Welcome to our Autumn issue of Quickies

We’re delighted to announce Seawalker Green Island will be officially joining the Quicksilver Group family from 29 March 2018.

Tony Baker, Quicksilver Group Managing Director said, “The purchase of Seawalker Green Island includes the helmet diving operation which is an amazing underwater walking experience on the sea floor and Island Photography Australia. The purchase of Seawalker Green Island, an established local tourism operator is a great opportunity to bring together the helmet diving operation and our existing scuba diving activities at Green Island.

This investment will complement our Green Island Resort operations, which includes the ownership and management of most of the Island day visitor facilities. We will continue to invest in our products to provide all visitors to Green Island with the highest quality and variety of island reef experiences available.”

Seawalker Green Island was established in 2003 and has conducted over 220,000 helmet dives during this time. Karl Kuhle, CEO of Seawalker Green Island said of the purchase ,“We are extremely pleased the Quicksilver Group is the new owner. Seawalker Green Island is an established, well-respected, tourism award winning operation that has business links around the world. After 15 years it will be sad for me personally, but I know it will be in safe hands with Quicksilver who will further enhance the operation. I know our crew will embrace the new ownership along with our most famous employee, Gavin, the world renowned photo bombing parrot fish who is also looking forward to joining the Quicksilver team”. 

Congratulations to Adam Maroske on taking the helm as our new Group Director Sales. Adam commenced with Quicksilver 13 years ago and previously held the position of Group Sales Manager.

Tony Baker, Managing Director of the Quicksilver Group said, “We are delighted that Adam has accepted the promotion. He has been an integral part of our crew for a long time and we look forward to Adam leading the Sales team in the local, domestic and international markets in the coming years.”

 “I look forward to working with a dynamic sales team along with new challenges and opportunities for the Quicksilver Group as we move into 2018,” said Adam.

Quicksilver Group Managing Director Tony Baker had the honour of diving the Great Barrier Reef with the Queen’s Baton as part of the XXI Commonwealth Games Queen's Baton Relay.  

Tony said, "It was a huge privilege to be part of the relay and especially to take the baton underwater on the Great Barrier Reef for the first time."

An important theme of the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games is sustainability around the world so it was fitting that the symbol of the Games visited our World Heritage listed icon.

The baton carries the message from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II calling the Commonwealth’s athletes to come together in peaceful and friendly competition which will be read by Prince Charles at the opening ceremony. 

The Queen’s Baton Relay (QBR) began at Buckingham Palace on Commonwealth Day on 13 March 2017 and by the time it reaches the Gold Coast for the start of the 21st Commonwealth Games on 4 April, it will have travelled for 388 days and covered 230,000 km through the entire Commonwealth nations. Let the Games begin!

Construction of our Quicksilver Dive Centre in Port Douglas is progressing well with the completion of all in-ground work for the pilings and the slab. Construction is all up from here and over the next few months the building and pool will start to take shape.

Local company Field Construct, and their team of up to 25, are keeping the project on track despite a few setbacks in regard to weather and additional underground works being required to move forward.

Quicksilver Group Managing Director, Tony Baker said, “We are looking forward to the next stage and hope that people walking past will take a peak to see what is happening behind the fence and to see our state-of-the-art Dive Centre taking shape.  The Quicksilver Dive Centre is on track for an August opening when we will see our first guests take the plunge."

Did you know we have an Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) weather station at our Quicksilver Agincourt Reef 3 platform?

AIMS is Australia’s tropical marine research agency and through this station, we provide access to long term scientific data and live monitoring. Collecting weather data that drives surface waves, water temperature and even the water flows that transport nutrients, provides an understanding of the physical environment in which the marine life lives.

The station provides real-time data every 10 minutes on above-water meteorological conditions and in-water temperatures for meteorological and scientific communities.

You can check out the Agincourt AIMS weather station here. Agincourt weather station  

On Saturday 24 March, it’s time to take a moment (an hour actually) to think about our power usage. What started as a lights-off event in Sydney in 2007, Earth Hour is now a global event aimed at increasing awareness about climate change. As all non-essential lighting is switched off for one hour, guests staying at Green Island Resort will enjoy candlelit dinners in Emeralds Restaurant followed by torch lit guided walks with the island activities officer.

Out further on the Great Barrier Reef on Pro Dive Cairns' liveaboard boats, torch lit night dives will take on a new meaning.

