Great Adventures - Cairns, Great Barrier Reef & Green Island Cruises — Attraction in Cairns City

We booked 2 trips and both were amazing and highly recommend!

Trip 1 - Great Adventures – Great Barrier Reef - Outer Reef

We went on our Great Barrier Reef trip with Great Adventures and Quicksilver Group in December 2022 and couldn’t have been more delighted.

We chose to fly out to the reef giving us the opportunity of a later start without missing any time on the reef. We flew with Nautilus Aviation and had the experience of a lifetime. The stunning views over the barrier reef will stay with us for the rest of our lives and our words couldn’t even begin to do this part of the trip justice. If you can stretch your budget to include the flight, do not even give it a second though, just do it, you wont be disappointed.

Upon arrival onto the pontoon, we were given information on the activities available then taken to our scubadoo session which we had pre-booked. Again, this was sensational and not to be missed. We have scuba dived many times, including on the reef but the freedom offered on the scubadoo without the need to worry about buoyancy, pressure etc made this a completely different experience. Also keeping your hair dry was another lucky bonus.

On the scubadoo, we saw some pristine reef along with many beautiful species of marine life. The highlight of this part was getting to meet Wally, the giant, friendly blue Wrasse. He was inquisitive and keen to photo bomb and be included in our pictures. Again, memories like these are priceless. The rest of the afternoon included snorkelling the reef and taking a trip on the semi submersible boat, both of which showcased the barrier reef in all its glory.

The staff were great and went out of their way to make the day enjoyable. We thoroughly recommend booking your barrier reef trip with Great Adventures, the know what they are doing and how to make your day really enjoyable and filled with amazing memories.

Trip 2 - Great Adventures – Green Island

Having already visited the reef with Great Adventures, we knew we were in good hands for our Green Island trip. As expected, this trip lived up to everything we had imagined and vastly exceeded our expectations.

The short trip our to Green Island was comfortable on board the ferry where the staff gave you information on all the activities available and gave you the opportunity to book them in advance. We took advantage of the parasailing, sea walker and guided snorkelling tour, all of which were excellent.

The parasailing was good fun and offered stunning views of Green Island and the reef from above. We were lucky to have a friendly captain from Ireland who joked with us and made the experience better.

I got to try the seawalker (helmet) whilst my husband went snorkelling. This was a fun and unique experience which gave me the opportunity to see my first turtle in the wild along with a vast array of other fish including the famous nemo and his family of clownfish. The helmet was very heavy but worth every minute as I got to leave with some very special memories.

We had some free time in between our booked activities and went snorkelling. This was our favourite part of the trip as we saw a multitude of marine life including sea cucumbers, eagle rays and even a dog faced puffer fish. The most special part was having around 20 minutes with a wild sea turtle in which he swam beside us and munched on some sea grass, all the while not caring that we were watching him in awe.

After our own snorkel, we went on the guided snorkel and as much as this was fun and took us out to deeper water, I feel it was more catered to scuba divers and we had seen more marine life on our own shallower water snorkel alone but still, we had a great time.

If you are considering a nice experience on the Great Barrier Reef but don’t have much time, I would thoroughly recommend visiting Green Island with Great Adventures. The opportunity to do and see so much is not to be missed and the staff are always on hand to make sure you have...

Review of Barrier Reef Island Tour – 2/10

My recent experience with the Barrier Reef Island Tour was overall disappointing, and I would not recommend it, especially at the price point of over $300 per person.

The Waiting Game The tour started with a lot of lines and waiting. Upon arriving at Green Island, almost everything was closed, leaving us with a 30-minute wait before getting our snorkeling gear. The disorganization continued throughout the day, as it was difficult to get clear answers from staff about the schedule for various activities, like the glass bottom boat and snorkeling.

Snorkeling: A Highlight The snorkeling itself was the highlight of the day, with vibrant marine life. However, this is where the positives end. Everything on the island comes at an extra cost, from food and lockers to beach chairs and the glass bottom boat. While not surprising, none of this was mentioned upfront, so be prepared for additional expenses.

