Far North Exploratory Tour
Destination Cooktown to Lockhart River
Duration 8 Days / 7 Nights
Departing Cairns Saturday (check for specific dates)
Returning Cairns Saturday
|
Retail Rates |
Dates |
Dates |
|
Double with Private Bathroom |
AU$2,690.00 |
AU$2,945.00 |
|
Quad Share with Private Bathroom |
AU$1,990.00 |
AU$2,095.00 |
|
Gear Rental (includes computer) |
AU$190.00 |
AU$190.00 |
|
Cooktown Inland Route Bus Transfer (each way) to Cairns |
AU$50.00 |
AU$50.00 |
|
Cooktown Air Transfer (each way) to Cairns |
AU$100.00 |
AU$100.00 |
Trip Includes:
- Non-alcoholic beverages
- Sheets, towels and linens
- Three meals daily, plus snacks
- 4 - 5 dives per full day
- Use of tanks, weights, weight belts
- Australian Government Goods & Services Tax (10%)
Options
- Dive instruction
- Camera rental
- Air transfer to or from Lockhart River available at approximately AU$220
each way
Itinerary
|
Day 1 |
Cairns to Cooktown. Guests meet at Explorer Ventures' Cairns office at 7am for bus transfer to Cooktown (5 hours). Air transfers available at an additional cost. Free time to tour Cooktown, visit the historic museum and other points of interest. Guests board MV Nimrod Explorer at Cooktown Wharf from 03:00pm onwards. Evening meal served at 07:00pm, evening free to relax on board. Departs Cooktown after midnight |
|
Day 2 |
4 to 5 dives offered, including a night or dusk dive. Orientation dive at Challenger Bay or Pixie Reef. 2 dives offered at the Cod Hole, including a Cod Feed, or Dynamite Pass or the Three Sisters. Steam overnight to the Far Northern Reefs |
|
Day 3 |
4 - 5 dives offered including night or dusk dives. Dive sites such as Aladdin's Wall, Floyds Reef, followed by open deck diving, where you are able to enter the water as you wish, or simply relax on board |
|
Day 4 |
4 - 5 dives offered including night or dusk dives. Dive sites such as Cay 5 and Cay 7; these sites are important bird and turtle nesting islands and are protected areas. Open deck diving offered at Tijou Reef |
|
Day 5 |
4 - 5 dives offered including night or dusk dives. Dive sites such as Bligh Boat Entrance, Picasso's and The Swimming Pool |
|
Day 6 |
4 - 5 dives offered including night or dusk dives. Dive sites on the Southern Small detached Reef, where you will find sheer walls dropping thousands of feet |
|
Day 7 |
4 - 5 dives offered including night or dusk dives. Dive sites such as Black Rocks, Lloyds Reef, Mantis Reef. After dinner, steam into Portland Roads, arriving in the early hours of the morning |
|
Day 8 |
Guests disembark by 8:30am at Portland Roads. Bus transfer to the Lockhart River airstrip for charter flight to Cairns, departing 11:00am. Arrive at Cairns approximately 01:00pm for bus transfer to inner city accommodation |
The Diving
The section of the Great Barrier Reef north of Lizard Island, just off Australia's
Queensland coast, offers an unparalleled opportunity to explore a remote area
visited only very infrequently by divers. This special itinerary offers the
best of the sites that we have found on previous expeditions, as well as the
chance to experience reefs never before visited by divers!
Hammerhead, silver tip and grey reef sharks are often seen at Tijou, as well as huge schools of jacks and barracuda. Big animal fans won't be disappointed! Reef environment lovers will be astounded at the diversity and colour of the easily accessible, pristine coral reefs in shallow water.
Though we are normally able to do four to five dives daily (including night
dives), the remoteness of the area means that weather and tidal considerations
sometimes unexpectedly and adversely affect certain sites.