Self guided shore tours week tropique - whitsundays etc

[cruising4eva]

Hi,

 

We are cruising to the Whitsundays and cairns later in the year. Just wondering what tours you'd recommend for family of four (two teenagers)?? Also, has anyone arranged their own tours more cheaply than P and O in these destinations? If so, could u please provide details?

 

Thanks

[Aus Traveller]

I imagine that you are wanting to keep costs to a reasonable minimum.

 

Whitsundays - The Fantasea cruise is great but I think that can only be done through the ship because they actually pick people up from the ship and return them to the ship. This would be expensive. There wouldn't be time to go ashore by tender and then by bus to Shute Harbour. The cruise will have left by then. Otherwise, you can just go ashore, have a swim in the lagoon in the park (lovely) and wander around.

 

Cairns - If you haven't done it already, the trip to Kuranda is great. You can organise that independently. Probably take a taxi to the cable car station on the northern outskirts of Cairns. When you get to Kuranda book your return train trip (ask for a couple of window seats). The train drops you at the Cairns railway station that is within walking distance (several blocks) of where the tender comes in.

 

Port Douglas - I suggest going on Reef Sprinter for a snorkelling trip to the Low Isles. This is a jet boat so the trip is very fast. They run a few trips a day - cost by memory is around $96 but is worth it. The snorkelling is really good and the fish feeding is superb. When I went they lent passengers underwater cameras and then at the end of the trip they down-loaded the images and gave everyone a CD. If they offer this, put your hand up fairly promptly for a camera as they have a limited number. I went on the 11am (might have been 11.15am) trip that came back very early afternoon. You would then have time to look around Port Douglas.

[thied]

get in touch with a ta in Cairns and book a cable car to Kuranda they will pick you up from where the ship ports, you will save lots

[Aus Traveller]

get in touch with a ta in Cairns and book a cable car to Kuranda they will pick you up from where the ship ports, you will save lots

Currently (as far as I know) the only ship that can dock in Cairns is the Pacific Sun. For all other ships it is a tender port.

 

It could be a bit difficult to be at the pick-up point early enough for the bus that would be doing the rounds of accommodation places picking up passengers for the day trip. Clearly the bus wouldn't just be for a few people where they could set their own pick-up time.:)