Welcome to our Winter issue of Quickies

We’re delighted to be cruising again and wish to advise the following products are now operational.  Capacity is limited in line with current COVID Safe guidelines and some services and optional activities will be subject to demand.

We continue to follow the latest health advice and extra precautionary hygiene practices onboard our vessels for the utmost safety and well being of our customers, staff and wider community. See COVID Safe advice in this newsletter and also on the respective websites.

For more information and the latest daily updates as we move forward, please contact our Reservations teams at:

• Quicksilver, Wavedancer, Silversonic, Poseidon: [email protected]
• Great Adventures, Ocean Spirit, Silverswift: [email protected]
• Pro Dive Cairns: [email protected]
• Quicksilver Dive: [email protected]
• Green Island Resort: [email protected]

Our environmental teams of marine biologists have been keeping busy behind the scenes conducting reef surveys as well as monitoring our coral reef resilience research projects out at Agincourt and Moore Reef sites. And straight from the (sea) horse’s mouth, the Reef is looking AMAZING!

These recent short videos and photo galleries showcase some of our wonderful sites from the Agincourt ribbon reefs in the northern areas down to Green Island off Cairns.

• New York, Green Island : Marine biologist and Master Reef Guide, Sam Gray, takes us on an underwater tour of one of Green Island’s beautiful dive and snorkel sites - New York – where the fish never sleep! 
• Agincourt Reef is looking as spectacular as ever in this short clip thanks to Jesse Oberholzer from Indepth Photography filmed off Quicksilver’s Agincourt Reef 3 site.

Despite hanging out in schools, our fishy friends pictured here are not quite so educated on the latest social distancing rules!  Lucky we're here to help with current COVID Safe advice...

The Quicksilver Group is committed to ensuring your health and safety at all times. Across our Quicksilver and Great Adventures operations, each facility and vessel has a COVID Safe Plan to minimise any potential risks so you can enjoy your Great Barrier Reef experience in confidence. For your assurance, an overview of measures and additional precautions in place include the following.

General measures implemented as mandatory include:

• All persons must sanitise hands on boarding vessels (hand sanitiser will be provided).
• Customers/Family Groups will be asked to provide a verbal or written declaration on Check-in and a further verbal declaration when boarding one of our vessels.
• Unwell persons are not permitted to travel (see Customer Pre-screening)
• Vessel and tour passenger numbers limited to 1 person per 4 square metres. 
• Cashless transactions only.
• Hand sanitising and hand wash stations throughout vessels.
• Social distancing advice announcements onboard.
• Staff training and awareness of COVID safe practices.

Customer Pre-screening

• For the safety of all customers and staff, if you are displaying cold and flu-like symptoms potentially consistent with COVID-19, you MUST NOT attend the scheduled tour. COVID-19 symptoms include cough, fever, sore throat, fatigue and shortness of breath. If you are unable to travel on one of our Quicksilver or Great Adventures vessels as a result, and unable to travel on another day, you will be offered a full refund as per our refund policy.
• The Quicksilver Group has the right to refuse participation in tours and activities should customers refuse to comply with the conditions of COVID safe practices.

The Australian Government advises that the following people are most ‘at risk’:

• aged over 70
• aged over 65 with a material medical condition
• Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander aged over 50 with a material medical condition 
• people with material medical conditions 
• people who are immuno-compromised

Staff Screening

• All staff are aware that they MUST NOT attend work if they have any symptoms potentially consistent with COVID-19.
• Staff screening will be undertaken prior to commencement of each work day.

Social Distancing

• Onboard our vessels, seating capacity has been limited to facilitate recommended 4 square metres per person social distance requirements.
• Partners/family units (ie with the same residential address) will be managed as equivalent to one individual. As with individuals, each family unit will be required to maintain appropriate social distancing from individuals who are not part of their direct family unit.
• Quicksilver Dive: Limitation of classroom student numbers to comply with 4 square metres per person.

Food Service

• Modifications have been made to meal services to comply with food service requirements - self-service buffets will no longer be available. Where buffet meals are included, meals will be served and plated by staff complying with the new food safety regulations.

Cleaning & Hygiene - Additional COVID-19 measures:

• Customers and staff will be provided access to hand sanitisers.
• Additional cleaning and disinfecting of surfaces and washroom facilities will be completed throughout your visit with us.
• Dive and snorkel equipment: As per normal practice, all equipment is sanitised with approved disinfectant after each use.
• Additional hygiene and social distancing signage has been installed.

These general guidelines are in compliance with Queensland Health and Australian Government Department of Health current recommendations, and the Queensland Tourism Industry Council (QTIC) COVID Safe Plan. Advice will be amended in accordance with the most up to date recommendations.

Safe travels and we look forward to welcoming you to experience the wonders of the Great Barrier Reef with you soon.

Throughout the COVID hibernation period, our behind the scenes caretaking teams have been hard at work to ensure we stay shipshape, from vessels to our reef platforms. And while challenging, this time has also brought rewarding opportunities to work across our operations. Usually at the helm of a fast catamaran taking our guests to the Reef, one of our fantastic Great Adventures skippers, Amanda Matthies, has been living her best life on the seas, taking on caretaker duties out at our Moore Reef platform – and loving it!

