Itinerary

Day 1: Cairns

Pass By: No Limit Adventures, Cairns, Queensland 4870 Australia
Arrive to tropical Cairns and transfer to you hostel. Enjoy your day discovering Cairns by foot. Points of interest include a stroll along the Esplanade, the Botanic Gardens, a swim in the Lagoon, the port and the CBD. Group briefing late afternoon/ early evening at a time TBA.
Note: Participants should arrive at the hostel by 16:00 in time for the briefing. Briefing time to be confirmed by your local host.


No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: Gilligans

Day 2: Cairns - PADI Open Water Course day 1

Pass By: Cairns, Cairns, Cairns Region, Queensland
Over the next 2 days you will do the first part of your scuba diving adventure. Get picked up by the dive school early morning and transfer to the training center, where you will commence your theory on scuba diving with your qualified instructor. Put all the theory into use in the pool during your practical sessions where all your underwater skills are honed under the watchful eyes of your instructors. After lunch on day 3 it is time for your theory test and a briefing of the upcoming days out on the Great Barrier Reef. Transfer back to the hostel late afternoon each day.

No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: Gilligans

Day 3: Cairns - PADI Open Water Course day 2

Pass By: Cairns, Cairns, Cairns Region, Queensland
PADI Open Water course continued.

No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: Gilligans

Day 4: Cairns - Great Barrier Reef. PADI Open Water Course day 3

Stop At: Great Barrier Reef, Great Barrier Reef, Queensland
Depart early morning on day 4 on your Great Barrier Reef dive adventure. All participants will complete their respective courses over the next three days. Once you arrive on the Great Barrier Reef begin exploring the underwater world on this magnificent natural wonder. Return to Cairns late afternoon on day 6. Transfer to your hostel and free time. (B,L,D*)
Duration: 1 day

Meals included:
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Accommodation included: Boat

Day 5: Great Barrier Reef. PADI Open Water Course day 4

Stop At: Great Barrier Reef, Cairns, Queensland Australia
Live aboard boat trip continued...
Duration: 1 day

Meals included:
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Accommodation included: Boat

Day 6: Great Barrier Reef - Cairns. PADI Open Water Course day 5

Stop At: Great Barrier Reef, Cairns, Queensland Australia
Last day out on the Great Barrier Reef, finishing your Open Water course. Return to Cairns late afternoon.
Duration: 12 hours

Meals included:
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Accommodation included: Gilligans

Day 7: Cairns - Fitzroy Island/ Cairns Turtle Rehab Centre

Stop At: Fitzroy Island, Fitzroy Island, Queensland
Your conservation adventure continues with a day trip to the turtle hospital on Fitzroy Island (See Note). Transfer by ferry to Fitzroy Island where you will meet other volunteers working at the Cairns Turtle Rehabilitation Centre. You will learn about the work done by this organization, meet some of the patients and, possibly, go behind the scenes to lend a helping hand. Tasks may include feeding turtles, cleaning tanks as well as a beach clean-up. Return to Cairns at midday or alternatively stay on the island for the afternoon. If the latter enjoy free time.
Note: The experience at CTRC will take place either on day 7 or 8. The maximum number of our participants at CTRC at one time is 4 persons. Should the Marine Conservation group size exceed 4 persons we will be splitting the group into two over 2 days. This is at the request of CTRC and is to keep the turtles’ stress to a minimum and in turn allow you to have the best possible and most fulfilling experience on the day.
Duration: 9 hours

No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: Gilligans

Day 8: Cairns - Free

Stop At: Cairns, Cairns, Cairns Region, Queensland
Free day. See note on day 7.
Duration: 9 hours

No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: Gilligans

Day 9: Cairns - Marine Conservation on GBR

Stop At: Great Barrier Reef, Cairns, Queensland Australia
Over the next 2 days you will be onboard Passions of Paradise, a locally owned premier operator promoting sustainable day trips to the Great Barrier Reef to enhance your marine conservation experience. Under the guidance of your designated Eco-guide you will undertake a selection of activities each day while diving (2 x dives per day), being Rapid Monitoring surveys and a species count to be entered into Great Barrier Reef Marine Park’s Eye on the Reef Sighting’s Network (number of activities could vary depending on conditions). Each day you will need to check in at the Reef Fleet Terminal by 0730am and return to Cairns late afternoon. Free time each afternoon.
PLEASE ENSURE YOU HAVE YOUR TEMPORARY OPEN WATER CARD OR LOG BOOK WITH YOU ON DAY 9

