Charter Chatter

Aurora Expeditions offers travellers the chance to experience the Kimberley Coast in 2010 with their team of experts, including Kimberley expeditioner Mike Cusack of Australian Geographic's first 'wilderness couple' fame; Rosanna Angus, a local Aboriginal guide; indigenous art historian Garry Darby and naturalist Chris Done.

Cunard Line's newest ocean liner, Queen Elizabeth, will make maiden visits to Sydney, Melbourne and Fremantle in 2011 as part of her inaugural world voyage, which will feature a spectacular Royal Rendezvous in Sydney with her big sister Queen Mary 2 on February 22.

Mariner Boating Holidays has specialised in sailing holidays for the Australian market for over 20 years. With offices in Sydney and Melbourne and a staff of dedicated professionals, the one stop sailing holiday shop offers yacht rallies, bareboat yacht charters, traditional motor sailers, canal barge or passage on a luxurious fully crewed sailing or motor yacht. More details.

A recent Burgundy food and wine tour for two weeks on a barge was organized by the team at Mariner Boating Holidays. The group of ten started their trip in Paris and went by bus to the Burgundy region with a stopover for lunch before boarding their barges. Fabulous is how Joan Hardy describes the holiday. More details.

It's humpback heaven in Hervey Bay after the official opening of the local whale watch season on August 1, and the "Blessing of the Fleet" of whale watch boats at the Harbour on August 8 signals the start of the week long Hervey Bay Whale Festival.

The Whitsundays, Australia's aquatic playground, is gearing up for its annual Sailing Season where sails and spinnakers dominate the horizon by day, and champagne corks and good times dominate by night. More information.

The Great Barrier Reef and Uluru have been selected as two of the 28 finalists in the global New7Wonders of Nature campaign. The final seven most wondrous sites across the world through the eyes of the public will be announced mid-2011. Cast your vote at Australia.com.

Packing for a Boating Holiday - Although the winters in North Queensland are milder than the southern states, jeans and a sweat shirt/jumper or a track suit are needed for the cooler evenings during May to September. Pack your gear in a large soft bag and also take a small back pack for walking ashore.

Wear white-soled shoes with a good grip on board and ashore. Pack a pair of Crocs or old shoes, with topsides and a soft but thick sole for stepping out of dinghies into water and possibly onto coral or oysters. Thongs or flip flops are not suitable. See the check list at this page.

If you want to cruise and not dress up for dinner you can travel on a cargo ship, calling into ports that others never see, mixing with the captain and officers every day and going onto the bridge to see your daily progress. A trip from Brisbane to Singapore takes 13 days non stop or sail for 31 days from Sydney to six ports in New Zealand before going on to Brisbane and Singapore. The round trip of 49 days includes stops in Jakarta, Fremantle and Melbourne. Freighter Cruises.com.au.

Little is known about manta rays but researchers from the University of Queensland and Earthwatch have begun a five year research project to discover why they are such regular visitors to Lady Elliot Island, a coral cay at the southern end of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, where they congregate to be preened by cleaner wrasse - small fish that feed on skin parasites and pieces of loose flesh. Cobalt blue on the back with a white underbelly, the manta is the largest ray with a wingspan of up to nine metres and weighing up to 1500 kilograms. It has a short, barbless tail and can swim up to 24 kilometres an hour and is found mainly in tropical waters throughout the world.

Sunsail Yacht Charters turns 35 this year and to celebrate, it is giving customers a whopping 35 percent off selected last-minute bookings from their base in the Whitsundays, north Queensland. All customers have to do is call Sunsail and ask about the last-minute Birthday offers and they will be offered a selection of boats in the Whitsundays on specific dates over the next few weeks.

Photo courtesy of Tourism Australia: Heart Reef