Southern visitors create a splash
Media convoy to share FNQ beauty far and wide
THE Far North tourism season kicked off in earnest at the weekend as border restrictions were eased and a small army of interstate sightseers enjoyed a range of attractions in the winter warmth. Edge Hill’s Valentino Derenzo, 7, and his mum Chanel Smart showed off the Esplanade lagoon to Brisbane visitors Owen, 4, Catherine and Harry Williams, 6.
THE best and brightest parts of the Far North are set to be showcased across Australia with a media contingent from some of the country’s biggest titles touching down in Cairns.
The group arrived on Sunday on board a Virgin flight, which was the first to depart from Brisbane Airport’s new runway, and will spend the next three days enjoying the best of what the region has to offer.
Tourism Tropical North Queensland chief executive Mark Olsen said the flight also marked the anniversary of the first flight from Brisbane to the Great Barrier Reef by Barrier Reef Airways on July 12, 1947.
He said the travelling media were from a range of publications, including news.com.au, Traveller, Travel Weekly, lifestyle TV show Wayfarer Travel and hotel industry magazine HM.
“TTNQ has created individual itineraries to promote the destination’s new name of Cairns & Great Barrier Reef that take them to Port Douglas, Daintree, Kuranda, the Atherton Tablelands and the Great Barrier Reef,” he said.
“The activities include the Daintree Food Trail escorted by a chef, snorkelling Quicksilver Outer Reef Cruises, helmet diving with Sunlover Reef Cruises, stepping back in time with Kuranda Scenic Railway, watching cheese being processed at Gallo Dairyland with Brett’s Outback Tasting Adventures and gin tasting at Three Wolves.
“(Yesterday) morning we had the Today Show do live weather crosses from Thala Beach Nature Reserve and Oak Beach as part of Tourism and Events Queensland’s Good to Go campaign.”
He said the visit came just days ahead of the first Alliance Airlines flight from the Sunshine Coast, which will touch down on Friday and also include a media visit. “It is exciting to have airline services returning to Cairns and the tourism industry is hoping the planes are filled with visitors wanting to experience the Reef, rainforest and outback of the Cairns and Great Barrier Reef region,” he said.
“The 20,000 passengers travelling through the domestic terminal this week will bring a welcome boost to the region’s battered economy.
“Opening the borders to all bar people who have been in Victoria in the past fortnight is the first step on a very long road to recovery for the tourism industry.”
Governor Paul de Jersey cut the ribbon to officially open the $1.1 billion Brisbane runway on Sunday morning prior to the Cairns flight.
The airport will now have the capacity to handle 110 flights an hour during peak times – up from 50.
Airport chief Gert-Jan de Graaff said one in 70 Queensland jobs were reliant on or connected to the airport.
“When I look at that 3.3km stretch of runway, I see hope,” he said.
“Today we are making history … and very soon, once again, we will be connecting the world.”