Boat Ride The ride to the "reef" was extremely rocky, but I understand that's a weather issue. What bothered me more was the confusion around scuba diving. Although the tour description said it was sold out, they aggressively promoted excursions on the boat, which felt misleading. Most of the staff was quite nice though.

Semi-Submarine: Underwhelming The semi-submarine experience was average at best. There wasn’t much to see, but it was still a somewhat cool experience for first-timers. The staff was friendly, but they often gave unclear or conflicting information, making it hard to figure out when we could participate in certain activities.

Facilities and Atmosphere The boat itself was spacious, clean, and comfortable, though less of a cruise and more just a big transport. Complimentary coffee and tea were mediocre, though the small cakes were a nice touch. There was also a bar and snacks for purchase. However, the atmosphere was chaotic, filled with families and tourists, making it far from a relaxing or intimate experience.

Avoid the Diving If diving is important to you, skip this tour. The dive felt like nothing more than a rushed photo opportunity. The briefing took longer than the actual dive, and the experience was underwhelming. My instructor barely communicated with me, and we spent the entire time linked at the arm. I saw nothing that I couldn’t have seen while snorkeling, and I deeply regret spending $200 on it.

Buffet Disaster The buffet was atrocious. People were piling fruit and salads onto their plates, making a mess, and cutting in line. The hot food consisted of potatoes, rice, and a few unappetizing stew-like dishes. I ended up skipping it altogether because it looked so unappealing.

Poor Social Etiquette Some of the people onboard lacked basic social awareness. For example, an older man aggressively pushed his way through the crowd when we docked. In another instance, a couple squeezed into a small space next to my brother rather than politely asking us to move over.

Final Thoughts For the price, this tour felt like a huge scam. While the island itself had potential, many things were closed, and the overall organization was lacking. Unless you’re going for a chaotic family outing, I’d recommend...

Wow—what an unforgettable experience!

A huge thank you to Captain Nick and Scotty for making our two little boys feel like VIPs, especially our son Jack, who has been bravely battling leukaemia. This trip to snorkel the Great Barrier Reef was part of his Starlight wish, and the crew truly made it magical. 💫❤️

The Reef King team were professional, friendly, and created a relaxed, welcoming atmosphere from start to finish. The boat ride out to Green Island and then further on to the outer reef pontoon was smooth and scenic, with breathtaking views of the coastline, reef, and mountains.

Once we arrived at the pontoon, we disembarked pretty quickly. Guests could choose to board the semi-submarine, enjoy lunch, or dive straight into the snorkelling—our boys couldn’t wait to hit the water, so that’s exactly what we did! The crew had us quickly fitted with wetsuits, snorkelling gear, and life jackets, and into the water we went.

Our kids are in primary school and are adequate swimmers (though our younger son is less confident), and they were both pretty nervous at first. The pontoon is equipped with floating buoys close by where they could hold on and ease into it. Before long, they found their confidence and were off exploring the reef!

The underwater scenery was absolutely stunning—with beautiful marine life everywhere you looked. There were also divers swimming around taking photos, and the shots they got were really cool. Honestly, they were well worth the purchase compared to trying to capture anything yourself on an underwater camera.

If you’re travelling with kids, I highly recommend a 1:1 adult-to-child ratio for safety and peace of mind. My husband and I each stayed within arm’s reach of one child the entire time, which kept it fun and stress-free. Lifeguards were also on patrol from the pontoon, regularly checking in to make sure everyone was okay.

The fish feeding demonstration was another highlight. A marine biologist gave a great talk while feeding the fish, which created an awesome spectacle both above and below the water.

We spent almost all our time snorkelling, but did take a short break for lunch. While the buffet selection was a bit limited, it offered healthy, filling options that hit the spot.

Back on the boat, there was a bar, plus snacks and ice creams for purchase (the ice cream was pretty great, too 👌). Complimentary tea, coffee, cakes, and cheese and crackers were also available throughout the trip.

If you're looking for a truly memorable day on the reef with your loved ones, this experience was simply incredible.

We loved it so much, we’ve already rebooked to go again tomorrow —this time we are spending the day at Green Island!

See you...