Here’s a little of Amanda’s story, Why I love being a Caretaker…

"There is no job better than mine, here on the ocean watching the animals and coral do their thing (except maybe being a pirate ). Coming from a Captain/First Mate to pontoon caretaker due to recent events has been fantastic. I love the Reef and over the last few months have been lucky enough to come out here and enjoy life on the sea and see and do the things I love. Life as a pontoon caretaker mainly consists of keeping the pontoon clean and tidy and maintaining it and all associated ancillary vessels.”

But it’s an office like no other!

My day starts at 6am with a coffee and watching the sun rise over the Reef. After phone check in with the mainland office telling them I am still alive and made it through the night(!) and the daily reef forecast, there’s time for a quick visit to my fish friends in the underwater observatory. The things you see early in the morning are amazing and being an ex dive instructor, I love it.

Then music on and off to work… preventive maintenance washing down the furniture, hosing everything with freshwater to prevent salt build up. Onto the tender and over to the semi-sub for a scrub and clean. Life jacket on and away we go! Part wrangler lasso-ing the bollard like a cowgirl! Time to check servicing history of the machinery and polishing silver time. We want the pontoon ready so when the call comes through we are ready for action.

But it’s after the day’s work is done … “ I grab my camera and off I go to find the best spot to photograph the birds, and the clouds, and of course sunset. As I look out at the end of the day to a gorgeous sunset I remember all the cool things I saw... the grouper under the pontoon, two fish fighting, lion fish coming to the windows to say hi (or look at me thinking why is she staring at us?), birds diving for small bait fish, GTs (giant trevallys) fighting for food and patrolling around the pontoon like they are the police, and of course ours and everyone’s favourite, Wally!

As last light hits, it’s the night events… Observatory lights out and torch on to see the lion fish come to the windows to feed, the predator GT chasing the small fish, then I see my most favourite....the sharks, coming to check fish out and keep the place in order. Dinner, a movie maybe and to bed by 10pm ready to do it all again tomorrow.

As for the best thing I have seen out here? I have so many! From spotting manta rays chasing a krill ball and having a whale say hello from beside the pontoon.  I get to spend my time on the ocean, I get time to myself, and I get to take some awesome photos and see some amazing stuff. Although it isn't smooth sailing all the way I get to work closely with two great mates (Wilson and Rob) who rotate and share the caretaker duties, heading back into the mainland every four days. The hardest thing is being away from family but I video chat with them every night and hear all about the cool things they did or learnt at school.

Would I ever say no to doing a caretaker shift? Well to be honest..... never!

Check out some of Amanda's beautiful sunset photos in "Seen on the Reef".

Hayley Brien first saw the Great Barrier Reef as a wide-eyed seven year old when her family visited Agincourt Reef with Quicksilver. Twenty years later, she is living her best mermaid life as a professional marine biologist with Quicksilver. Her story came to life as part of Tourism Tropical North Queensland's new brand campaign for Cairns and The Great Barrier Reef. Check out Hayley's inspiring story in the short video 

At the launch of the new brand platform, TTNQ Chief Executive Officer Mark Olsen said visitors experiencing Cairns & Great Barrier Reef would discover that our place never leaves them. Visitors will:

• See Great – through remarkable experiences
• Feel Great – through making a genuine connection
• Leave Greater – as a person and by knowing that every visit makes a difference.

“Experiencing our 'great'akes visitors greater. From our Great Barrier Reef to our great ancient rainforests and our great Indigenous culture, visitors are transformed for life,” Mr Olsen said.

And we couldn’t agree more with these great sentiments! Quicksilver Group Managing Director, Tony Baker said, "Quicksilver's mission has always been to create ambassadors for the preservation of the Great Barrier Reef, inspiring our visitors to leave as custodians for this very special part of the world. Hayley's story perfectly embodies this and we're absolutely delighted to showcase our great experiences that are truly unique to our destination."

You too can join Hayley and our team of passionate Reef Biosearch marine biologists when travelling with Quicksilver. 

Agincourt Reef has been putting on quite a show as we welcome guests back, not only below the water, but above as well. Guests aboard Quicksilver have had the thrill of seeing the giant humpbacks at play as well as this cheeky Giant Petrel joining marine biologist Dr Glen Burns' guided snorkel tour! 

Thanks to Amanda Matthies for these great sunset shots taken out at Great Adventures Moore Reef platform. We're ready and waiting to see you out here again soon! 

Emily’s smiling face may be familiar to many from her previous roles with Great Adventures and Green Island Resort, first joining the company in 2013. After travelling and obtaining a Psychology degree, we’re delighted Emily has returned to share her passion for the Great Barrier Reef. Based in Cairns, Emily is your “go-to” gal for Great Adventures’ Reef and Green Island Cruises as well as supporting our sensational Port Doulglas based cruises.

Emily can be contacted at [email protected]