From 8.30pm – 9.30 pm local time, be sure to switch off and join in. We may think our actions not significant, but together we can all make a difference.

4 Day Learn to Dive Course with Liveaboard Adventure

If you don’t have the time to participate in Pro Dive Cairns’ popular 5 Day Learn to Dive Course, but still want to have a liveaboard experience on the Great Barrier Reef, this 4 Day Learn to Dive Course is a fantastic alternative, combining online theory with practical training and adventure!

This course enables participants to do the theory component online with PADI’s eLearning program at your own convenience. Once that’s completed, you’re ready to join Pro Dive Cairns’ 4 Day Learn to Dive Course which comprises one day of pool training followed by the adventure of a 3 day 2 night liveaboard trip to the Great Barrier Reef to become a certified diver.

• Step 1: Complete PADI eLearning program.
• Step 2: Join Pro Dive Cairns 4 Day Learn to Dive Course comprising: 
  • 1 day pool training
  • 3 day / 2 night liveaboard trip to the Great Barrier Reef.

During your liveaboard trip, you'll have the opportunity to participate in 9 dives. The first 4 dives will complete your Open Water certification and once you are a certified diver you are able to undertake up to 5 more fun dives. One of these dives is an exciting guided night dive! 

4 Day Learn to Dive Course commences Tuesday and Thursday. For more information, contact Pro Dive Cairns [email protected]

Time for a smile with Tourism Australia’s fabulous US targeted campaign.  The new star-studded Crocodile Dundee-inspired TV commercial and trailers feature US comedian Danny McBride and Australian actors Chris Hemsworth, Margo Robbie, Russell Crowe, Liam Hemsworth, Hugh Jackmand and more, and of course a cameo by the original Croc Dundee, Paul Hogan.

Here's the one minute commercial screened at the US Super Bowl, enjoy!

From our Quicky family, we’re delighted to congratulate the very talented Cave brothers, part of the successful Australian band, Chase Atlantic, on being honoured at the American Australian Association’s 2018 Australia Day Arts Awards in New York.

Sons of our Cairns General Manager Operations Brian Cave and wife Brigitte, Clinton and Mitchel, along with band mate Christian Anthony received the “AAA Rising Star Award”.

From recording in their bedrooms, touring the United States, being signed by Madden Brothers of American punk band Good Charlotte, the band soon landed a Warner Bros recording contract. They will be back in Oz performing at the Download Festival on 24 March in Melbourne.

On a proud note, both Clinton and Mitchel participated in the Quicksilver Group Scholarship Program for children of employees, undertaking tertiary studies in music technology at the Conservatorium of Music in Brisbane, Griffith University. Rock on boys!

Photograph credits to American Australian Association.

We normally specialise in reef trips but we’re delighted to have played a small part with Cupid's arrow too! Last year Adelle from West Virginia met Andy from New York whilst visiting the Great Barrier Reef on Silverswift, and well, the rest is history!

“I met my soul mate 9 months ago on the Silverswift,” said Adelle. “We were both there on vacation from the United States, I was living in WV and he was living in NYC. That day completely changed my life, and now we live in New York City together and plan to move to Australia within the next 4 years, where we first met! Thanks for being an awesome company :).”

We wish Adelle and Andy all the best for the future and look forward to welcoming them aboard Silverswift again.

And there you have more wonders of the Great Barrier Reef!

Pro Dive Cairns was delighted welcome Chinese TV celebrities Jasmine Guo Xiao Min and Leo Li Hao aboard to participate in their Advanced Open Water dive certification and a 3 day 2 night liveaboard adventure while holidaying in Cairns over the Chinese New Year period. The famous husband and wife team host a popular game show “Who’s Still Standing” to an enormous audience from Nanjing City in Jiangsu province and had a wonderful time experiencing the wonders of the Great Barrier Reef.

We’d like to introduce you to Michelle Mesken, Front Office Manager at Green Island Resort. Michelle oversees a wonderful team ensuring the professional and friendly guest service the resort is well known for. With extensive hospitality experience, Michelle's highlights include working in various places throughout Australia from capital cities to remote regions and off-shore Islands, including of course the beautiful Green Island she now calls home. Prior to joining Green island Resort, Michelle worked with Rydges Hotels and Resorts.

Michelle can be contacted at  [email protected]