This year’s Great Barrier Reef Festival will culminate in an adventure out to Hardy Reef with significant discounts for locals.
Drawing inspiration from the early days of the festival, a Closing Ceremony Cruise will be hosted by Cruise Whitsundays on Sunday, August 4. Festival goers can enjoy discounted rates of $185 for adults (normally $269) and $85 for children (normally $125).
The day trip includes a return journey from Airlie Beach, four hours at Heart Pontoon situated on the beautiful Hardy Reef, snorkel hire, a semi-submersible guided tour and meals. Optional activities (at additional cost) include guided snorkelling safaris, scuba diving and helicopter scenic flights.
A percentage of every Closing Ceremony Cruise fare sold will be donated to the festival to fund next year’s festivities.
“The Cruise Whitsundays team is proud to be able to deliver this experience for the Great Barrier Reef Festival and the local community,” Cruise Whitsundays general manager Shaun Cawood said.
Festival chairwoman, Margie Murphy, said she was honoured to be able to continue a time-honoured tradition with the return of the final-day cruise event.
“The Great Barrier Reef Festival is a not-for-profit event run entirely by a team of dedicated volunteers,” she said.
“We have a lot of in-kind support but there are hard costs we cannot avoid so we encourage as many people as possible to take advantage of this special offer and be a part of something great!”
Tourism Whitsundays CEO, Tash Wheeler, said the Whitsundays was the heart of the Great Barrier Reef, with a visit to this underwater wonderland on many a traveller’s bucket-list.
“We encourage both visitors and locals to take up this opportunity – an encounter with this amazing eco-system is unforgettable and where better to experience it than the Whitsundays,” she said.
The trip departs the Cruise Whitsundays Maritime Terminal at 8am on Sunday, 4 August.
To receive the discount, bookings must be made via the Reef Festival Day Trip event.