Cairns Holiday Specialists BlogCHS Blog

Reef Trips – Christmas Day In Cairns & Port Douglas 2019

Posted on October 16, 2017 by Sophie Tabouel

Now is the time to take some action if you have not already booked your Great Barrier Reef trip for Christmas Day!

Tours out of Cairns and Port Douglas are available but are filling up fast.

Don’t let time slip by and miss out.  Give us a quick call or use the instant book online facility to lock in your tour for Christmas Day 2019 now.

Green Island on Christmas Day – Departs From Cairns

Photo Courtesy of Tourism Tropical North Queensland

Green Island is perfect for a family get together on Christmas Day. It will be a relaxed day where you can snorkel directly out from the beach, take a guided Glass Bottom Boat tour and/or Semi-Submersible tour if snorkelling is not for you.  Snuba Doo and Snuba Diving is also available to explore the shallow reefs around the island. These are activities that fall in to category in between snorkelling and scuba diving.  In fact, there are plenty of activities to fill your day, including scenic helicopter flights over the reef and parasailing too.

Green Island is also a great place to chillout and relax. Umbrellas and sun lounges are available for hire or alternatively, you can find a spot under the shade of the trees. Other beach activities available for hire are canoes, surf skis or beach volley ball gear. If you would like to keep out of the sun, take an interpretive rainforest walk along the boardwalk amongst the rainforest.

If you book the full day tour, you will also have the option to book lunch.  You will be catered to with a Hot & Cold buffet lunch in air-conditioned comfort on the Big Cat when docked at Green Island. Or, you can opt to dine at one of the island’s casual island cafés or buy take away food to have on the beach. You may buy alcoholic drinks and cocktails from these service areas throughout the day.

Book your Christmas Day at Green Island online here Green Island ***

Fitzroy Island on Christmas Day – Departs from Cairns

 

Photo Courtesy of Tourism Tropical North Queensland

Just like a Green Island reef trip, Fitzroy Island is another great option for those who like to keep their feet on island shores rather than being on the water all day. It’s just 45 min fast catamaran ride from Cairns to Fitzroy Island jetty. Once there, you can explore the 339 hectare National Park which has extensive rainforests and a fringing coral reef.

There are several walking trails on Fitzroy Island, including a trail through the rainforest that leads to Nudey Beach. [Not a nudist beach] one of Australia’s most stunning beaches.

Snorkel from the beach or take a glass bottom boat tour by upgrading your Fitzroy Island Ferry pass to an Activity Pass where you can enjoy the in-water trampoline, kayaking and a packed picnic lunch.

Check out all the options and book the extras on check out on our instant on-line booking forms. There are several departures from Cairns and Fitzroy Island throughout the day, so you can choose a half day or a full day experience.

There is a dive centre on the island so if you are keen for a dive just go directly to their office once you reach Fitzroy Island and book your space

For Christmas lunch call into the famous Foxy’s Restaurant and Bar that has scenic views over the waters of Welcome Bay. Alternatively, you can visit the take away store for beach snacks and drinks.

Book your Christmas Day at Fitzroy Island here: Fitzroy Island Half or Full Day, departs from Cairns

Outer Great Barrier Reef Pontoon Experience on Christmas Day

Outer reef pontoons are great for families that want to explore the outer parts of the Great Barrier Reef. Choose to snorkel out from the snorkel platform, or take a guided Semi-Submersible and/or Glass Bottom Boat Tour from a stabilised outer reef platform. You can also view what is below the surface in the Underwater Observatory located under the activity platform.  Or you can do all of them as it is all included in the price.

But the activities don’t stop there. scenic helicopter flights depart regularly from the activity pontoon giving you a bird’s eye view of the reef. Other activities such as Helmet Diving and Scuba Doo from the platform will take you down to approximately 5 metres below the surface. You will feel like you are in an Aquarium, and you don’t even have to know how to swim!

