive internal refurbishment has seen her interior gutted and refit with a new contemporary design and colour scheme by a local design company. Her makeover includes new ceilings, walls, tabletops, counters, bar area and toilets. In addition there are new carpets, LED lighting and larger TV screens throughout the vessel. Quicksilver VIII’s transformation will be complete as she heads back to the Reef in July with a super stylish and luxurious interior for our passengers to enjoy.

Founded by marine biologist Wendy Morris in 1986, Reef Biosearch began as a simple education program involving slideshow presentations and informed snorkel tours turning the ocean into a classroom. Today, Reef Biosearch continues to combine tourism with education and research, and has the longest running logbook of marine observations on the Great Barrier Reef.

Notably, Reef Biosearch was the precursor for important reef monitoring programs including the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority’s Eye on the Reef, and Coral Watch.

Reef Biosearch Manager Russel Hore has been integral to Quicksilver’s marine biologist team for over 21 years and marks the anniversary as a significant accomplishment for both sustainable tourism and marine science.

“Over the years, Reef Biosearch has helped create awareness with hundreds of thousands of reef ambassadors across the globe while creating a substantial research database. We began in an era before the term “ecotourism” was ever mentioned, but I strongly believe that what we did fitted the bill nicely!

‘Has the reef changed?’ is a common question. The simple answer is yes - the reef is very dynamic, and is constantly evolving. Certainly, major cataclysmic events such cyclones can change the fabric of a reef system overnight. As devastated as some parts of the reef were after tropical cyclones, it was amazing to watch the reef recover over the next few years, to where you wouldn’t be able to tell that anything had happened. The Agincourt Reefs remain one of the most pristine reef systems in the world.”

Reef Biosearch is a representation of Quicksilver’s dedication to ensuring environmentally friendly tourism and education to protect our amazing natural asset for future generations. Reef Biosearch has also provided an invaluable steppingstone for diverse career development opportunities having paved a pathway for more than 70 professional marine biologists since inception.

Such was the impression and beauty of the Great Barrier Reef that during his inaugural visit, President Clinton chose to deliver a major environmental statement after visiting Agincourt Reef. With the world’s media assembled, the President called for international cooperation to combat ozone-layer depletion and greenhouse gas emissions.

“I call upon the community of nations to agree to legally binding commitments to fight climate change,’ he said. “We must preserve the natural resources that God has given us.”

Throughout our operations, Quicksilver remains wholly committed to sustainable tourism and dedicated to the preservation of this greatest natural asset.

And come November 2016, there may be another President Clinton in the Whitehouse!

Once again the crew put on a fantastic display of community spirit doing the company proud. It’s a real team effort with the crew building and designing the float and making their costumes. Congratulations on being Wonders of the Tropics! Dates for next year’s Port Douglas Carnivale are to be confirmed in May 2017. Why not make it the perfect time to visit?! www.carnivale.com.au

the animal refuge facility and boarding kennels as they move forward to secure new facilities that will enhance the future of Paws and Claws.

Michael Kerr, Paws and Claws President said, “This contribution is wonderful. As we move closer to securing land for our new refuge we still constantly battle to raise money to keep the current refuge operating. Donations like this allow us to continue offering the amazing service we do for our local community.”

“The Quicksilver 500 card game has supported Paws and Claws for the past 10 years and to date has raised over $11,500. Paws and Claws is a wonderful community organisation caring for many homeless animals and we’re very pleased to be able to support the great work they do,” said Tony Baker, Managing Director, Quicksilver Group.

Currently the not for profit organisation has 26 cats and 24 dogs that are looking for loving forever homes.

I am Agincourt 3 reef activity platform and a pioneer of Great Barrier Reef and Queensland tourism. With 2 storeys overlooking the reef and one below the water, at 50 metres long and weighing 120 tons I left my home for the first time on the Great Barrier Reef and spent 30 hours being towed back to Cairns where I was designed and built. Here like lego, I was pulled apart, and will be reassembled completely refurbished before returning once again to Agincourt 3 Reef - my home.

Here are some photos of my progress so far…
quicksilvergroup.com.au/fleetupgrades/

Agincourt 3 platform will be back in service in July.