Charter Chatter

- Lady Musgrave Island is a true coral cay situated 32 nautical miles from the town of 1770. The island is set on 3000 acres of living reef with a 1000-acre coral lagoon that is unique to the Great Barrier Reef. The lagoon is home to over 1300 varieties of tropical fish and 350 species of colourful hard and soft coral. The lagoon is a protected Green Zone and has never been fished, and therefore offers an abundance of large and rare marine life.

Spirit of 1770, a purpose-built 22m high-speed Catamaran operated by Lady Musgrave Cruises, takes passengers to a floating pontoon with facilities moored in the lagoon. Guests can snorkel, dive, coral view from a semi-submersible or glass-bottom boats and access the island for island walks.

Reef Fisher, also operated by Lady Musgrave Cruises, is a high-speed 38ft purpose-built reef fishing vessel offering visitors an optional spot of reef fishing on the outer reef wall with all equipment provided. Full-day reef fishing is also available for groups upon request.

- Aurora Expeditions will hold a free Kimberley Coast educational evening in Sydney on 9 February with guest speaker Dr Garry Darby, a renowned art historian and author.

- Hamilton Island is offering a bonus free night and Whitehaven Beach cruise with savings of up to $790 to tie in with the broadcasting of Oprah Winfrey's 'Ultimate Australian Adventure'. Bookings must be made before the end of February and conditions apply.

- If it's blowing 25 knots and raining in the Whitsundays -- great! The choppier the sea, the more fun the adventure ride on Ocean Rafting gets. Always the last boat to cancel and often heading out in windy wet conditions, operators of the Whitsundays’ adventure boat ride, Ocean Rafting says 25 knots will give you an exhilarating wild ride (if you dare).

- A romantic overnight boat charter on Sydney Harbour is a popular Valentine's Day indulgence. Skipper a boat yourself or hire a skipper for a twilight cruise before being left alone at anchor overnight with a gourmet dinner. The skipper will return in the morning to take you back to the charter base. Other on-water options for February 14 include dining while cruising the Harbour or Pittwater, chartering a boat to take you to a picnic spot or to a restaurant.

- The flooding in Queensland is south of the Whitsundays, which is dry, sunny, and open for business. Celebrate Valentine's Day on 14 February with someone special on a scenic flight over the naturally formed Heart Reef, write a message of love into the white silica sands of Whitehaven Beach or picnic in a secluded bay on your own deserted island.

- Many areas within the Bundaberg region have been impacted by recent flooding but most local tourism icons, including the Mon Repos Turtle Experience, Lady Elliot and Lady Musgrave Islands, are open for business as usual. Importantly, the number of breeding turtles returning to lay their eggs at Mon Repos have not been affected and numbers are growing with some 239 of the ancient mariners having already returned to the largest loggerhead rookery on the east coast since the start of the current season.

- The prices for North Star’s Kimberley Cruises have been reduced and four options are now available. North Star's flagship adventure is a two-week soirée along the Kimberley coast. Other options are a seven-night cruise of the northern half of the Kimberly or a six-night cruise of the southern half. For those pressed for time or perhaps considering the budget, the Kimberley Snapshot is the flagship adventure itinerary condensed into a single week.