Buffet Lunch, Moore Reef Platform

Great Adventures combines two hours at Green Island with three hours at the Moore Reef activity platform, and the buffet lunch with prawns is included. It rates 4.6 across 98 reviews. Free cancellation applies.

Overview

This day trip from Cairns packs two very different reef experiences into eight hours: a stopover on Green Island, a rainforest-covered coral cay, followed by three hours on a moored activity platform at Moore Reef on the Outer Reef. Great Adventures Reef & Island Cruises runs it, starting and finishing at the Reef Fleet Terminal, and hotel transfers are not part of the deal.

The morning begins with check-in, tea and coffee and a safety briefing at the terminal, then a fast catamaran ride out to Green Island for two hours. From there the boat continues to the Moore Reef platform, where swimmers can snorkel the coral gardens with lycra suits and buoyancy vests provided, while non-swimmers stay dry in a semi-submarine tour and the underwater observatory. A marine biologist gives reef talks and a fish feeding presentation.

A hot and cold buffet lunch with fresh prawns is served on the platform. Optional extras such as scuba diving, an underwater scooter and helicopter flights over the reef are available to pay for on the day. The trip suits families and mixed groups where some people want to get wet and others would rather watch through glass, with one reviewer describing it as the best combination of Green Island and the Great Barrier Reef doable in a single day.

What's Included

Itinerary

1. Reef Fleet Terminal check-inMeet at the Reef Fleet Terminal in Cairns for coffee, tea and a 30 minute safety briefing before departure.
2. Catamaran to Green IslandA 45 minute fast catamaran crossing, with a morning tea cake selection served on the way.
3. Green Island, 2 hoursTwo hours at Green Island National Park for snorkelling, swimming, the boardwalk and free time. Optional extras such as scuba diving and parasailing can be paid for here.
4. Transfer to Moore ReefAnother 45 minute water crossing out to the Outer Reef activity platform.
5. Moore Reef platform, 3 hoursThree hours at the platform with snorkelling, the semi-submarine, the underwater observatory, biologist talks and the buffet lunch. Helicopter flights and diving are optional extras.
6. Return to CairnsA 1.5 hour cruise back to the Reef Fleet Terminal, with afternoon tea, cheese and biscuits served on board.

What To Expect From The Tour

A few practical points shape how the day goes, from gear queues to sea conditions.

• Getting there. The tour starts and ends at the Reef Fleet Terminal in Cairns and hotel pickup is not included, so travellers need to arrange their own way to the terminal. Tea and coffee are served until departure.
• Seasickness risk. Several reviewers reported rough crossings, with seasickness on the way out or, more often, on the return leg. One traveller noted the crew handed out ice and natural motion sickness tablets and adjusted the food service when conditions were choppy. Tablets are worth packing.
• Snorkel gear. Equipment, buoyancy vests and lycra suits are included at both stops. One reviewer waited around 20 minutes in the gear queue at Green Island but said handout at the platform was quick, so allow for a possible queue at the first stop.
• Food and drink. The hot and cold buffet lunch, with fresh prawns, is included, along with morning tea, afternoon tea and cheese and biscuits on the return. Anything else costs extra.
• Time on Green Island. The Green Island stop is two hours, and one reviewer found that was really only enough for snorkelling. Travellers who want to explore the island properly may prefer a dedicated full day there instead.
• Optional extras. Diving, the underwater scooter and helicopter flights are paid extras, not included. One reviewer wished details of the optional activities had been given in advance, so it helps to look them up beforehand and bring cash.

Common issues. The crossings can be rough and multiple reviewers reported seasickness, particularly on the return, which the operator obviously cannot control. Gear issue at Green Island involved a queue for one traveller, eating into island time. Hotel transfers, extra drinks and the optional activities (diving, Scubadoo, helicopter flights) are all additional costs, and anyone heavier than the 130 kg helicopter limit cannot take that flight. Drones are not allowed. Cancellation is free up to 24 hours before departure.

Choosing A Tour