Duration: 9 hours

Meals included:
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Accommodation included: Gilligans

Day 10: Cairns - Marine Conservation on GBR

Stop At: Great Barrier Reef, Cairns, Queensland Australia
Day two of Marine Conservation on the GBR.
Duration: 9 hours

Meals included:
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Accommodation included: Gilligans

Day 11: Cairns - Plastic sorting with local marine conservation organization

Stop At: Cairns, Cairns, Cairns Region, Queensland
This morning you join the team of a local marine conservation organisation, where you will be given the task of sorting and segregating rubbish collected at organised beach clean ups. It is one thing to clean the beaches, but the next task is to get the ball rolling with the upcycling process and this is what your manpower will provide today. If the weather permits and the dates align, you might also be part of a local beach cleanup. Here you can expect a day of fun, education and feel-good action. Learn about the impact of marine debris on our oceans, ask the expert conservation coordinators where the rubbish originates from and find out what steps we can take to fight the war on plastic.
Duration: 4 hours

No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: Gilligans

Day 12: Cairns - End of tour

Pass By: Cairns, Cairns, Cairns Region, Queensland
Today is the end of your tour. Check out and transfer to the airport for your onward or homeward journey. Safe Travels!

No meals included on this day.
No accommodation included on this day.

Additional Information

• No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
• Not wheelchair accessible
• Minimum age is 18 years
• A minimum of 2 people per trip is required
• A maximum of 8 people per trip
• Dive Course only – Prior to commencing your dive course you are required to complete a self-assessment Student Diver Medical Declaration. A positive response to any question means that there is a pre-existing condition that may affect your safety while diving and you must consult a medical practitioner preferably with experience in diving medicine to obtain a dive medical certificate that states that you are fit to undertake recreational diver training.
• Near public transportation
• Dive medicals and medical clearance to dive are the responsibility of the participant.
• Rescue Diver course on request and subject to availability
• Program start days: Day 1 is a Sunday
• Gilligan’s offers all guests a free one way airport transfer from Cairns airport to the hostel between the hours of 8am to 8pm. For those wanting to take the FREE airport transfer please go to bus bay 6 outside the domestic and international terminals. A booking is required – to do this please go to https://cairnsairportshuttle.com.au/bookings/ and use discount code gilarr57 to ensure you are not charged for the transfer. Maximum of 7 passengers per booking. Please remember to print or save your ticket to present to the bus driver.
• Single room upgrades available at the hostel, pending availability and at extra cost
• Not recommended for travelers with back problems
• PADI dive courses available: Open Water, Advanced Open Water, Nitrox, Rescue
• Not recommended for pregnant travelers
• Number of dives:
• Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
• OWD Dive course: 13 dives on the Great Barrier Reef (pending weather conditions)
• AOWD & above: 15 dives on the Great Barrier Reef (pending weather conditions)
• No Limit Adventures reserves the right to cancel any departure up to 30 days before the commencement date in case of participant cancellations or not attaining min. numbers.
• Deposits will be refunded in such an instance.
• No Limit Adventures takes no responsibility for any travel arrangements made outside of the inclusions of the Marine Conservation program.
• Hand sanitizer available to travelers and staff
• Regularly sanitized high-traffic areas
• Gear/equipment sanitized between use
• Contactless payments for gratuities and add-ons
• This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
• This tour/activity will have a maximum of 8 travelers
• Confirmation will be received within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability

• Accommodation at Gilligans Backpacker Resort (or similar), 9 nights dorm accommodation
• OWD or AOWD dive course including 3 day/ 2 night live aboard reef trip
• 2 x day trips on Passions of Paradise incl. dedicated Eco-guide, doing conservation tasks
• Specified number of dives on the Great Barrier Reef
• 1 x day trip to Fitzroy Island and volunteering at the turtle hospital
• Conservation program t-shirt (all participants)
• Tour coordination and assistance by No Limit Adventures
• 3x Breakfast
• 2x Dinner
• 5x Lunch
• Accommodation included: 11 nights
• Entry/Admission - Great Barrier Reef

• International and domestic flights
• Visa fees to Australia (if applicable)
• Airport transfers (see Note)
• Reef taxes and levies (approx. $85 TOTAL, if doing dive course)
• Dive medical costs (if required)
• First Aid Certificate cost (only required by participants doing Rescue Dive Course)
• Costs of personal nature
• Optional activities