And of course, for the adventurous, you can Scuba Dive as a certified diver or participate as an Introductory diver with a dive instructor leading the way. There is something for all ages and varying swimming abilities at outer reef activity pontoons. Expect to see a large variety of soft and hard corals, fish including the often seen, resident giant Maori Wrasse!

A tour to the outer reef will take approximately 90 mins. With either 3 hours to 5 hours [depending on the pontoon] to immerse yourself in all the fun activities available. One pontoon in particular even has a water slide!

Upgrade to travel to the Outer Reef Activity Pontoon by Helicopter that will fly you over the reef and then cruise back on a fast catamaran in the afternoon. You will see the reef from a different perspective while cutting off travel time to the reef by boat by approx. 90min.

As a first-time visitor to the Great Barrier Reef this is a definite must book experience. Once you see this world-famous coral reef from both above the water and below the water it will blow your mind and you will never stop talking about it. Oh and what a great Christmas gift for a love one!

All outer reef activity pontoon options offer a Hot & Cold Buffet Lunch.

Book your Christmas Day Great Barrier Reef Pontoon experience below:

Cairns Departures – Book online below

• Great Barrier Reef Tours | Cairns | Dive-Snorkel | Scuba Doo | Pontoon | GBRA
• Great Barrier Reef Tour | Cairns Pontoon | Dive-Snorkel | Helicopter | Glass Bottom Boat
• Cairns Snorkel & Dive Day Tour Cairns | Pontoon | Great Barrier Reef***

Port Douglas Departures – Book online below

• Great Barrier Reef Tour | Port Douglas Pontoon

Outer Barrier Reef Dive & Snorkel Boat Tours on Christmas Day

A Dive & Snorkel Boat option is best suited to those dedicated scuba divers and snorkelers who prefer to be in the water to explore coral reefs and all the wonderful marine life below the water’s surface. These options will have you visit more than one reef site, so you will see more variety of coral and fish.

These tours are full day due to the distance travelled to get to the prime reef sites. Lunch is included, all your snorkelling gear is included in the price. And if you book Scuba Diving, diving equipment will be provided.

Jump on board a high-speed catamaran and you will be on the coral ledges of the outer Great Barrier Reef within 90 minutes.

These boats have what we call roving permits and they allow the skipper to plot the course to the reefs of his choice based on the wind, tides and currents on the ocean at the time to ensure they take you to only the reefs with the best visibility, safety and wind protection.

You will have anywhere between 4 – 5 hours of in-water snorkelling and scuba diving.

This kind of Great Barrier Reef tour is an active day, so if you like adventure and you love the water, you should book this in now for Christmas!

The on-board buffet lunch may even have some extra special goodies to help celebrate Christmas Day and alcohol will be available to purchase at the bar once you have finished all water activities including diving.

Please note that we do not recommend you book this tour on Christmas Day if you have children as they have nowhere to run around as they love to do.  They also need to be supervised in and out of the water by the parents.

Book your Cairns Christmas Day Great Barrier Reef Dive & Snorkel Experience Below:

Cairns Departures – Book online below

• Great Barrier Reef Tours | Best Value Snorkel & Dive 3 Times 2 Reefs | DD RQ
• Great Barrier Reef Tours | Cairns | Small Group | 2 Reef Sites
• Great Barrier Reef Family Tour Cairns*** 

Port Douglas Departures – Book online below:

• Great Barrier Reef Tours | Port Douglas | Snorkel & Dive Tour | Brand New Boat | DD-AQ
• Port Douglas Snorkel Great Barrier Reef Trip) ***

(***) Denotes Public Holiday Surcharges apply for Christmas Day

Now that you know the range of reef trips operating on Christmas Day 2019 in Cairns and Port Douglas, it is now time to book your seats, dive spaces and any of the other optional activities you wish to do on the day online now or on the telephone with our reservations team on 1300 761 612 or +61 7 4059 5959

When booking on the website you will see all of the optional extras for each reef tour with all the costs calculated as as you go thru the booking process. From there your availability will be confirmed.

Put down a deposit now and pay it off before Christmas Day. It is not that far away!

Author: Jennifer Tofia – Destination Specialists