7 Day charter itinerary – Great Barrier Reef on BELUGA
DAY ONE
Welcome on board BELUGA and the stunning Lizard Island you may have seen from your flights. Captain Bob and the Crew will show you around your cabins, and shortly we will be steaming for 2 hours towards the stunning Ribbon Reef 10 whilst lunch is served. BELUGA will anchor on the Northern point of this Reef, close to the famous “Cod Hole”. Swim and snorkel with these amazing fish. You can hand feed them and get some amazing pictures (selfie) with them. In the late afternoon, we will go to a nearby anchorage for the evening to enjoy your first Great Barrier Reef sunset cocktails and canapes before dinner.
DAY TWO
A morning of diving, snorkelling and some watersports after breakfast al fresco on the aft deck, in the quietness of the Great Barrier Reef.
Enjoy a well deserved late lunch on board BELUGA whilst we cruise 3hours South to Ribbon Reef 7. Enjoy a late afternoon drive, or let the experienced Crew take you onboard the chase boat to try your luck bottom fishing for a sought after Coral Trout – Perfect for lunch the following day!
DAY THREE
Steam to Ribbons Reef 3 (3-hour early morning cruising) – when we arrive, dive or snorkel the famous “Steve Bomie” of Ribbons 3. If fishing is your preference, your chase boat is available for a morning of fishing – whether it be trolling for pelagic species such as tasty Spanish mackerel or bottom fishing for reef species such as Nannygai and Red Emperor! Enjoy lunch on board BELUGA then relax on the sundeck while we cruise to Cooktown for 3 hours.
Arriving in the late afternoon, Captain Bob offers a sunset cruise on the Endeavour River. Experience the Endeavour River at its most special time of day. Explore the harbour in the long afternoon light and then cruise upstream to watch the sunset over the distant ranges. While navigating the maze way of smaller creeks, enjoy a degustation of Australian cheeses and wines. Once the sun sets, spotlights add a whole new perspective to the impenetrable walls of mangrove that line the river. Listen to some stories about Captain Cook’s passage along the Cape, about the glory days of pearling luggers and about the new Cooktown, gateway to the frontier. This sunset cruise can make a wonderfully peaceful way to end the day.
DAY FOUR
Adventure Day! Aboriginal Historic Experience (land-based) & cruising. Early this morning, your dedicated aboriginal guide, Willie, will meet you in Cooktown’s Fishermans Wharf, for an exclusive aboriginal discovery (approximately 5hours). Discover the legends of a fascinating culture entirely rooted in Australia’s history, and arrive at Rainbow Serpent Rock Art. Your guide will take you through a dramatic landscape to six rock art sites, including the Rainbow Serpent Cave and an ancestral Birth Site where Willie’s grandfather was born. You will gain an understanding of the spiritual meanings and stories behind the paintings, and along the way learn some of the survival techniques of the Nugalwarra people – and maybe taste a green ant or tAw o!short 30minute bushwalk and a short climb to two of the sites, this experience is accessible to the whole family.
Captain Bob will welcome you back on board BELUGA and you will be delighted to share your stories around lunch, whilst we cruise 3hours out to Ribbons Reef 5 for a late afternoon dive, snorkeling or try and catch some fish on the Chase boat for the next day’s lunch. We will be cruising overnight back to Lizard Island.
If you are interested in the remaining 3 days of the entire itinerary please contact us at info@oceanalliance.com.au.