Between 15% to 20% of discount on services proposed on the by the Great Barrier Reef Visitors Bureau. It is not just a 'tourist trap'. I am currently preparing my own trip to North Queensland and received good discounts on campervan and car rentals. A visit to their site is not a lost of time. You will find useful information (and price) on vehicle and accomodation rentals, on day trips, activities, ... I must also add that I was in contact with very helpful people (Graeme and Nikki) and very quick to answer to my email enquiries (which is not always the case on the Internet). Booking for some services can be done by the bureau anywhere in Australia so you can benefit from their discount rate even if not visiting the Far North Queensland The Great Barrier Reef Tourist Bureau also won the 1997 Queensland IT&T Award for excellence in the Tourism sector (see article below) Alain ( admin@aussieworld.com )

Tourism
The Great Barrier Reef Visitors Bureau - WWW internet site


http://www.GreatBarrierReef.aus.net

Commencing tourism services via the internet in 1995, the Great Barrier Reef Visitors Bureau (incorporating the Port Douglas Visitors Bureau) created a World Wide Web site to become the most successful dedicated online travel operator in Queensland. With an audited two million hits on the organisation’s website/s a year and a gross turnover for the 1995/96 year of over $A600,000 purely derived from online commerce, the Bureau has evolved from an initial paper brochure in early 1995 to a very successful commercial venture featuring online booking services. As the first regional tourism wholesaler to take up the WWW as a dedicated distribution and reservation system, the service also acts as an extensive information service for visitors to the area. Through a central reservation bureau, the service offers in-depth specialist tourism product knowledge for travel products, especially smaller businesses not represented in the larger national domestic and international travel wholesale operators programs. The small private company provides direct contact to the consumer which has received accolades from all over the world.

Port Douglas,Gateway to the Daintree Rainforest .

There is nothing on earth which can matched the beauty of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef,but closely matching is the nearby Daintree rainforest.Port Douglas is gifted with having two of the earth richest and most diverse ecosystems at its front and rear doors. Its the closest major resort town near the Great Barrier Reef,making it a perfect place from which to explore the marine wonderland. Half and full day cruises from the Port, make for an ideal introduction to this World Heritage Marine Park. You can charter private vessels,board a high speed state of the art catamaran to take you out to the outer reefs or hail a leisure sail-away to the nearby Low Isles.

There is a hive of activities with diving,snorkelling,swimming or just lazing on an island beach,or perhaps you wish to go fishing for some of the piscatorial denizens of the Coral Sea,party boat fishing or in a luxury game fishing boat,or personalised fishing for barramundi and mangrove jack in the Inlet or the Daintree River.Its all possible from Port Douglas,tours to the outback,cave exploration,Aboriginal rock art,ancient volcanic lava tubes,hot springs,crater lakes,waterfalls,mountain train rides or cable car tours over the forests at Kuranda,the must visit Port Douglas Rainforest Habitat wildlife sanctuary,golf on one of the three courses in the region,lawn bowls and other quests just to numerous to mention.

The Port has other attraction,its laid back relaxed tropical lifestyle and atmosphere,its building code which forbids buildings to rise above the palm lined Four Mile Beach,and its friendly people.If one place on earth deserves the title Paradise it is the reef and rainforest coast on which Port Douglas nestles.

Only ten minutes away,trough fields of lush sugar cane lands rises the Main Coast Range,at 1,378 metres, the third highest point in Queensland.These ranges of cloud and rainforests dominate the landscape.They are the beginning of the Greater Daintree Region,the oldest continual rainforest in the world and one of its most diverse.

According to the Wet Tropics Management Authority,the people responsible for managing the World Heritage Rainforests some 1,000 species of trees occur here, 900 species of scrubs,450 species of vines,40 species of palms,330 species of ferns,including the world largest and smallest tree ferns and cycads,150 species of epiphytes,32 species of mangroves and some 400 species of herbs.In comparison the entire number of tree species of Europe and North America numbers less than 150 species.

And Port Douglas offers the means of seeing much of it,rainforest,the reef and the outback.Its a magic place and well worth considering on any Tropical North Queensland getaway.

De Luxe Safaris ( http://www.internetnorth.com.au/eussen )offers day and half day tours tours that will take you deep into the Daintree rainforests and in the outback beyond.However we can also offer overnight tours which take in both outback and rainforest during two days of travel from Port Douglas to Cooktown on a ring road of adventure and amazement.Or even farther north and west from Cooktown to take in the beautiful Aboriginal rock art at Laura,or west into the outback of Chillagoe and Mungana,and the kangaroo country of the Undarra Lava Tubes.

On a five day visit to the region we suggest a cruise to the Great Barrier Reef and a two or three day tour with De Luxe Safaris to Cooktown or lower Cape York.Spend the last day relaxing in Port and visit the Rainforest Habitat and have breakfast with the birds before relaxing at your resort.

Safaris on the road are the way to see the country,while accommodation is normally excellent and cheaper than spending five days in one place and taking day tours.But we are more than pleased to take you on day tours if you wish to enjoy the comfort and atmosphere of the Port during your stay in tropical north Queensland.It will be the highlight of your Australian holiday.

Dick & Eileen Eussen ( Eussen@internetnorth.com.au )

The Legend of the Glasshouse Mountains

It seems that Tibrogargan, the father and Beerwah the mother had many children, Beerburrum, the Tunbubudla twins, Coochin, Ngungun, Tibberroowccum, Miketbumulgrai, Elimbah, and Coonowrin (the eldest).

According to the story there was also Round, who was fat and small, and Wild Horse (presumably saddleback) who was always straying away to paddle in the sea.

One day when Tibrogargan was gazing out to the sea he noticed a great rising of the waters. Hurrying off to gather his young children in order to flee to the safety of the mountains to the westward he called out to Coonowrin to help his mother, who by the way was again with child. Looking back to see how Coonowrin was assisting Beerwah, Tibrogargan was greatly angered to see him running off alone. He pursued Coonowrin and raising his club struck the later such a mighty blow that he dislocated Coonowrins neck and he was never be able to straighten it since ... When the floods subsided and the family had returned to the plains the other children teased Coornowrin about his crooked neck. Feeling ashamed Coonowrin went over to Tibrogargan and asked his forgiveness, but filled with shame at his sons Cowardice, Tibrogargan could do nothing but weep copious tears which, trickling along the ground formed a stream which flowed into the sea ... then Coornowrin went to his brothers and sisters but they also wept at the shame of their brothers cowardice. The lamentations of Coornowrin parents and of his brothers and sisters at his disgrace, explain the presence today of the numerous small streams of the area ...

Tibrogargan then called to Coonowrin, asking him why he had deserted Beerwah, at which Coonowrin replied that as Beerwah was the biggest of them all she would be able to take care of herself. He did not know that Beerwah was again pregnant which was the reason for her great size. Then Tibrogargan turned his back on Coornowrin and vowed that he would never look at him again ...

Even today Tibrogargan gazes far out to sea and never looks around at Coornowrin who hangs his head and cries, his tears running over sea. His mother Beerwah, is still heavy with child as it takes a long time to give birth to a mountain ...